Mother’s Day is quickly approaching! This is the perfect opportunity to treat all the Mama's in your life and even yourself to a few sweet gifts to celebrate this beautiful day. Healthy Planet is currently running an INCREDIBLE Mother's Day Sale, full of pampering and practical products for all Mothers!
I have narrowed down my top 4 favourite products that not only do I use, but would make the perfect Health & Wellness gifts for the Mama's in your life this Mother’s Day!
Organika Collagen – Because healthy skin is always on trend. Collagen has many beautiful benefits that does our body so good - promotes skin health, boost muscle mass, improve ingestive health, burns fat, alleviate joint pains, promotes heart health, and improves cognitive health. Our bodies naturally produce collagen, however our ability to produce it decreases less and less as we age. This is why it is so important to either incorporate foods that contain collagen in our diet or supplement it with a product like, Organika Collagen. Because let’s be real, who doesn’t want beautiful skin?
Skin Essence Facial in a Jar – Spoil the Mama's in your life with this multipurpose product. You can either use this as an exfoliator to scrub away dead skin or leave it on as a mask so that the product can absorb all the oils and impurities out of your skin. Either way, this product will leave your skin super soft, supple, nourished and will brighten your overall complexion!
Everyone Hand Soap Coconut Lavender – This is the best naturally smelling hand soap on the market. I really love that it is kind to our earth, cruelty free, gluten free, does not contain synthetic fragrance, and really does a wonderful job at cleansing and moisturizing the skin.
Andalou Naturals Body Lotion Lavender Thyme – You will not catch me without some sort of hand lotion in my diaper bag. With all the diaper changing and constantly washing my hands to avoid catching my toddler’s germs, it strips away my natural oils leaving my skin super dry and cracked. I love this hand lotion not only does it DELICIOUS but it also does a fab job at moisturizing and keeping the skin moisturized for a long period of time. If Lavender Thyme isn’t your jam, they also have a large selection of other scents as well!
Written by Healthy Planet Ambassador @lifestylebycp. Follow Cherrie as she lives her best life spreading her vision of the Health and Wellness lifestyle with the help of Healthy Planet!
Pre-Workout supplementation has been one of the hottest categories in supplementation for more than a decade. and with good reason. Getting effectively motivated with the ideal nutrients before your workout can mean the difference between success and failure.
Selecting a great pre-workout supplement can be a daunting task and isn’t for the faint of heart. There are literally dozens of selections out there, for every gym rat you ask you’re likely to get a different answer from each one. Here we’ll breakdown the elements that make up a great pre-workout supplement so you can make an informed decision.
Caffeine
Pre-workout supplements give you a pretty huge advantage in the gym for a few reasons. First and foremost, they work on motivation and energy. Typically, not unlike an energy drink, the main ingredient is tried and true caffeine (methylxanthine). Whether it comes from a coffee, a caffeine pill or in the form of a pre-workout supp, this ingredient is a potent one that provides a long list of benefits.
Most importantly to your workout is its ability to stimulate your brain to get you motivated. Aside from waking you up and giving you mental energy, it has the effect of reducing your perception of exertion. Simply put, you’ll push harder because the weight actually feels less heavy than it normally would. The result – you’ll simply get more out of your workout, you’ll lift more, run harder and go longer. This is why (at least for a time) caffeine in elevated amounts was considered to be a banned performance-enhancing substance.
1-3, Dimethylamylamine or DMA
In the last few years, there have been additional stimulants introduced to further enhance this effect. They, like caffeine, work on increasing the secretion of norepinephrine (NE) by the adrenal glands. One of the most contentious of these is called 1-3, Dimethylamylamine or DMA for short. This ingredient is a chemical that was said to have come from Geranium extract, but this has been scientifically challenged scientifically both for and against. It has since been declared illegal in many countries and banned by certain sports organizations like WADA.
Hordenine, Synephrine and Octopamine
There are other key ingredients that you can rely on to provide a very similar stimulant action, Hordenine, Synephrine and Octopamine. All of these exert very similar stimulant actions and complement caffeine very nicely. Naringin is an ideal addition, as it extends the action of the stimulants by reducing the rate at which your body breaks them down. This increases the activity time of the stimulant and improves their effect.
Yohimbine
The one stimulant that is unique to the others and highly effective is Yohimbine. Unfortunately, this ingredient in illegal in Canada, but is very popular in US formulations. The advantage with this ingredient is that it is known to increase blood flow and act on specific fat receptors in the buttocks and thighs, generally lowering body fat. In terms of pre-workout supplementation, it produces a strong stimulant effect that tends to work well in conjunction with caffeine.
Aside from the stimulant effect so important to getting your head in the game, the elevation of norepinephrine also has a strong fat-burning effect. So, in addition to getting the mental focus and motivation critical to getting a good workout, you will simultaneously burn more fat. The mechanism of action is a liberation of stored fat in the form of long-chain fatty acids that can be burned by the body to produce energy.
