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Mitochondria: Importance and Care

Mitochondria power your cells, but that’s an oversimplified way of thinking about them because in terms of what they do, pure energy just scratches the surface.

Mitochondria largely determine how you feel right now, how you’ll perform at work, your focus, and how intense your morning workout was. Their impact on your day is almost imperceptible unless you really think about it – then it becomes critical.

But as you age, your mitochondria begin to break down. In fact, this process is one of the main causes for the tell-tale signs of aging. Therefore, finding new ways to get your cells making more mitochondria isn’t just good for you now, it can help you live a healthy life. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to keep your cells producing healthy mitochondria.

WHAT ARE MITOCHONDRIA, ANYWAY?

Great question. Mitochondria are different from the other cellular components in your body. That’s because scientists believe that mitochondria, at one point, were their own independent organisms. They were once bacteria that, somewhere along the way, decided to work together. Because mitochondria evolved doing their own thing, they have their own DNA, and that means they can produce their own proteins and enzymes. Amazing, right?

When your mitochondria are functioning in tip-top shape, they form the foundation for a healthy life, affecting your mood, energy and focus levels, and much, much more. The important takeaway here is that healthy mitochondria provide your body with the steady flow of energy it needs to perform its best in a variety of functions. It’s not just the quantity of mitochondria that makes the biggest difference either, it’s the quality as well.

Because different parts of your body burn massive amounts of energy, when mitochondria production starts to slow, or the quality of your mitochondria starts to weaken, the body enters what we call mitochondrial dysfunction. This could be caused by poor diet, exposure to environmental toxins, bad sleep habits, and more. When free radicals start to attack your cells (and mitochondria by extension), we begin to experience the common symptoms of aging and oxidative stress, which can take a toll on your body.

Like we mentioned earlier, mitochondrial dysfunction is a normal cellular process, but it isn’t something you have to simply accept. Here are a few things you can do to help keep your mitochondria running at full power.

Sleep Better.Better sleep leads to better mitochondrial function. Why? Well, consider the time you spend sleeping as your brain and body’s daily upkeep. It’s a lot like a cleaning process. During the day, your cells produce a lot of waste. At night, mitochondria kick in and provide your cells with the energy they need to remove that waste. Looking at sleep this way makes the hours you spend in bed simply a good hygiene decision. So if you want to practice good sleep hygiene, consider winding down about an hour before bedtime. That means no phones (gasp!) and no Netflix (double gasp!).
Treat your body right.One of the keys to keeping your mitochondria in tip-top shape is reducing your toxic load. The reason is simple. Toxic load causes a normal inflammatory response in the cells, which in turn leads to the normal breakdown of mitochondria. To reduce your toxic load and support healthy mitochondria function, eat more omega 3 than omega 6 fatty acids. Swap the processed, packaged food you eat for whole alternatives. Eating cleaner can make a world of difference.
Exercise regularly.Mitochondria are energy junkies. The more energy your body demands, the more these little powerhouses kick into gear. Exercising, especially high intensity interval training (HIIT) that alternates high-intensity bursts of activity, is particularly beneficial. Walking and running is fine, but if you really want to boost your mitochondrial function, look for exercising that dials up the intensity.
Improve your diet.Along with eliminating processed foods from your diet, switching from high-carbs to high fat gives your mitochondria the type of fuel they thrive on. This fuel is called ketones — the basis for the Keto Diet. Additionally, intermittent fasting has also been shown to improve mitochondria function.

