Nutrition

Integrative Medicine

Besides a good diet and exercise, is there a natural, effective and safe way to boost my immune system all year long?

Unlocking the Key to Boosting Your Immune System: It's Not Just Diet and Exercise!

I love this question because it's a topic I've been lecturing about making videos about and talking about very recently and it's so important to me beside. Here's the question, besides a good diet and exercise is there a natural and effective and safe way to boost my immune system or your long. You bet there is and I'm going to surprise you now, it has very little to do with eating or exercise. All those things are incredibly important. As you point out, here's what it is. What we find is that you have. I'm going to give this In ten seconds, if I can two divisions of your nervous system, the fight-or-flight, right? Which is the sympathetic and the rest and digest, all healing, all immune system, being activated, all that good stuff takes place when you're in parasympathetic mode. So if you are always stressed out, you are constantly draining the resources of your immune system when we had the pandemic 2020, right? All my friends in, l.a. they're buying Costco out of vitamin C and they're watching Facebook all day. And they said, what do you think we should do? What do you think she should do? I said, stop watching Facebook because it's eating up. All that vitamin C that you just bought from Costco because stress eats up certain vitamins, it takes it does terrible damage to your B, vitamin and C vitamin stores, eats a pantothenic acid. So really, when you are in a constant fight or flight mode, sympathetic nervous system is activated your immune system isn't doing well. Remember, you're just Your muscles are damaged when you actually lift weights, but they actually heal and get bigger not when you're lifting weights. But when they're repairing, when you're in parasympathetic mode, when you're in rest and digest mode, same thing with immunity, if your immune system is constantly being activated by a million emergencies and user errors, like eating crappy food and stuff like that, which I know you don't do. But people do do then. It's not going to be available for the for the effects that you wanted to have when it has to face a real. Threat. So best advice for what you can do. All year round, relax as often as possible.

It's important to relax often to help boost your immune system since being in a constant fight-or-flight mode can deplete your body's resources, including vitamins. Taking time to rest and digest will help keep your immune system healthy and available for when it needs to face real threats.

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Besides a good diet and exercise, there is a natural, effective, and safe way to boost your immune system all year long. It's a topic I've been discussing and emphasizing recently because it's so important. Surprisingly, it has little to do with eating or exercise, although those are crucial factors.

The key lies in understanding the two divisions of your nervous system: the fight-or-flight (sympathetic) and the rest and digest (parasympathetic) modes. All healing and immune system activity occur when you're in the parasympathetic mode. Constant stress drains the resources of your immune system. Even during the 2020 pandemic, people were stocking up on vitamin C but neglecting the impact of stress. Stress depletes certain vitamins, such as B vitamins and vitamin C, and can harm your immune system.

When you're constantly in fight-or-flight mode, your immune system suffers. Just as muscles grow and repair during rest, your immune system functions optimally when you're in a relaxed state. If your immune system is constantly activated by stress and poor lifestyle choices, it won't be as effective when facing real threats.

Therefore, the best advice for boosting your immune system all year round is to prioritize relaxation as often as possible. By reducing stress and allowing your body to enter the rest and digest mode, you can support your immune system's functioning and overall health.

Is flaxseed oil as good for you as fish oil?

Flaxseed vs. Fish Oil: Omega-3 Facts & Comparisons

Is flaxseed, oil is good for you as fish oil. Well, full disclosure, I'm a consultant with bar liens which makes the best flaxseed oil in the world. So that said, I even tell my colleagues at Berlin's, the bulk of the research on Omega-3s has been done on the two fatty acids that are found in fish DHA and EPA it's not that the fatty acid that's found in flaxseed. Oil isn't good for you. It's called a l.a. by the way. It is good for you, it's anti-inflammatory. But in order to convert to the two that are normally just found in fish, it has to go through a whole process and somatic process has to be elongated and it has to be. There's a lot of stuff that has to happen before the a la and flax seed turns into the DHA and EPA that we know through a ton of research have specific effects DHA in the brain and EPA in the circulatory system. So yes flaxseed is a great source of S of vegetable-based or plant-based omega-3. And if you're a vegan or vegetarian, you got to go with, it's great. You probably need to take about twice as much as you think you do because of that conversion process, which is not very efficient. You want a lot of that, a la to convert to the DHA and EPA that are readily found in cold water fish, like salmon. So is it as good for you? If you put a gun to my head, I'd have to say no, it's not as Well researched it's not as specific but it is still a omega-3. It does have anti-inflammatory properties. It is incorporated into cell membrane so it does a lot of the good things but not all of them.

