As a nutritionist, I am continually aware of the latest and greatest supplements out there to help combat the aging process. I do agree that many of these supplements—especially those containing antioxidants—are important, but I am sometimes concerned that all the media hype around anti-aging formulas makes people forget that the basic micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) found in food and in multivitamin formulas are part of the foundation for healthy aging. Here are a few things to consider:

• Our modern food supply is lower in micronutrients than it was 50 or 100 years ago because crops nowadays tend to be grown in soil that has been stripped of nutrients through over-farming or use of chemical fertilizers. To make sure you are getting the most nutritious food available, buy food as fresh as possible from local sources such as farmers markets and/or start your own backyard garden using compost as fertilizer.
• All of the bodily processes that are intimately involved in healthy aging such as cell division and producing correct copies of DNA rely on a vast assortment of essential vitamins and minerals that should be found in a healthy diet. When our diets are deficient in these nutrients due to food processing or eating the wrong types of foods, it sets us up for the signs of accelerated aging caused by unhealthy cell division and damage to DNA.
• A simple multivitamin formula may provide “extra insurance” to help supply your daily needs for micronutrients. Just be sure that it contains absorbable forms of nutrients and does not contain a lot of fillers. One way to quickly check the quality of your multivitamin is to look on the label for what form of calcium it contains. The “calcium carbonate” form of calcium is the cheapest form out there and is one of the least absorbable. If a multivitamin contains this form as its sole source of calcium, I usually take it as a sign that the overall formula is not as absorbable as others out there. This is not a hard and fast rule, and there are times when calcium carbonate is helpful (such as in antacids) but I personally don’t think it belongs in a quality multivitamin.

For an interesting read on micronutrients and aging, please see the article by Bruce Ames printed in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America titled “Low micronutrient intake may accelerate the degenerative diseases of aging through allocation of scarce micronutrients by triage”. The full text article is available online.

Maintaining muscle mass as time goes by is one of the most important things a person can do to ensure healthy aging. Here are a few fun facts about muscle health!

• If muscles are not used regularly, the gradual loss of muscle mass begins in the third decade of life.
• It has been estimated that muscle mass decreases 35 percent to 40 percent between 20 and 80 years of age unless active measures are taken to prevent this.
• Factors that accelerate muscle loss include stress, lack of exercise, smoking, insufficient protein intake, blood sugar imbalance, and excessive intake of alcohol.
• A diet rich in antioxidants from fruits and vegetables has been found to help prevent muscle damage and loss of muscle mass.
• A minimum of 30 minutes of resistance weight training three times per week is recommended to help prevent muscle loss associated with aging.
• Whey protein is one of the most absorbable forms of protein available and contains amino acids that directly nourish muscle tissue. A serving of whey protein taken in the morning has been found to be especially helpful in promoting muscle health and maintenance through the day.

Last week, I flew to Baltimore with my husband and son for a three-day nutrition conference and to visit with my family who live nearby. Traveling from Honolulu to Baltimore takes about 16 hours, the majority of which was spent with a toddler in my lap. My son is still nursing (I plan to nurse until he’s two), which is great for his immune system but not so great for my back when he wanted to nurse off and on for almost the whole plane trip! After this trip and the three days of sitting in a conference room all day I started to really understand the importance of stretching to prevent and to relieve back pain. Here are just a few benefits of stretching:

• Stretching increases the flow of blood to the afflicted area. This promotes repair and helps to oxygenate tissues.
• When you take a moment to stretch, you are also taking a moment to calm the mind which can help relieve stress. Excessive release of stress hormones can increase pain!
• Stretching increases your range of motion, which helps to prevent injuries. Maintaining flexibility is one factor that has been linked to healthier aging. In fact, the ancient yogis used to say “you are as young as your spine is flexible.”

For a few easy yet effective back stretches that you can do anywhere, please see the Mayo Clinic slideshow on the subject.

On Saturday, August 27, I will be participating in an “Ask the Nutritionist” webinar hosted by Marilyn Farms. In this free one-hour session, participants can send in questions and I will answer as many as I can in the time we have. It will be a nutrition question feeding frenzy! Below are a few examples of questions that I received during our last “Ask the Nutritionist” webinar. To take advantage of this offer, please register here or through our website, www.marilynfarms.com. I look forward to talking with you!

