Tag: Nutrition

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Steps to Support Your Immune System

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Supporting the system that supports you

Your body’s immune system works day and night to fight off environmental invaders and microscopic intruders. From viruses and bacteria to pollution, chemicals, and toxins, foreign materials – man made and naturally-occurring – can damage cells and tissue when they infiltrate the body.  The intrusion is constant. 

The immune system works 25 hours a day and eight days a week to defend against these intruders. That’s a demanding responsibility. 

It’s an amazing system we have – but with the onslaught of external invaders (multiplied by the industrial era), our body’s immune system welcomes additional help,  reinforcement, and support. 

Practical Steps for Immune Health

While some are unfortunate to be born with immune deficiencies that need to be adjusted for, those with ones deemed healthy will, time-permitting, inevitably or eventually suffer the effects of age, disease, poor diets, and injuries – all of which interrupt, diminish, degrade, or damage the immune system.

There is no “magic potion” or miracle solution to take that will boost the immune system. The general rule is that a healthy body will contain a healthier immune system.  And a balanced approach towards holistic or whole body health creates a more balanced wellness for immune and other vital health systems. 

Nutrition. Exercise. Sleep.

Steps you can take to take care of your immune system include:

  • Maintaining good “gut health” by eating whole grains and plant-based foods
  • Managing a responsible amount of alcohol consumption (and quitting smoking!)
  • Fitting in two hours of physical activity (power walking and even house cleaning with elevated and safe momentum count!) every day.
  • Committing to an average of 7 hours of sleep every night.
  • Consuming less sugar
  • Prioritizing healthier nutritional replenishment
  •  Incorporating the established daily requirement of fruits and vegetables into diets
  • Fortifying nutrition with supplements 

Prioritizing health and wellness is a rewarding endeavor. The time invested pays exponentially in fulfilling ways. Living a healthful life is a smart choice. 

Try to incorporate the above steps in whatever ways work best for you. Be kind to yourself and learn to minimize stress. Give your body the elements it needs to build up white blood cells. Provide it nutritional reinforcement. And boost immune wellness with optimum levels of Glutathione. 

Choose health, wellness, and happiness. Prioritize you. And Live to the Max!

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Why Gut Health Is Important

Image of a woman with arms around her gut

It seems now more than ever being healthy means being mindful of all the healths we have (like physical, mental, emotional, etc.) and optimizing (as broadly, effectively, and efficiently as possible) the body’s major systems, vital organs, their functions, and more to create harmony and balance across all our interactive healths. Maybe you’ve thought about it, maybe you haven’t, but when it comes to overall health and wellness, gut health is a big one. 

Gut Bacteria – A Good Biome

While our whole body supports about 10,000 microorganisms to help our different health, our digestive system contains a complex relationship of 300 to 500 different species of bacteria. This is called the “gut microbiome” and refers specifically to the microorganisms living in the intestines.  And while we tend to think that microorganisms can be harmful to our body, many provide benefits, and are even essential, for good health. Gut health influences emotional health, spiritual health, mental health as well as physical health. In fact, chronic stress and gut health are linked and have a significant effect on each other. 

Additionally, 70% of immune system health is connected to our gut health. Attention to digestion and the system it belongs to is paramount to better, broader health and wellness. The body’s immune system has a symbiotic relationship with how your gut operates. Studies within the past few years have discovered how the gut biome plays an essential role in immune cell recruitment and differentiation and has an impact on how the body reacts to overall immunity and immunologic diseases.1 

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1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5385025/

So you want to have a healthy gut biome – but how can you help it?  Well, there are several helpful tips for maintaining good gut health – some of which are exactly like some of our previous advice for good, proactive health:

  • Get a healthy amount of sleep
  • Keep your body hydrated with water
  • Find ways to manage your stress
  • Exercise regularly
  • Limit alcohol intake
  • Eat fiber-rich foods

Unsurprisingly, your regular diet plays a HUGE role in setting the condition of your biome. 

Gut microbes get most of their nutrients from our diet and help us digest much of the food we ingest. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that diet has a huge impact on what fuels our biome.

