OnFitness Magazine - May/June 2016 - 30

W W W. O N F I T N E S S M A G . C O M | V O L 1 6 N O 6 | 2 0 1 6 3 0

Clean Nutrition

Brightly
colored fruits
top the
antioxidant
chart
_________
A team of Cornell
University scientists
subjected 25 fruits to a
series of tests of
antioxidant content
and cellular activity.
Wild and domesticated
blueberries,
blackberries,
cranberries,
strawberries and
pomegranates topped
the various lists in
varying orders. All
brightly colored fruits
scored very well in all
measures used in the
study.
Of all the fruits in the
diet, apples were
found to provide 33
percent of total
phenolics, reflecting
very high consumption
and moderate
phenolics content.
Oranges provided 12
percent, grapes 12.8
percent, and
strawberries 9.8
percent.
The authors conclude
(cautiously) that,
"Antioxidant activity
provided by fruits may
be important in the
prevention of cancer
and other chronic
diseases."

depressed.
When digestion is affected,
the excretory system will also be
negatively affected, preventing
the body from sufficiently
removing toxins through the
stool. This will have a negative
effect on the liver and its ability
to detoxify, as it will cause an
already overworked liver to work
even harder to deal with all those
toxins.
When the liver becomes
overloaded or congested, it
cannot metabolize fat properly. It
can also actually increase
production of fat in which to
store the additional toxins it's
having difficulty disposing of.
Like low energy, digestive
issues, constipation, acne,
hyper- or hypothyroidism,
depression, anxiety, insomnia,
joint pain and low sex drive,
inability to lose body fat is a
symptom of poor health. There
are internal malfunctions, which
are not only the root of health
complaints but also the root of
body fat storage.
The good news is there's
likely a formula to your fat loss,
but it lies within your bodily
systems and may require clinical
health investigative work that
cannot be provided solely by a
fitness professional. The first
thing to do is focus less on losing
fat and more on correcting those
imbalances by referring your
client to a qualified health
practitioner who can look further
into the issue.
Find an integrative health
practitioner or functional
diagnostic nutrition practitioner
who can perform functional lab
work to identify the hidden
stressors within the endocrine,
immune, digestive and
detoxification systems, which
lead to those malfunctions.
The practitioner should then
be able to interpret those lab
results in conjunction with any
symptoms and put together a
healthy nutrition and lifestyle
protocol to help bring the body
back into balance. An all-natural
approach is preferred over a drug
therapy approach, as a body in
this state is lacking nutrients, not
drug-deficient.
It's not until those imbalances
are corrected and homeostasis is
achieved that the body can focus
its efforts on shedding that
annoying body fat. Z

sustained energy, which is a good
thing.
But the mitochondria also
produce an array of by-products,
which the body must work to clear
out, including lactic acid, carbon
dioxide, carbolic acid, and an array
of other oxidized acids (H+).
Not only do these acids
produce muscle soreness, but they also produce oxidative radicals.
Oxidative radicals can damage our blood vessels, our organs, our brain
cells and practically any tissue system they come in contact with.
Mental stress and mitochondria overdrive
Mental stress requires lots of cellular respiration among the
mitochondria of brain cells. In fact, a fearful course of thinking for 15
minutes can easily contribute acids into the bloodstream of the brain
similar to that of a 100-yard sprint.
The difference is that the 100-yard sprint will also increase
circulation dramatically, allowing the bloodstream to circulate
components that neutralize acids. This includes those acids that might
swamp the blood among the tiny capillaries around the muscles.
With mental anxiety, we might get a small bump in circulation, but
not to the degree produced in a sprint. This gives those acids produced
in the brain the opportunity to linger and damage those brain tissues
and blood vessels.
Mental stress, worrying about things that may or may not happen,
also stimulates the production of fear-related hormones. These include
adrenaline and glucocorticoids such as cortisol, which shift the
production of energy and oxidative radical by-products by the
mitochondria into overdrive.
Methylation
The body utilizes a special process called methylation to clear out acids
from the body, primarily through the liver. These methyl groups capture
and neutralize oxidative acidic radicals, clearing them from the blood
quickly.
Methyl donors the liver uses include S-adensylmethionine and a
process of exchange between methionine and homocysteine, among
other methylation processes.
These systems require constant access to methyl groups donated
from the diet. The diet can donate methyl groups in the form of amino
acids such as methionine, cysteine and taurine, but also from nutrients
such as folate and trimethyl glycine, a phytonutrient also referred to as
betaine.
Pound for pound, plant foods provide the largest supply of
assimilable methyl groups to the body, allowing the liver a plentiful
source for attaching to acids produced by the mitochondria during
cellular respiration.
The best sources of methyl groups include plant foods like salads
and nuts, which include an array of easily assimilated amino acids,
folate and phytochemicals.
A diet of calm
A diet of calm also helps. Refraining from running the mind through
extended anxiousness will put a cap on the unloading of acids from
brain cells. This leaves brain cell resources to exercise in practical ways,
thinking through practical solutions, learning and so on.
These practical uses of brain cells appear to have quite the opposite
effect of anxiety; they strengthen brain tissues as the brain builds new
networks for memory and problem-solving.
To produce calm, make sure you get enough sleep, relax and breathe
after a hard workout, take restful and reflective moments during the day,
and practice skills such as tai chi, yoga, meditation and so on.
- Dr. Case Adams
http://WWW.ONFITNESSMAG.COM
OnFitness Magazine - May/June 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of OnFitness Magazine - May/June 2016