How to Care for your Mitochondria

Sleep Better: Better sleep leads to better mitochondrial function. Why? Well, consider the time you spend sleeping as your brain and body’s daily upkeep. It’s a lot like a cleaning process. During the day, your cells produce a lot of waste. At night, mitochondria kick in and provide your cells with the energy they need to remove that waste. Looking at sleep this way makes the hours you spend in bed simply a good hygiene decision. So if you want to practice good sleep hygiene, consider winding down about an hour before bedtime. That means no phones (gasp!) and no Netflix (double gasp!).
Treat your body right: One of the keys to keeping your mitochondria in tip-top shape is reducing your toxic load. The reason is simple. Toxic load causes a normal inflammatory response in the cells, which in turn leads to the normal breakdown of mitochondria. To reduce your toxic load and support healthy mitochondria function, eat more omega 3 than omega 6 fatty acids. Swap the processed, packaged food you eat for whole alternatives. Eating cleaner can make a world of difference.
Exercise regularly: Mitochondria are energy junkies. The more energy your body demands, the more these little powerhouses kick into gear. Exercising, especially high intensity interval training (HIIT) that alternates high-intensity bursts of activity, is particularly beneficial. Walking and running is fine, but if you really want to boost your mitochondrial function, look for exercising that dials up the intensity.
Improve your diet: Along with eliminating processed foods from your diet, switching from high-carbs to high fat gives your mitochondria the type of fuel they thrive on. This fuel is called ketones — the basis for the Keto Diet. Additionally, intermittent fasting has also been shown to improve mitochondria function.
NRF1 Activation: Activating the NRF1 protein is like flipping a light switch on and leads to the activation of many genes involved in mitochondrial biogenesis (the process of making new, healthy mitochondria). In addition to its effects on mitochondrial biogenesis, Protandim NRF1 Synergizer offers an effective way to maintain mitochondrial efficiency by helping to protect against the damaging effects of oxidative stress.

The Problem With Not Enough Sleep

Why Sleep Matters

In this modern age of “wake up and grind”, it can be almost shameful to announce to your friends and family that your bedtime is 10 pm. We live in a culture that is in a constant state of stimulation and hustle. No wonder we are seeing an increase in diseases like Alzheimer’s, obesity, and autoimmune disorders.

While sleep is not the only factor in sustaining weight loss, it is a key component that is, often,overlooked. If you have a serious problem getting enough sleep, seek out the help of a functional medicine practitioner to help you get your sleep under control.

HOW YOUR BRAIN FUNCTIONS WITHOUT SLEEP

Have you ever craved a carrot at 1 am while binge-watching a show? Of course not! We crave foods like cookies and chips when we are sleep deprived. Sleep decreases glucose to the brain, which is its’primary fuel source. Our bodies naturally seek out quick forms of glucose even when it’s not healthy for us.

Another way your brain suffers dramatically from sleep deprivation is the hippocampus This is —a region critical for the storing of new memories. When people are deprived of sleep for even one night, their ability to memorize new information in the hippocampus compared to rested participants. This deficit in the hippocampus could be caused by sleep deprivation reducing its ability to write in new information.

Alternatively, the hippocampus may need sleep to move new information to be stored in other areas of the brain. In this case, lack of sleep may cause the storage capacity of the hippocampus to fill up, preventing new information from being stored.

BIOHACK YOUR SLEEP WITH THESE STEPS

Step 1: Control Your Exposure to Light

Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone controlled by the light exposure that helps regulate your sleep-wake cycle. Your brain secretes more melatonin when it’s dark—making you sleepy—and less when it’s light—making you more alert. However, many aspects of modern life can alter your body’s production of melatonin and shift your circadian rhythm.

Step 2: Exercise during the day

People who exercise daily, regularly sleep better at night and feel less sleepy during the day. Regular exercise improves the symptoms of insomnia and sleep apnea and increases the amount of time you spend in the deep, thus restorative stages of sleep.

Step 3: Watching what you digest

Your daily daytime eating habits play a role in how well you sleep—especially right before bedtime.

Limit caffeine and nicotine. You might be surprised to know that caffeine can cause sleep problems even up to ten to twelve hours after drinking it. Smoking is another stimulant that can disrupt your sleep, especially if you smoke close to bedtime.

