Many have heard the common phrase, ‘you are what you eat’ whether it was ingrained into us as children or whether you are trying to pick up healthier eating habits as an adult. Eating habits and patterns in food production and consumption have a large impact on a person’s health and environment.
How many energy drinks is too many?
Many young parents, Millennials and even Gen-Z are struggling with finding enough energy to get through a full work/school day without multiple caffeinated beverages such as coffee and energy drinks. Many beverages and supplements such as these contain alkaloids. There are other emerging or prospective sources for alkaloids such as the Goji berry, Noni berry and bloodroot.
The way your body reacts to certain foods and drinks has a direct effect on how your body absorbs energy. As a father myself, I can understand the importance of being able to keep up with your kids and a common misconception is if a healthy adult is experiencing continual fatigue or energy loss then they must be ill. However, that is not always the case. It’s important to remember your body absorbs and digests nutrients in a unique way. Every body has a different total antioxidant capacity and the number of calories you consume needs to balance the total antioxidant capacity your body absorbs.
What does the research show?
So, how do you know if you are consuming the right foods for your body? The role nutraceuticals play in mitigating health problems is proven through various research studies and the positive impact nutraceuticals have in altering an individual’s health are shown at the cellular level.
If you do a quick Google search, you will be overwhelmed with information on what you should eat or drink to get more energy. Some of these quick energy fixes are short lived and affect your overall absorption and intake of other meals. The ingredients you consume can have a significant effect on your glycemic response. On top of that, if you experience chronic inflammation or hormonal imbalances your body will absorb nutrients differently. Prioritize finding the right combination of natural ingredients that work for you and mix well together to ensure your body can feel and be at its best.
How do bodies consume energy?
You may have heard or come across some buzz words like ‘antioxidants’ and ‘vitamin deficiencies,’ these buzzwords are often used in marketing certain products that promise to give you quick energy. However, understanding how your body works can help you fight against things that may be more harmful than helpful. In your biological system, reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species can damage the DNA and lead to the oxidation of lipids and proteins in your cells. This imbalance affects how your body absorbs and intakes energy and nutrients. The amount of antioxidants you consume for your body could improve the damage caused by oxidative stress. Antioxidants are found in common foods such as fruits, vegetables, spices and even medicinal plants.
By consuming the right kinds of antioxidants such as polyphenols and carotenoids for your body is proven to have positive health benefits and can even play a role in your system as an anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, anti-aging and even anticancer agents. Many healthy adults want a quick fix for more energy, but what’s important to understand is all parts of your body need to communicate together in order to fight or solve a health challenge. In the book by Guy Claxton, Intelligence in the Flesh he states, “…information from muscles, guts, senses and glands has to be carefully coordinated in real time, the brain needs to be in the loop.” The physiology of these communications loops that run through the human body are described as intricate and complicated and targeting only one part of your body will not fix the overall issue you are trying to solve.
Is low energy related to medical issues?
Medical professionals typically diagnose otherwise healthy individuals with thyroid issues, sleep apnea, coeliac disease, depression, diabetes or anxiety when they share they are experiencing low energy. These conditions are then often treated with prescription medications. However, some of the listed health challenges are lifelong illnesses that require individuals to take prescriptions for the longevity of their lives. It’s also important to understand factors that contribute to feeling tired include neurological and non-neurological causes. Neurological causes include things like mental disorders, abnormalities in your central nervous system and peripheral fatigue. Non-neurological causes include things such as cardiac disorders, metabolic disease and chronic fatigue syndrome.
People are realizing that although there may be no cure, the dependency on prescription medications isn’t the best option for their long-term health. Back in 1954, Merton suggested that fatigue is determined principally by non-neurological and peripheral causes in motivated individuals. More and more people are wanting to invest in fully understanding and knowing their health and how to use natural ingredients to solve and even reverse some of the symptoms they are experiencing. Nutraceutical products have an advantage over prescription medications because they lack side effects and naturally supplement your diet.
Nutraceutical products are used as a powerful tool in maintaining health and to act against chronic diseases thereby resulting in longevity, quality of life and your best overall health