Modern diets that prioritize high levels of animal protein, saturated fats, simple sugars and salt, can have detrimental effects on your biome.  So what should you prioritize?  Try to make sure you’re getting some of the following:

  • High fiber foods (beans, oats, green vegetables)
  • Fermented foods (kimchi, yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut) 
  • Collagen boosting foods (mushrooms, salmon, bone broth)

After all, your gut takes in food, digests the food you eat, absorbs nutrients, then uses the nutrients for energy. Nutritional replenishment is a function of your gut. In addition to consuming the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients your body needs, incorporating the following foods helps supports your good biome:

  • Lean Meats (fish, chicken, turkey)
  • Bananas 
  • Avocados
  • Oats and Barley
  • Kombacha
  • Yogurt
  • Whole Grains
  • Legumes
  • Leafy Greens

Digestive health and the rest of our healths are intertwined and related. Each affects the others. The ways in which our different healths are best maintained are often similar. (Nutrients and nutrition are almost always included in any discussions about health and wellness). Give your gut and good biome what they need. 

Stick around and discover why the Live Max blog is important for you! 

Max prioritizes your health and wellness. 

Live to the Max!

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Facts About Fat Nutrition You Should Know

Image of man grilling fish

For some people it’s hard to believe that there are fats that are actually good for the body. There are people who are vigilantly aware of how fat affects them; there are those who aren’t; and there are all others everywhere and in between who know some fat facts. Whatever the case, a summary of fat can be a good reminder or lesson for all.

What follows is information about fat That We All not only should know, but also have a right to know. (Keep in mind that not all of the people of the world have the fortune, means, or privilege to know it).  And while thinking about fat in addition to all the ways there are and all the things to know to achieve good health (or better health) can be overwhelming, remember that feeling sick or being unwell are a degree of overwhelming much more difficult and well worth avoiding. 

That said, facts about the fat in our diets – the food we choose to eat and tend to choose – are important because they affect the quality of health we have. Fats – good and bad fats — are of particular importance because they both impact the big organs — the vital ones. Like the Heart. The Brain. The Nervous System. And the outcomes of their negative effects can be catastrophic, debilitating, and, of course, deadly.  And  our quality of health impacts how we feel. Anh How we feel is a continuum. As long as we’re alive, we’re subject to the state of our health. 

Foods with Fat: Nutritious or Not? 

The foods we eat can be or can have good fat or bad fat. Fats referred to as essential are the most important. The body breaks down the different fats we feed it into fatty acids. Fatty acids are the building blocks of fats (all types, good and bad, including the major nutrients known as lipids). 

There are fatty acids that the body can produce (or synthesize) on its own from fats or raw materials once digested. These are referred to as NON-ESSENTIAL. And there are fatty acids the body cannot produce on its

own. These are known as ESSENTIAL. If a fatty acid (or other nutrient) is essential, the body can only get it from food or nutritional supplements. So, some level of attention, thoughtfulness, or awareness needs to occur in order to provide our bodies with fats and fatty acids that are essential. 

Healthful or Harmful?

Additionally, the fat we give our body is one of four types:

  1. Saturated
  2. Trans
  3. Monounsaturated
  4. Polyunsaturated

These four types fall into one of two categories:

  1. Saturated
  2. Unsaturated

Saturated fats and trans fats: These are the two Bad fat types (in the Saturated category). But, they earned that status for good reason. Saturated fats are known to cause an increase in LDL cholesterol — bad cholesterol that can clog arteries. 

Unsaturated fats: These are the Good Fats. Research has shown that increasing the amount of select unsaturated fats we consume or take in can:

  1. Boost health
  2. Assist in defending against certain diseases 
  3. Even support (as research has shown) higher mental and physical performance.

Be Mindful: Fat Affects Vital Health

Fat feels like a four-letter word. When it comes to our health, here are a few general food and fat tips to live by:

  1. Trans Fats (a.k.a. Hydrogenated Oils): Avoid These Always. The US has banned their use for good reason. 
  2. Saturated Fats: Keep these to a maximum of 10% of your total Fat consumption. (They’re solid at room temperature so you can spot them most of the time.)
  3. Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated: Think fish, olive oil (the Mediterranean diet shows fewer incidents of heart disease in these countries), avocados, and canola oil (when cooking). 
  4. Whenever possible – Choose Polyunsaturated Fats or request them as substitutes for any of the other 3 types of fats. They’re liquid at room temperature!

Keep your fat levels as healthy as possible. Look for more fat facts, nutritional replenishment information, and more on our LiveMax blog. 

Live to the Max!

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Good Fats, Bad Fats

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Talk of diets, nutrition, and health can eventually include the subject of fat. Fat. Many people hear the word and say to themselves, “Here come the reasons why eating fat is bad.” And many times they’re right on. Then there’s an explanation of the negative effects fat has on the body’s health, including the heart. And, there’s much being exchanged about its role in weight management.