Avoid large meals before bed. Try to make dinnertime earlier in the evening, and avoid heavy, rich foods within two hours of bed. Spicy or acidic foods can cause stomach trouble and heartburn.

Once you have a handle on the whole biohacking process, start making small changes that will help you identify what works best for your entire bedtime routine. Remember balancing your hormones through diet, exercise, and natural supplements are the best biohack to better sleep.

http://michaelandlisahuey.lifevantage.com/blog/biohack-your-sleep/

5 Biohacker’s Diet Tips

#1: USE NATURAL FOOD TO SUPPORT DIGESTION

Sure, you can take probiotics, digestive enzymes, and other supplements to support digestion, but you should also get familiar with natural, east-to-afford foods that support digestion, including:

Fresh carrot juice (supports intestinal mucous membranes)
Celery juice (promotes intestinal movements and alleviates constipation)
Carminatives that reduce gas in the intestine: orange, fennel, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cilantro, caraway, licorice, oregano, parsley, peppermint oil, rosemary, sage, lemon balm, dill, thyme, garlic.
Bitters that stimulate the production of stomach acids and digestive enzymes: Jerusalem artichoke, Angelica sylvestris root, yellow gentian, Angelica archangelica root.
Other foods that support digestion: Aloe Vera, pineapple, chia seeds, chlorella, sauerkraut, currants, Iceland moss, cranberries, oats, papaya, lingonberries, rhubarb root, wheatgrass, Valeriana.

#2: LOOK FOR AMINES

Food hypersensitivity can be caused by the histamine, tyramine or other “biogenic amines” present in the food (chocolate, red wine, tuna or fermented ingredients such as cheese). In some cases, food (for example tomato or pineapple) may release histamine in the body. This is referred to as Histamine Intolerance Syndrome (HIS). Individuals with HIS typically have a low level of diamine oxidase, an enzyme that metabolizes histamine in the system.

So, if you get headaches, brain fog, low energy or other issues, then you should review your diet for the following and experiment with eliminating any that happen to be major staples:

#3: BE CAREFUL WITH FOIL

Tinfoil is used for stewing meat or fish on a grill or in an oven, Stewing in tinfoil reduces the formation of glycotoxins and HCAs, but the amount of aluminum released into the food is up to 6 times the amount considered a safe daily upper limit.

#4: TRY SOUS VIDE

Once limited to the pros, sous vide (pronounced sue-veed) is a cooking technique that utilizes precise temperature control to deliver consistent, restaurant quality results. High-end restaurants have been using sous vide cooking for years to cook food the exact level of doneness desired, every time. The technique recently became popular for home cooks with the availability of affordable and easy to use sous vide precision cooking equipment.

Sous vide, which means “under vacuum” in French, refers to the process of vacuum-sealing food in a bag, then cooking it to a very precise temperature in a water bath. This technique produces a result that is impossible to achieve through any other cooking method. Plus, vacuum sealing good means that vitamins and minerals are not lost during the cooking process unlike boiling or steaming.

#5: NUTRIENT DENSITY FOOD

Nutrient dense foods give you the most nutrients for the fewest amount of calories. In other words, nutrient-dense foods give you the “biggest bang for the buck”. You get lots of nutrients, and it doesn’t cost you much in terms of calories.

Nutrient density is the exact principle we used when we rated all of 127 foods found on the World’s Healthiest Foods website. They give you the most nutrients possible for the least amount of calories.

Eating nutrient dense foods like the World’s Healthiest Foods is one of the healthiest ways that anyone can eat. No principle is more likely to support healthy eating than the principle of nutrient density. Why is nutrient density so helpful? Because it gives you a concentrated amount of valuable nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, fiber, essential fatty acids, and phytonutrients, to name a few.

For more info and the complete list read The Biohacker’s Diet.

GI Cleansing: Simple & Easy

8 cups Water (cold)
5 Lemons (juiced)
4 TBSPs **Activated Charcoal Powder**
We Like Schizandu Organics

Most people underestimate the importance of regular GI cleansing.