While flaxseed oil does have some anti-inflammatory properties, it is not as well researched as fish oil and the Omega-3 fatty acids found in it are not as easily converted to DHA and EPA as those found in fish oil. Therefore, it may not be as good for you as fish oil.

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Is flaxseed oil as good for you as fish oil? Full disclosure, I work as a consultant with Barliens, a company that produces flaxseed oil. While flaxseed oil is beneficial and has anti-inflammatory properties, most of the research on Omega-3s has focused on the fatty acids DHA and EPA found in fish oil, not the fatty acid ALA found in flaxseed oil.

To convert ALA into DHA and EPA, a complex process needs to occur in the body. This conversion is not very efficient, so if you're relying solely on flaxseed oil for omega-3s, you may need to take twice as much as you think. The specific effects of DHA in the brain and EPA in the circulatory system have been extensively studied.

Flaxseed oil is a great source of plant-based omega-3s, especially for vegans and vegetarians. However, if I had to compare, I would say that fish oil, with its readily available DHA and EPA, is more well-researched and specific in its effects. Flaxseed oil still provides omega-3s and has anti-inflammatory properties, but it may not offer all the benefits associated with fish oil.

MCT Oil: The Key to Weight Loss and Brain Health

Why do people take MCT level? First of all, if you don't know what I'm Ctrl m, c, t stands for medium chain triglycerides. So it's a class of fats and they tend to be converted to Fat a lot less than other pets in the body. The body likes to use them for energy. So people use them sometimes for weight loss, they use them because these particular fats tend to convert to ketones more easily than some other pets. So people use it a lot for brain health. In hospitals, like Johns Hopkins, where they have programs for childhood. Epilepsy MCT is the fact that they tend to use in the diets. Interestingly enough, when I was first starting out in the 90s as a trainer, there was a world, famous trainer named, John Carrillo and he trained bodybuilders and during the contest preparation week when they really had to, you know, shred down and cut up, they would use MCT or a lot because they needed calories for energy but they don't want to put on. Any fat and MCT oil kind of fit the bill. So those are the reasons why people take it. And I in other questions, I've answered about the differences between mc2 Arlen, coconut oil, and there's a lot of subtleties to MCT oil, but that's the basic reason why people tend to take it.

People take MCT for weight loss, brain health, and energy as it is easily converted to ketones. It was also used by bodybuilders during contest preparation to get the needed calories without putting on any fat.

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People take MCT oil, which stands for medium chain triglycerides, for various reasons. MCTs are a type of fat that the body tends to convert to energy rather than storing as fat. Some individuals use MCT oil for weight loss purposes, as these fats are believed to be more easily converted to ketones compared to other fats. MCT oil is also used for brain health, and it is commonly included in diets for childhood epilepsy in hospitals like Johns Hopkins.

Interestingly, in the past, bodybuilders during contest preparation would use MCT oil to provide energy without adding fat to their bodies. This allowed them to meet their calorie needs while maintaining a lean physique.

While there are subtle differences between MCT oil, coconut oil, and other sources of MCTs, these are the primary reasons why people choose to take MCT oil.

Is caffeine bad for you or is it ok to drink a couple of cups of coffee every day?

Caffeine: A Surprising Health Food or Just a Myth?