To be fair, though, that’s only half of it. Fat isn’t getting its better shake because the less talked about types of fats include ones that are Good and are great for everyone to know. They’re ones that aren’t often discussed in those day-to-day, casual conversations.

So, for goodness’ sake, forget for a second about the bad- ness of bad-fat. For the sake of what’s better today and for the future,  focus for a moment on facts that are important about the seemingly forgotten facts that are really Good.

First, body chemistry, biology, and  trillions of cells like good fats. More importantly,  they NEED them. Good fats are not only good, but they’re also necessary constituents for maintaining vital organ health and function, organ protection, and promoting other numerous health and wellness processes and systems throughout the entire human body. Good fats are real. And total body health and wellness thrive on them.

Without enough good fat, health declines. Good health is dependent on sufficient and effective levels of certain fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated specifically*). Fatty acids, the class of nutrients known as lipids, and cholesterol-friendly types of fat the body needs. Deficiency in any of the many types of Good Fats can diminish health, leaving it more prone to certain diseases, malfunctioning organ systems, and a decline in healthful functions.

Good Fats, Bad Fats — Know the Facts

There are four kinds of fats:

  • Saturated
  • Trans 
  • Monounsaturated 
  • Polyunsaturated

They differ in chemical structure and physical characteristics. They have been categorized by the absence (saturated and trans) or presence of double and triple bonds (mono- and polyunsaturated) in their carbon chain. Saturated fats and Trans fats are considered “the bad” fats. In food terms they are usually solid at room temperature (like shortening, palm oil, and margarine). Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are “the Good” fats and are more liquid (like canola oil and certain fish oils) in consistency at room temperature.

Fats are found in the following general types of foods (with good and bad representations within almost every type and can be found in many more):

  • Nuts
  • Meat 
  • Fish 
  • Some Dairy Products
  • Butter 
  • Oils

Of these,

 

Bad Fats include the following basics:

  • Meat that is red meat
  • Whole Milk
  • Butter
  • Margarine
  • Shortening
  • Coconut Oil 
  • Palm Oil 
  • Hydrogenated oils
  • Most tropical oils

Good Fats Include the following basics:

  • Fish
    • Cod
    • Halibut
    • Tuna
    • Salmon
  • Nuts
  • Peanut butter and other nut butters – Non Hydrogenated
  • Avocado
  • Olive Oil
  • Peanut Oil
  • Canola Oil
  • High-Oleic Safflower And Sunflower Oils

Saturated fat should not exceed 10% of daily calories, and trans fats— think French Fries and doughnuts — should be excluded entirely.

The Benefits of Fat

(Good Fats First)

Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and their fatty acid building blocks are incredibly important because – at effective levels – they:

  • Give Your Body Energy
  • Promote Cellular Growth 
  • Protect Organs
  • Assist in Managing and Controlling Cholesterol And Blood Pressure 
  • Help the Body Absorb Vital Nutrients
  • Help the body regulate warmth
  • Assist in chemical exchanges and transport across cell membranes
  • Maintain hydration

Saturated and Trans fats are considered unhealthy because, in excess:

  • They tend to remain solid, causing build up in blood vessels.
  • They are known to increase bad cholesterol (LDL).
  • Increase risk of strokes and heart attacks (also a result of their solid nature). 
  • Are stored by the body when not used to provide energy. This can add unhealthy weight that adds more pressure to bones, joints, and muscles; increases stress on breathing and circulation; and other problems and illnesses. 
  • Can lead to poor blood sugar regulation and even diabetes.

The Good and Bad Takeaways –

(Fat Check for Optimum Health and Wellness)

These Facts about Fat are Good to know and include the reasons why Bad Fat should be kept to a minimum — moderate intake of the Bad Fat; Generous with the Good Fats.

Live To The Max.

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How to Improve Heart Health

Good Heart Health
No other muscle in the body works out like the heart does – by beating around 100,000 times a day it pumps around 2,000 gallons of blood every day.  This vital process not only provides fresh oxygen and nutrients to organs and tissues, it carries waste products away for removal.

For such an important part of our body, there’s actually some very simple ways to keep it performing at its best. Here are five tips to keep you on the path to good heart health.

Plan to eat smartly – Fiber is your heart’s best friend, so you’ll want to prioritize fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.  If you’re cutting down on carbohydrates, make sure the carbs you eat are from whole grains and you’ll be doing your vascular system a big favor.  Similarly, when you cook with oil use monounsaturated fats like olive and canola oil to promote good cholesterol.