Q: What are the top veggies/fruits that we should buy organically?

A: Each year, the Environmental Working Group sends out a list of the “Dirty Dozen”, which are the top 12 produce items that should be purchased organically. This year, that list includes apples, celery, strawberries, peaches, spinach, nectarines (imported), grapes (imported), sweet bell peppers, potatoes, blueberries (domestic), lettuce, and kale/collard greens.

Q: Are there nutritional supplements that a child can take after a course of antibiotics to prevent diarrhea and other side effects?

A: The most important thing for recovery is of course going to be a healthy diet that minimizes sugar and maximizes nourishing foods such as green vegetables, meat, poultry, bone broths, and fermented foods such as yogurt or kefir. As far as supplements go, the #1 most important thing to take after (and if possible, during) a course of antibiotics is probiotics (healthy bacteria). There are many different probiotic formulations for children available, just make sure that they contain a blend of bifidus and acidophilus bacteria to re-colonize all areas of the digestive tract. In addition to this, taking cod liver oil (recommended dose for most children is 1 tsp per day) can help to restore levels of nutrients that may have been depleted by antibiotics.

Q: Can diabetics use cod liver oil?

A: Cod liver oil is a wonderful supplement for diabetics because it contains omega-3 fats, natural vitamin D, and natural vitamin A—all three of which help with blood sugar control and nerve health. The one caution with any fish oil is that it can thin the blood, so a person on blood thinners such as aspirin or Coumadin should be sure to check with their doctor to make sure medications are in balance.

When I get overstressed or overtired, I’m prone to headaches. The recipe below is a drink that I make when I feel a headache coming on, and it (plus a nap, if possible) works 9 times out of 10. The biggest key for me has been to take the drink at the first sign that a headache is coming, before it has taken hold. The recipe has evolved over time, so this is the most current version. I hope it helps you like it has helped me!

In a blender, combine:
4 ounces ice
4 ounces water
4 ounces orange or pineapple juice
½” piece fresh ginger (slice thinly if the “hairy” texture of ginger bothers you)
2 tablespoons Body Bio Balanced Oil
2 Marilyn Farms Mag Calm tablets (if you have a Vitamix blender you can toss these in whole, but with other blenders you may need to chop them finely with a knife first)
2 droppersful Marilyn Farms Pain Formula

Blend to desired consistency, drink, and lie down for a minute if you can!

August is Pain Awareness month, and magnesium, which can be found in Essential Calm, is one of the most overlooked all-natural pain relievers. Below are a few facts on magnesium and pain:

• Most people are deficient in magnesium because magnesium is removed during food processing. Deficiency of magnesium has been found to be a major amplifier of pain.
• Magnesium may help to relieve muscle pain by relaxing muscles. This makes it especially useful for pain with a muscular origin such as TMJ, tension headaches, or back pain.
• Magnesium has been found to relieve nerve pain due to its ability to control the excessive release of pain-causing neurotransmitters (called NMDA) without side effects.
• IV magnesium (administered by a physician) has been shown to be one of the most effective treatments for an acute migraine.
• A dose of 250 to 500 mg of magnesium daily has been shown to decrease pain overall.

NOTE: People with kidney problems should not supplement with magnesium without a physician’s approval. Please talk to a qualified healthcare practitioner before making any changes to your supplement routine.

PureNutrition, our green drink whole foods supplement, is on special this month—here are five ways to enjoy it!

1.     Sprinkle PureNutrition Original (not yeast-free) over popcorn.

2.    Make green lemonade by mixing 12 oz. ice water, the juice of one lemon, and one to two scoops (depending on how sweet you want it) of PureNutrition Yeast Free. You can also make red lemonade by using PureNutrition Red.

3.    Blend one serving of any variety of PureNutrition with 6 oz. cold almond milk, 3 oz. pomegranate juice, and ½ cup frozen berries for an antioxidant-packed smoothie.