Is caffeine bad for you. Or is it okay to drink a cup of coffee cups of coffee a day? I've always said ever since the beginning of my nutrition myth-busting days the caffeine is way over we over rated as a health hazard, it's not bad for you. In general what we have found in the last. I don't know how long is that. There's an actual Gene. The see? Why P1 aging I believe it is which actually determines How quickly you process caffeine. So for some people caffeine can be a problem because it keeps you up at night because you press it, you are very slow. Metabolizer of caffeine, is there you have it, you know, in the morning and it's still keeping you up at midnight, okay? If you are not one of those people, a small amount of caffeine, couple of cups a day, is not an all bad for you and in fact, may be very good for you. There are a lot of studies showing that coffee drinkers have less risk for a whole number of different. Different diseases, diabetes and Parkinson's come to mind, but I think there's a few others as well. The trick is to balance the good effects of coffee, which include the flavanols that are the same ones that are found in cocoa or also found in coffee. And and so are many of the same antioxidants. So costly is a real health food. If it doesn't keep you up at night and only you can answer that question. So if it does, if it stays in your system, longer than you would like, you should probably not drink it. After say 2:00 in the afternoon, you can experiment with this. But certainly I don't buy the health hazard of caffeine in general, and if you just individualize it to your particular circumstances, so that your it's not interfering with your sleep. I think it's great, it's an energy booster, a performance enhancer makes you feel better and brightens your day and really doesn't do any harm at all. Other than that one caveat about sleep,

Caffeine is not bad for you in general and can have health benefits. However, it can interfere with sleep if it stays in your system longer than you would like. It is best to experiment with when to drink caffeine and limit it to earlier in the day if it keeps you up at night.

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Is caffeine bad for you or is it okay to drink a couple of cups of coffee every day? In my experience debunking nutrition myths, I've always believed that caffeine is overrated as a health hazard. It's generally not bad for you. There's a gene called CYP1A2 that determines how quickly you process caffeine. For some people, caffeine can be problematic if it keeps them up at night due to being slow metabolizers of caffeine.

However, if you're not one of those individuals, consuming a small amount of caffeine, like a couple of cups of coffee a day, is generally not harmful and may even be beneficial. Studies have shown that coffee drinkers have a lower risk of various diseases, such as diabetes and Parkinson's.

Coffee contains flavanols and antioxidants, similar to those found in cocoa, making it a potential health food. The key is to balance the positive effects of coffee with your individual circumstances. If caffeine keeps you up at night, it's best to avoid consuming it after 2:00 PM or experiment with finding the right timing for you.

Overall, I don't consider caffeine to be a significant health hazard. As long as it doesn't interfere with your sleep, it can be a great energy booster, performance enhancer, and mood lifter without causing harm.

Quercetin: The Immune-Boosting Powerhouse You Need to Know

Question is, what is quercetin crew? Satin is a plant chemical found, mainly in onions and apples. It's in the class of plant chemicals called flavonoids and the reason everybody knows about it now, is that it got a lot of press in the last two years during the pandemic because it was researched a lot. It was talked about a lot as an adjunct is something that you could be taking to make sure your immune systems working really well. And, and Lovely even you know to help fend off microbes and viruses and things like that. I've been using quercetin for 25 years. So it wasn't new to me when the pandemic started although it was new to a lot of people and that's probably why the question came in. But Christians have great anti-inflammatory, we used to use it back in the day as part of an allergy treatment program because it's so anti-inflammatory, of course, certain and nettles was like kind of a go-to supplement for people with seasonal allergies. He's but it's got a lot of research behind it. The only issue with Kristen is it's really badly absorbed. It just it body. Just doesn't suck it right in whether it's from supplements or from food. So you that's always a challenge. I don't like to push products on this, but but this one recently came to my attention. It's made by tile International, it's called Sun active. I so q and the advantage of this corset Which I'm going to be switching to now, is that its water soluble and being water-soluble. It's better absorbed by the body. You don't need to take as much. I usually take a bigger dose, of course, intended. Then I really think I need only because it's so badly absorbed. You don't have to do that with the iso Kyu, seok, or certain highly recommended. It's in my basic package, for immune support, and I just think it does wonderful things in the body and you should eat the foods that contain it. Yeah, you should probably also supplement with it.

Quercetin is a plant chemical found in onions and apples that has anti-inflammatory properties. It has been researched a lot recently due to its potential to help with immune system health. The downside is that it is not easily absorbed in the body. To address this issue, one can take SunActive Q, a water-soluble version of quercetin that is better absorbed. Eating foods that contain quercetin and supplementing with it is recommended.