We are being exposed to an increasing number of chemicals in our food supply, the air we breathe, and through many common items we use including cosmetics and household cleaners.

Among their potentially adverse effects, these chemicals can build up in our system and may contribute to stalling weight loss. While there are many factors that contribute, researchers find that environmental toxins play a role in being overweight or obese.

That’s where a well-designed detoxification plan can help. Besides helping you eliminate the wrong foods that can contribute to weight gain, the right program can give your liver and overall health a helping hand eliminating those toxins.

UNDERSTANDING DETOXIFICATION

Detoxification starts in your liver. While it’s a complicated process, your liver essentially does this in two phases. First, it converts toxic substances to highly reactive metabolites and then excretes these toxins. Your kidneys, lungs, and even gut also play a role in detoxification.

HOW TOXIC OVERLOAD CAN STALL WEIGHT LOSS

A healthy body can optimally detoxify, so many things we confront daily—the food we eat, the air we breathe, and prescription drugs—can make those toxins accumulate, overwhelming your body’s defenses.

Having a detoxification plan can help you maintain good health, including maintaining a healthy weight. For Example, Some research shows the right detoxification plan can impact weight loss directly as well as reduce many factors that contribute to weight loss.

Effective detoxification, as a means to support healthy weight loss and overall health, demands reducing or eliminating what creates a toxic load, but it also requires giving your body everything it requires to optimally detoxify. Food becomes the best way to do that. After all, we detoxify constantly, and we eat several times a day.

Cleanse Your Body Naturally With The Right Foods

Having a healthy diet is the most important way to detoxify. First, remove foods that interfere with detoxification or tends to increase toxic load. Among them is fructose, which is found in soda as high-fructose corn syrup or (HFCS) but also in fruit juices and commercial juice cleanses.

Research has shown that simple sugar can become a key contributor to chronic diseases including obesity. Fructose ramps up problems including chronic inflammation and oxidative stress, which can contribute to obesity.

A natural cleanse also involves avoiding trans fats and damaged fats. These fats are in processed foods with “partially hydrogenated” in the ingredients—even if the front label says, “low in fat.” Scrambled eggs on the buffet table are an example of damaged fats, where the fat has become oxidized—skip them.

Having a food sensitivity can also contribute to stalling weight loss and may exacerbate toxicity by making it easier for toxins to enter the bloodstream. Gluten, dairy, soy, and corn are among the common food sensitivities. When considering detoxification, try eliminating these foods for three to four weeks.

WAYS TO HELP YOUR BODY DETOXIFY

1. Using a Cleanser

The simple & inexpensive recipe above looks worse than it tastes! This particular cleanse did not leave me feeling bloated, cramping, or stuck @ home running to the bathroom; although, I only did it twice thus far. Drink 8 ounces twice daily for 5 days. The charcoal will settle, so shake vigorously or stir before drinking. Make a second batch when ready.

A few things to remember: DO NOT DRINK WITHIN 3 HOURS OF TAKING ANY MEDICATIONS – Charcoal is used in the emergency room to counter drugs when a person overdoses. (Drink @ your own risk)

You can also use the charcoal powder to whiten teeth. You can either make toothpaste (recipes found on web, or just mix with your toothpaste.

2. Using a Fat Burn Supplement

A fat burn supplement can also help support your body’s natural fat metabolism. Fat burn supplements can be both natural and powerful. With the right diet and exercise, it can help you finally trim stubborn inches and drop unwanted pounds.

3. Eat The Right Foods

Copious studies show whole foods including cruciferous vegetables, berries, garlic, and spices like turmeric can help your body detoxify through various pathways. Paired with protein and quality fat creates an optimal food plan to support detoxification and lose weight. Go for organic plant foods and the highest-quality animal foods whenever possible.