L-Carnitine
The addition of L-Carnitine to your pre-workout supplement is an ideal complement to your pre-workout stack, but it should be taken between an hour and 30 minutes before you train (whereas your pre-workout absorbs very quickly and should be taken right before you train.) L-Carnitine in the body transports the long-chain fatty acids (LCFA) into the cell where the mitochondria burn the LCFA as energy. It is well known that mitochondria are the powerhouses of the cell, but less well known is how the supplementation of L-Carnitine supports this process.
Arginine
Arginine is a primary component of most of these pre-workout supplements, and for good reason. It has been a standard in medicine for increasing nitric oxide in cardiac patients for decades. Nitric oxide (NO) relaxes blood vessels and increases blood flow. One of the keys to Arginine is uptake and absorption. This is why you will often see blends of varied forms of Arginine to ensure that your body actually uses the Arginine for NO production. Another key factor of Arginine that is lesser known is its ability to help stimulate the release of growth hormone. Arginine also happens to be one of the substrates that your body uses to endogenously make Creatine.
Ginkgo Biloba, Ginseng and Citrulline
Ginkgo Biloba, Ginseng and Citrulline are top favorites and worth having in any pre-workout supplement – Ginkg ...
The mid-afternoon slump. It can hit you when you least expect it. It often sets in when you still have a long way to go on your work and home “to do” lists for the day. In those moments, it’s so tempting to reach for that second (or third) cup of coffee to give you the energy you crave.
What if you could find a caffeine-free alternative to increase vitality and optimize your natural energy levels?*
Look no further than the high Andes mountains of Peru, where you’ll find Maca growing more than 12,000 feet above sea level. Fortunately, you don’t have toactually travel to South America to be able to enjoy the benefits of the highest altitude crop in the world!
Maca has been consumed for 3000 years, and is an adaptable plant that demonstrates an amazing ability to adjust to extreme climates.* Interestingly, when Maca root is ingested by humans, we actually refer to it as an “adaptogen”, meaning it helps with our adaptability to the demands of stress*. In the world of botanical medicine, we often see this direct parallel between a plant’s growing strategies in the nature, and its beneficial qualities in humans.
MegaFood has created two unique formulations where Maca plays a starring role.
In Daily Maca Plus for Women Over 40, Maca teams up with other botanicals, including Ashwagandha, a renowned Ayurvedic plant that helps promote a healthy stress response.* Ashwagandha is also an adaptogen, and is an excellent herb for supporting balanced energy levels when taken on a daily basis.* The addition of Chaste Tree Berry and Black Cohosh in this women’s blend help to maintain a healthy hormonal balance.*
Daily Maca Plus for Men Over 40 features different botanicals that complement Maca to promote strength and vitality for men.* Saw Palmetto and Nettle Root support healthy prostate and urinary tract function.* Reishi mushroom, also referred to as the “Mushroom of Immortality” in traditional Chinese Medicine, is best known for its role in promoting healthy aging.*
With these two MegaFood Nutrient Booster Powder blends, you can bring gender-specific energy and stress support directly into your daily routine.* Please note: while these blends are designed for the Over 40 Crowd, younger adults can still enjoy them, too! Each one offers a caffeine-free daily boost, and just might help you wave good-bye to the afternoon slump.* Simply add a scoop to your favorite smoothie, or try one of the following delicious recipes!
This article is provided to you by Mega food blog.
When people are looking for that much needed energy boost, the first place that comes to mind is the local coffee bar. In the endless search for more energy, it’s quite easy forget about one of our best sources of sustained energy – plants! While most people don’t default to their local farmer’s market or natural foods grocery store, you can find many fundamental sources energy there – in the form of vegetables such as spinach, kale and beets. Here, I highlight two MegaFood products that include power plants to support optimal energy levels.*
Balanced B Complex
MegaFood’s Balanced B Complex, is a daily supplement designed to promote overall energy and the health of the nervous system.The balanced ratio of MegaFood’s signature FoodState B vitamins, are delivered in nourishing whole foods, and are the backbone of the Balanced B Complex formula. Additionally, it is packed with 125 mg of organic spinach! As one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet, spinach is high in iron, Vitamin A and Vitamin K. It also contains phenolic antioxidants such as lutein, zeaxanthin and beta carotene. The inclusion of spinach brings an additional boost of phytonutrients and life enhancing chlorophyll to the blend.
Blood Builder
MegaFood’s Blood Builder supplement delivers FoodState nutrients such as Iron, Folate, Vitamin B12 and Vitamin C to help maintain healthy red blood cells and iron levels in the blood.* Beets are a powerful food for supporting optimal energy levels, and Blood Builder boasts 125mg of fresh beet root.* Our beets are sourced exclusively from Stahlbush Island Farms, a sustainable farm in Oregon’s lush Willamette Valley that’s been a trusted partner of MegaFood for years.