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Quercetin is a plant chemical found primarily in onions and apples. It belongs to a class of plant chemicals called flavonoids. Quercetin gained a lot of attention during the pandemic as it was researched and discussed as a potential immune-boosting supplement. However, I have been using quercetin for 25 years, even before the pandemic.

Quercetin has great anti-inflammatory properties and was commonly used in allergy treatment programs. It has been extensively researched. One challenge with quercetin is that it is poorly absorbed by the body, whether from supplements or food.

Recently, I came across a water-soluble form of quercetin called SunActive IQ. It is better absorbed by the body, so you don't need to take as much. I usually take a higher dose of quercetin due to its poor absorption, but with SunActive IQ, a smaller dose is sufficient. I highly recommend quercetin as part of my basic package for immune support.

While it's important to consume foods that contain quercetin, supplementation may also be beneficial.

What type of magnesium supplement is best for athletes to take?

Best Magnesium Supplements for Athletes: Glycinate, Sulfate, Malate

What type of magnesium supplement is best for athletes to take. Well, you got a choice of really three, I wouldn't do citrate, I wouldn't do magnesium citrate, it's a great supplement. We give it for constipation and it has the opposite effect. So too much of it can easily give you diarrhea and you don't want that and you do need to take a lot of magnesium, if you're an athlete approved recovery of relaxation for all the other good things that magnesium does. So, I would choose between magnesium, glycinate, magnesium, malate, and Himself ate, each has advantages. Magnesium glycinate is bound to glycinate to glycine, which can be very calming and relaxing, and, and have some mood stabilization at that. So that's, and it's very well absorbed. So magnesium glycinate, one of the kings of the magnesium supplement. Magnesium sulfate is an interesting form because it's kind of like Epsom salts and sulfur baths and things. Like the very relaxing. Very good for joint relief for pain relief. If a muscle relief and stuff like that and then there's magnesium malate, which has a lot of followers in the athletic Community as well. So I'd go with either glycinate, magnesium, sulfate, or magnesium malate.

Magnesium glycinate, magnesium sulfate and magnesium malate are the best types of magnesium supplements for athletes to take. They are well absorbed, calming, mood stabilizing and provide joint and muscle relief.

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When it comes to choosing a magnesium supplement for athletes, there are three options to consider. I would not recommend magnesium citrate as it can cause diarrhea when taken in excess, which is not desirable for athletes. Instead, I suggest considering magnesium glycinate, magnesium sulfate, or magnesium malate.

Magnesium glycinate is bound to glycine, which can have calming and mood-stabilizing effects. It is also well-absorbed by the body, making it an excellent choice. Magnesium sulfate, similar to Epsom salts and sulfur baths, is known for its relaxing properties and is beneficial for joint and muscle relief. Lastly, magnesium malate is popular among the athletic community and offers its own advantages.

Ultimately, athletes can choose between magnesium glycinate, magnesium sulfate, or magnesium malate based on their specific needs and preferences.

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Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS answers your Integrative Medicine questions. See all the advice Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS has and get answers to your own Integrative Medicine questions.

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Jonny Bowden began his career as a jazz musician, studying under Herbie Hancock and at Juilliard before earning degrees in music & psychology from NYU. He found his passion for nutrition while working as a pianist for Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre. Bowden changed careers and earned 6 personal training certifications, a psychology masters, and a nutrition PhD. He was the Dean of the Equinox Fitness Training Institute for 4 years and became a board-certified nutritionist. Bowden has penned 15 books, including best-sellers "The Great Cholesterol Myth," "Living Low Carb," and "150 Healthiest Foods on Earth”. He's a worldwide speaker, has appeared on every major network (ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, Fox, MSNBC), has been interviewed on dozens of podcasts, and featured in The NYT, Men’s Health, Woman’s World, Forbes Online, GQ, Cosmo, Self, Prevention, InStyle, Shape, and O, The Oprah Magazine. Known as The Nutrition Mythbuster™, Bowden is committed to debunking health myths and speaking truth to power.