Go with the good oil – one of the best diets for good heart health is the Mediterranean diet.  Prioritizing baked fish along with high amounts of cereals, nuts, fruits and olive oil, multiple studies have shown great benefits for reducing heart disease.  Prioritize the consumption of omega-3 fatty acids through diet or supplementation to promote good heart health.

Find simple ways to be active – we give advice on getting exercise at home – check out these smart at-home exercise tips A little can go a long way towards giving you a longer, healthier lifestyle. We’re not asking a lot! Just 30 minutes of moderate activity on almost every day will do wonders for your heart. Exercise from home or take care of chores like yard work and cleaning the house to more leisurely activities like cycling and swimming. Even just taking a brisk walk will be enough!

Regulate your vices – While recent studies show no major issues with moderate consumption of alcohol, regular consumption (or even worse, heavy drinking) causes a host of problems, including high blood pressure, stroke, and cardiomyopathy (heart disease).  Smoking causes even more problems, and it’s HIGHLY recommended you find ways to quit as soon as possible.  Moderate your drinking as best as possible and look for assistance with friends and family if you want to quit smoking.

Consult your doctor – everyone’s heart is different and some of us struggle with hereditary issues like high blood pressure or arrhythmia. Stay on top of your yearly checkups to make sure your heart is running smoothly.  Your health care professional can identify any potential problems and will provide advice on how to handle them before they become serious. 

Glutathione and Omega oils are vital to heart health, overall wellness, and immune health. The benefits they provide effectively support and improve cellular functions for the better. Max’s Cellgevity™ and Max357 are just two of Max’s premium formulas and products well worth choosing to create a happier and healthier life.

#livetothemax

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Smart Options for Nutritional Replenishment

Frozen Veggies Are Nutritious!

We’re used to cooking at home more than ever since the new normal. Nutritional replenishment is always important to consider when planning and preparing meals.  Vegetables are packed with daily nutrition needs – they’re the rainbow of foods referred to by nutritionists and many vegetables have antioxidant qualities known to effectively support the body’s antioxidant network and offer even more support to Glutathione and cells. To plan well and to save time and money, try loading up from the frozen section – but don’t make it all instant meals and pizza.  

Frozen veggies can offer similar nutrition to fresh vegetables but with a much longer “shelf” life and only a minimal drop in nutrients. Stock up on your choice vegetables to ensure that you’ll have good produce options available later in the week and need to make fewer trips — less money, time, and gas.

If you’re not sure what to do with all those frozen vegetables, try this quick and easy recipe that’s low on carbs but rich in protein, fiber and nutrients.

Try this Recipe
Fried Eggs and Veggie Mix – Serves: 2

  • frozen vegetable mix (peas, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, etc.)
  • 3-4 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  •  salt
  •  pepper

Fry up a packet of your favorite frozen vegetable mix with some eggs for a quick, filling meal.

  1. Allow your frozen vegetables to thaw for about 30 minutes ahead of time.
  2. Add coconut oil to frying pan and heat on medium high heat.
  3. Add vegetables and toss in oil.
  4. Crack open eggs over pan and scramble with vegetables.
  5. Salt and pepper to taste, add other spices as desired.

If you have some older vegetables lying around, like wilted spinach or limp celery, add it to the mix.  This is great with hot sauce as well!

No access to eggs or choosing not to eat them? Substitute some soft tofu instead.  Just half a block should suffice!

Stay well and healthy!

These tips are great to remember for moments when you are thinking about an easy but healthy meal.  Look forward to more Max Wellness tips on the Live Max blog and to be shared on social media.

#livetothemax

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How to Stay Fit From Home

Holistic Health From Home
Since the not so far off days of quarantines and social distancing, many people find themselves realizing that what all that resulted in included less opportunity for getting out for exercise and almost no chance to visit the local gym. For multitudes of exercisers – walkers, runners, cyclists, swimmers, and more – becoming a couch potato became a reality.

The fallout of such a drastic change for a lot of people affected metabolism, weight management, mental and emotional health, stress levels, and overall comprehensive health and wellness. It’s easier looking back to realize that was making life more challenging than it already was. And it has made it clear to more and more that holistic health – physical, emotional, and mental health all matter.