Beets as a food have a long, rich history. Beet root was first cultivated by the Romans, and in Greek mythology, Aphrodite was said to eat beets to help retain her beauty. High in folate and fiber, beets are also a natural source of nitrates, which the body converts to nitric oxide. This aids in optimal blood flow and delivery of oxygen to the muscles. In fact, recent research has shown that beet root juice can help support optimal athletic performance.
Vegan-Friendly Power
As more people turn to plant nutrition for energy power, they are also looking for supplements made with real, whole food to fuel their lives. Both Balanced B Complex and Blood Builder are Certified Vegan by Vegan Action (Vegan.org), making these formulations trusted choices for vegetarians and vegans alike.
This article is provided to you by Mega food website.
There are dozens of reasons why you may be tired. In many cases, there is a clear answer as to why; maybe you’ve been running on 4 hours of sleep each night of the week, you’ve been working 12-hour days for the past month, or you have a 3-month old newborn (you get the picture). But sometimes the reason is not so clear. Despite eating well, getting high quality sleep and exercising regularly, you seem to be dragging on. So the classic solution, yet often the incorrect solution, is to seek the nervous system stimulant caffeine by drinking coffee…and more coffee and more coffee.
For the record, I am not inherently opposed to coffee. There is actually quite a lot of positive research supporting the consumption of coffee for various health concerns (including prevention of Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes and various cancers). The problem arises when we drink 3-4 coffees per day just to get by. In other words, relying on coffee is not a great sign of health, whereas having a daily coffee for recreation is okay and may actually be beneficial for our health (Sidenote: the creams and sugars are not beneficial for our health, and there are illnesses that are better managed when coffee is removed from the equation, but these are both separate issues).
So what do we do when we notice that we need coffee just to get through the day or when even our three XL-sized timmie’s aren’t giving us that energy boost?
First and foremost, if you’re not doing all of those healthy things that I mentioned before (eating vegetables, sleeping 7-8 hours per night, getting 20 minutes of exercise per day, etc.), then that is the first and most important step toward boosting energy. All of those basics provide your body with nutrients important for energy and they also regulate hormones (cortisol, melatonin, thyroid, etc.) that drastically affect mood and energy.
At the same time, you need to see your doctor and have labs done to determine your iron, vitamin B12, and thyroid hormone levels. Deficiencies in any of these nutrients and/or hormones are very common causes for fatigue if they have gone undiagnosed. As an FYI, a “normal” lab result for one person may be abnormal for another person. Thyroid hormone tests only assess a portion of the equation and they tend to leave out the possibility of impaired peripheral conversion or activation. In these scenarios, certain nutrients like zinc or selenium may be helpful.
Assuming you have ruled out the possibility of these concerns with your doctor, consider a deficiency of all B-vitamins. Many B-vitamins are depleted through poor nutrition and stress. These deficiencies may also be present as a result of conversion issues from common B-vitamin forms to their biologically active forms. For example, B6 is commonly supplemented in the form of pyridoxine HCl but it is actually used in the body as pyridoxal-5-phosphate. If your body cannot convert to this active form, it can’t use the vitamin in numerous cellular activities. If your energy is low, a high-quality, biologically active B-vitamin complex can do wonders.
Next, it’s time to look at your stress and cortisol levels. What often happens is that we push ourselves so hard to stay on track and keep up with the demands of everyday life. Our bodies can only hang on so long until they finally crash. Cortisol (aka our “stress hormone”) is great at getting us through an acutely stressful situation, but with chronic stress it eventually flatlines. This is where many adaptogen herbs (“adaptogen” is the term for herbs that help our bodies “adapt” to stress) and nutrients can target this low or imbalanced cortisol level.
Panax ginseng is a well-known adaptogen for boosting energy, improving physical performance and improving mental performance under times of stress. AOR has combined this herb with potassium nitrate (to increase nitric oxide production) in EnergyNOx for improved delivery to the tissues. As another option, Rhodiola rosea has very similar and well-documented benefits to those of Panax ginseng.
For the very depleted individuals, AOR’s Ortho Adapt has been formulated with a variety of adaptogenic herbs, vitamins and glandular extracts to improve cortisol levels and boost energy in the face of stress. With herbs like Rhodiola rosea, Eleutherococcus senticosus (siberian ginseng) and Glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice root), it also acts as an anti-microbial and blood sugar regulating aid. Ortho Adapt is AOR’s most powerful energy booster in cases of cortisol depletion.
Lastly, nutrients such as ribose, aspartic acid and malic acid can also be considered when trying to remedy fatigue due to an unknown cause. These nutrients are involved on a cellular level in the production of ATP, the main energy molecule in the human body. They have been found to ...
