NAD+ Booster

How often do we think about the health of our brain? Do we have the potential to think more clearly and improve our memory? What can we do to help prevent age related diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Dementia? There is so much we can do to keep our brain healthy and being ‘mindful’ now will help us out in our later stages of life. There are many avenues in which you can help support your overall cognition: Exercise your brain Yes, you can exercise your brain! When you do this, you challenge it to make new connections and strengthen old connections. There are some simple activities you can do to exercise your brain and keep it sharp and healthy. Reading, doing word puzzles and crosswords are great exercises for your brain. You can also try using your non dominant hand to write with or perform everyday tasks, such as moving your mouse on your computer. These are simple yet effective exercises for your thinker! If exercised consistently, it can have a profound effect on the health of your brain. Supplementation When it comes to the health of our brain, Lion's mane is great for cognitive support. Lion's mane is known is a nootropic, which is a substance that may help improve memory, enhance creativity and basically support overall brain functioning. Mushrooms, especially Lion's Mane, are great for whole body support, but when it comes to supporting your brain, this mushroom is the king of cognition! Eating right, exercising and getting good quality sleep are some of the most important things you can do for your brain health. Eating right Too much sugar in the diet can have harmful and lasting effects on the brain over time. We are now seeing a rise in what experts call type 3 diabetes. This is a condition like type 2 diabetes, but the brain is the organ that is resistant to insulin. Having type 3 diabetes is thought to lead to diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Long story short, too much sugar can cause a lack of clarity, fatigue and early progression of age-related brain disease. Complement a healthy diet with exercise Exercise brings fresh blood flow to the brain and with that, vitamins and minerals. Exercise also helps control blood pressure which is key in preventing stroke. Sleep Good sleep quality is possibly the MOST important avenue to help protect your brain and keep it healthy. Your body repairs during sleep, especially your brain! There is so much evidence emerging on the importance of a good night sleep and the effects it has on the brain. Extra late nights may be worth ‘rethinking’ and enhancing the quality of your sleep should be priority. When thinking of your overall health goals, don’t forget to include your brain in your health regime. Always talk to your Naturopathic Doctor or healthcare provider before making any major changes in your daily regime, such as strenuous exercise or supplementation.

Businesses are open, employees are heading back to the office and kids are back in school (hooray!). With cooler temperatures around the corner, the time to support our health is now, more than ever. We can all benefit from getting some fresh air, clean water, and exercise, but this winter people are looking to go the extra mile and take a preventative approach to staying well. Maybe you are someone who's interested in maintaining your health and also protecting your cells from free radicals and prevent inflammation. Can you do it all at once? We have a 'NAC' for that! What is NAC? NAC Creates a Powerful Antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is the supplement form of an amino acid (a part of a protein) found in onions, meats and vegetables like broccoli. It bonds with other amino acids to form glutathione. Glutathione is an antioxidant that is present in almost every cell in the body, plays roles in detoxification, counteracts free radicals and balances inflammation in the body. Glutathione is a critical antioxidant for supporting overall health and NAC helps us make it. One of glutathione's most important functions is detoxification. Think of glutathione as a scrub brush that goes around cleaning up your cells and eliminating toxins. Why Antioxidants Are Important Free radicals are unstable atoms that can damage the cells in your body. They are everywhere: computer screens, cell phones... we even produce free radicals when we exercise! Fortunately antioxidants neutralize free radicals. However, an imbalance in the body with too many free radicals (and not enough antioxidants) can cause illness, premature aging and a host of diseases. Shop Antioxidants Are There Other Benefits of Taking NAC? NAC has also been shown to prevent inflammation in the body and improve respiratory health. Because NAC helps break down mucus, it is used to treat many respiratory illnesses. NAC may also protect the lung tissue through its antioxidant activity, and has been shown to be a safe and effective treatment for chronic bronchitis. When To Consider Taking NAC If the body makes glutathione naturally should you still take NAC? The answer could be yes. Lifestyle choices may mean you are depleting your stores of glutathione faster than your body can make it. Additionally as we age, natural production of glutathione decreases, and supplementation of NAC can help offset that decrease. Low glutathione levels are seen in people with a wide variety of contributing factors including: neurodegenerative disorders, poor diet, chronic exposure to chemicals, high levels of alcohol intake, and even athletic overtraining. These are all excellent times to consider NAC supplementation. The bottom line, NAC plays many roles in human health and because it boosts glutathione levels it can be used in connection with many health conditions. Shop NAC References https://err.ersjournals.com/content/24/137/451