Try These Home Exercises
Now the restrictions are much more lenient, exercising is back on the agenda. But, think about it, anyone can exercise from home or seclusion if they know how. During winter or if quarantine becomes necessary again, there are simple exercises to do each day that don’t require expensive equipment or a lot of room.  Bookmark this page for reference and start moving even if it means staying in one place. Try these for starters:

Side Lunge

  • Stand with both feet together and hands clasped in front of your chest.
  • Take a large step out to your right, immediately lowering into a lunge by sinking your hips back and bending your right knee – make sure the knee does not pass beyond your toes. 
  • Keep your left leg straight but not locked, with both feet pointing forward.
  • Push off the right foot to straighten your right leg, then step your right foot next to left to  return to the starting position.

Wall Squats

  • Stand with your back flat against a wall.
  • Position your feet about shoulder-width apart and then about 2 feet (60 cm) out from the wall, keeping your arms at your side.
  • Slide your back down the wall, bending your legs until they’re in a 90 degree angle. Your knees should be directly above your ankles.
  • Hold the position for five seconds while contracting your abs.
  • Stand slowly, while leaning against the wall, to return to the starting position.

We recommend that you find just 20 minutes in a day where you find a spot in a room to do these exercises.  Make sure to…

  1. Warm up first with some light stretching
  2. Do 10-15 reps for each exercise
  3. Rest 15-30 seconds between the exercises 
  4. That’s 1 set, push to do at least two more sets 
  5. Rest 1-2 min. between sets

Fast, simple, and without much fuss, these exercises will help strengthen your core and stretch your muscles. The perfect remedy when you are sitting down at the computer all day, or watching it snow, or making sure you don’t feel like a couch potato!

Give Yourself Even More Support

Prioritizing your health is more important than any other thing you do. Without good health, you’re not your best feeling self. That’s not what you, your life, or your loved ones deserve.

Max supports total body and mind healthy living. Our nutritional supplements like Cellgevity™, MaxATP™ and the rest of our premium products deliver the health benefits we all are looking for and deserve, including:

  • More energy 
  • Strengthened immune system
  • Optimum cellular function 
  • Nutritional replenishment
  • Better Sleep

Look for more information, tips, and useful tricks here on the Live Max blog. Visit livemax.com for more facts and helpful info about Max’s exceptional products. Improve your life.  Live to the Max!

#livetothemax

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Nutrients And Nutrition

Nutrition:
Foods and substances in foods that help animals and plants to grow and stay healthy. Nutrition includes behaviors and social factors related to food choices.


Nutrients:
Substances that provide the nourishment essential for growth and the maintenance of life. The 7 nutrients are:

  • Carbohydrates
  • Proteins
  • Fats
  • Vitamins
  • Minerals
  • Dietary fiber
  • Water

Supplement:
A substance taken to remedy the deficiencies in a person’s diet or to enhance various vitamins, antioxidants, and other molecular networks the body relies on to function.

Most of us know that eating a nutritious diet is necessary for health and development. It’s important to understand that getting enough nutrients from your food becomes more challenging as you get older. While older appetites decrease, the body’s ability to absorb nutrients decreases as well – so you’re not only eating less, you’re getting less from what you eat.

However, these days – more than ever – everyone, not just older adults, should prioritize health and wellness and maximize nutritional intake. Having a balanced, healthy eating pattern that includes fresh foods, lean proteins, unprocessed, low-sodium foods instead of the high-fat, processed, nutrient-poor fast food fallbacks many of us choose in our modern, fast-paced jobs and world is one of the steps to optimizing health.

Unlike centuries that came before ours, we live in an era influenced by science and technology. That has resulted in a multitude of supplements that can provide the nutrients we’re lacking or enhance various systems, processes, and functions related to essential nutrition. Supplements are an efficient means and another necessary step to complement what we miss in our diets.

In fact – supplements like Max’s nutritionals can provide additional support that deliver maximum benefits for better overall health and immune function. Through our highly-principled research and science, our product engineers developed groundbreaking technology we call Riboceine™. RiboCeine is the world’s most innovative and effective way to raise our body’s Glutathione levels. Glutathione is widely known as the body’s best defense against oxidative stress that causes disease and even death. Learn more here

With total focus on creating a supplement that delivers outstanding benefits, our science team created Cellgevity™. Cellgevity™ is an exceptional formula and supplement for achieving better total body and immune wellness along with some nutrients essential to balanced and better health.

Using helpful supplements like Cellgevity not only boosts your glutathione levels for a strengthened immune system, it helps provide useful nutrients for your body. It’s scientifically proven and it’s only available from Max. Stay healthy long into your life and age with Cellgevity™. It’s one of the most important ways you can choose to boost overall nutrition.