4. Support Your Gut

Gastrointestinal issues Make it more difficult to support a healthy digestive system as part of the body’s natural detoxification processes. Maintaining a healthy digestive system requires removing obstacles that create dysbiosis (gut imbalances) and other common gut issues, but also incorporating the right gut-supporting foods and nutrients.

5. Reduce The Body’s Inflammation Response

Toxicity contributes to a natural inflammation response, which can lead to a heavier toxic load, stalling fat loss in the bargain. An anti-inflammatory diet includes wild-caught seafood, plant foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids including flaxseed and chia seeds, lots of non-starchy vegetables, and spices including turmeric.

6. Support Your Immune System

At a minimum, ensure you eat well, get good sleep, manage stress levels, practice good hygiene like washing your hand regularly, and get the right nutrients that support optimal immunity.

7. Minimize Exposure

Prevention is always your first line of both offense and defense. Avoid household cleaners, building materials, plastics, processed foods, and other places toxins linger. A good place to start for information about environmental toxins is with the Environmental Working Group (EWG), which provides a wealth of information including identifying toxins in your life.

8. Sweat Out Your Toxins

Among its benefits, exercise can help your body better excrete toxins and burn fat more effectively. Whether that involves hot yoga or high-intensity interval training, find a consistent workout plan that fits your preference and schedule.

The Bottom Line

Toxic overload is often an overlooked factor that contributes to gaining weight, and the right detoxification plan can provide the right nutrients to help support your body’s natural healing processes and help you lose weight. While these strategies are a powerfully effective starting point, a chiropractor or other healthcare professional can help you design a custom-tailored detoxification plan based on your individual needs.

Definitions of Medical Terminology

Biohacking: The process of taking control of your own biology. It’s understanding your DNA, your biology, to intentionally grow and improve.

Nutrigenomics: A field that combines the study of nutrition and gene expression. Scientists working in this field investigate how nutrients and other bioactive components in food affect important metabolic and physiological processes by “turning on” or “turning off” certain genes.

Nootropics: Supplements and other substances that may improve cognitive function, particularly executive functions, memory, creativity, or motivation, in healthy individuals.

Gut MicroBiome: The totality of microorganisms and their collective genetic material present in or on the human body or in another environment.

EMF: Electromagnetic Field. Everything God created has its own electromagnetic field. Additionally, everything man makes has an electromagnetic field (i.e., electronic technology). It is a measurable type of energy, and for the human body the EMF frequencies truly are the life of our cells.

Mitochondrial Function/Health: Mitochondria are present in nearly every cell of the body. Their main role is to convert energy from food into a form of energy that the cell can use. This form of energy is called adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and is used to drive numerous cellular processes. Without enough ATP around, our cells eventually stop working which means our heart stops pumping, our muscles stop contracting and our brain stops thinking. Thus, without mitochondria, ATP production stops and life ceases to exist.

The number of mitochondria in a cell can range from one to several thousand depending on the cell’s function as well as its metabolic activity. Cells that are metabolically active such as liver, kidney, brain, and muscle cells all have higher energy requirements and therefore have more mitochondria to generate sufficient ATP.Unfortunately, the ATP production process comes with a hitch – the creation of free radicals (oxidative stress). During the conversion of nutrients (for example, glucose) to ATP, free radicals are generated. Under normal conditions, only small amounts of free radicals are generated and can be dealt with before damage is done.

Oxidative Stress: The imbalance between the production of free radicals and the ability of the body to counteract their negative effects by neutralizing them with antioxidants.

Free Radicals: Produced in the body by natural biological processes or introduced from an outside source (such as tobacco smoke, toxins, or pollutants) and that can damage cells, proteins, and DNA by altering their chemical structure

Inflammation: A localized protective response elicited by injury or destruction of tissues, which serves to destroy, dilute, or wall off both the injurious agent and the injured tissue.

Soul: Our mind, will, emotions, character