Everyday ways to detoxify your body for better health Detoxification should be an essential part of everyone’s health plan. While our bodies are able to neutralize and eliminate toxins on their own, our systems can become overwhelmed by the amount of toxins we’re exposed to. We get overloaded by toxins in our environment through our food, water and air. When toxins build up in our body, they cause damage to our tissues and serve as an obstacle for the body to function optimally. Unable to effectively deal with the toxic overload, toxins accumulate in the liver and tissues of the body, spill off into our blood stream and are sequestered and stored in our fat tissue (which includes our brain and breast tissue). When they circulate in our body they act as free radicals, cause oxidative stress and make it difficult for our organs and systems to function properly. Organ and system dysfunction contributes to many of the health issues that are common in our culture today and this makes it difficult for our body to heal itself when challenges arise. I recommend that my patients do a detox of some kind soon after we start working together. There are a couple of reasons for this. First of all, it allows me to understand what portion of an individual’s health issues are due to more superficial causes such as toxic overload. Secondly, it removes some of the toxic burden and makes everything else I do with my patients more effective. Often, I find that simply doing a detox can give the body the kick-start it needs to heal. Detoxification programs come in a variety of shapes and sizes. There are smoothie detoxes, fasting detoxes, herbal detoxes, homeopathic detoxes, nutrient detoxes, and detoxes using liquids such as teas and soups. Depending on the patient and their health history, I will recommend something simple to start and as the patient becomes more experienced with detoxing, I’ll recommend something deeper and more challenging for them. Detoxes can vary in length lasting from one day to one month or longer depending on the individual. For patients who have never done a detox before, usually 5-12 days is enough. Some people prefer to do a slower, longer detox over 30 days. While others incorporate a day of detoxification every week. Every detox program should incorporate diet changes. From simple changes such as cutting out sugar or coffee, to a full elimination/hypoallergenic diet, there are many options. Some people will also incorporate fasting into their detox protocol. I usually only suggest this for people after they have some experience detoxing. One of the issues that happens during a detox is that people try to do too much the first time around and they end up getting sick. It’s important not to overdo it, especially the first time. If your body has lots of accumulated toxins it will need to release and eliminate them slowly and safely. This is why it’s a good idea to consult a Naturopathic Doctor before you do a detox for the first time. A naturopath can help to determine your overall toxic burden and design a personalized program that fits your needs so that you don’t overdo it and get sick. It is essential that your body is eliminating toxins as they are being released. The body typically eliminates toxins in two phases. In phase one, toxins are transformed into “intermediary metabolites” which are then passed through phase two to be neutralized and eliminated. If your body isn’t able to detoxify and eliminate effectively, these substances can cause damage. That why it’s so important to ensure that your bowels are functioning well throughout any detox program. Adding in extra fibre like psyllium, along with drinking at least 2 litres of water and herbal teas every day should ensure that you eliminate effectively and stay hydrated. In addition to following a detox protocol on a regular basis (I recommend 2-4 times a year) there are lots of ways to support your body’s daily effort to detoxify. Here is a list of 10 suggestions to support daily detoxification and reduce the accumulation of systemic toxins. 10 Ways to Detox Daily Reduce your exposure by choosing less toxic foods and products. Drink water with lemon every morning. Take chlorophyll and spirulina. Include foods to support the detoxification pathways of the body: cruciferous vegetables, lemon, leafy greens, beets, artichokes, radish, garlic, onions, berries, green tea, and whole grain foods. Dry skin brushing. Nasal irrigation (such as a neti pot). Reduce stress. Sleep for at least 8 hours every night. Breath deeply. Think positively. The final important guideline to effective detoxification is replenishing the good bacteria in your gut. Probiotics like acidophilus and bifidus are essential for proper bowel function and elimination of toxins. Once you finish cleansing your system, taking a probiotic will ensure better digestive function and support healthy detoxification in your body on an ongoing basis. Incorporating regular detoxification practices into your health plan will ensure that you have energy and vitality to feel great and live your best life possible. Health and happiness! Dr. Cheryl Cooper Dr. Cheryl Cooper B.Sc., ND Dr. Cheryl Cooper is a Naturopathic Doctor and the owner and CEO of Vitallife Integrative Medicine based in Ottawa. She has 20 years of experience in the health and wellness industry, specializing in hormone balancing, women’s health, detoxification, stress management and sleep issues. Dr. Cooper uses a holistic approach to helping patients, involving educating and empowering patients to take control of their health. Recently moved to her hometown of Canmore, Alberta, she now practices out of Inner Balance Spa in Calgary. Vitallife Integrative Medicine @doc_cheryl