4.    Make a Green Bloody Mary by mixing 12 oz. tomato juice, the juice of ½ lemon or lime, two scoops of PureNutrition Original (not yeast-free), ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, and salt to taste. Garnish with a celery stalk.

5.     Mix one serving of any variety of PureNutrition into oatmeal or any other type of creamy breakfast cereal. The green color goes over well with kids, especially when you tell them it’s dinosaur food!

When I go to the beach or the pool, it’s easy to remember to protect my skin from too much sun because if I don’t I will sunburn. My eyes are just as susceptible to damage from the sun, but I’m not as acutely aware of them because they don’t show damage as immediately as my skin. While occasional and mild sun exposure can be healthy for the eyes, the more I look into it, the more I am convinced of the importance of eye protection when you will be in intense sun for extended periods of time. Repeated sun damage to eyes can lead to formation of cataracts, macular degeneration, and scarring of eye tissue. Here are a few tips to help protect your eyes from the sun:

• Wear UV-blocking sunglasses (most professionals recommend at least UV400 sunglasses) and/or a wide brimmed hat when you will be in direct sunlight for extended periods of time.
• Drink a glass of green tea (iced or hot) before you go out into intense sun. Green tea contains compounds called catechins which have been found to protect the retina from UV damage. I like to take unsweetened iced green tea with me in a cooler when I go to the beach!
• Eat a diet rich in antioxidants from fruits and vegetables to protect your eyes from the inside out. Fresh produce that is dark green, orange, yellow, or red tends to have higher levels of phytonutrients that are specifically protective to the eyes. If this is a challenge, include a whole foods supplement such as PureNutrition Red in your daily routine.
• Regularly eat fatty, cold-water fish such as wild salmon, mackerel, sardines, or cod. These types of fish are richest in DHA, a fatty acid that protects and restores eye tissue. If deemed appropriate by your healthcare practitioner, you may also want to take a DHA-rich supplement such as cod liver oil or a fish oil blend that is protective for the eyes such as Ultimate DHA Eye.

As the mother of a fair-skinned child who loves to go to the beach, I’ve been doing a lot of research lately on the topic of sun protection for children. I personally am not comfortable slathering my son with most sunscreens, since the skin absorbs what is put on it and most sunscreens (even those designed for children) contain questionable ingredients. Here are a few tips that I have found to be helpful:

• The single most important factor regarding sun exposure for long-term skin health is to prevent the incidence of sunburn, so make this a priority.
• Regular, moderate sun exposure (around 15 minutes for most children) is important for producing Vitamin D, which is protective to the skin and important for overall health. For this reason, you will occasionally see a naked toddler streaking through my backyard in the morning while I’m working on the computer on the patio.
• When playing outdoors, try to have your child play in an area where there is shade available from trees, playground structures, or a beach umbrella rather than in direct sunlight.
• If possible, try to plan beach and pool trips or other sunny outings outside of peak hours of sun (12 to 2 p.m. tend to be the sunniest times in most areas).
• When your child has to be in direct sunlight, cover sunburn-prone areas with loose-fitting cotton clothing. When they’re swimming, use a rash guard or sun shirt to cover their trunk.  Hats are also great (especially for younger children who don’t have much hair yet) and I feel lucky that my son thinks hats are an exciting accessory to wear—the bigger the brim the better!
• Occasionally you will need to use sunscreen when the above measures aren’t enough, so look for a natural sunscreen containing zinc oxide as its active ingredient. Conveniently, zinc oxide is also the active ingredient in most diaper rash creams! In my beach bag I actually keep a tube of diaper rash cream which I slather on my son’s face and shoulders when we’re on a longer beach trip. Other parents might think you’ve confused tubes of cream, but when you explain to them that zinc oxide is the same skin protecting ingredient in both sunscreen and diaper cream they are usually appreciative to know they can pack fewer items in the diaper bag!
• Last but certainly not least, it’s important for parents to know that they can protect their child from the inside out by feeding them a diet rich in antioxidants from fruits and vegetables. Phytonutrients (plant nutrients) have been found to protect skin from sun damage and also keep eye tissues safe from UV damage. Green vegetables, orange vegetables such as yams or carrots, and berries tend to be the richest in these types of phytonutrients. If your child has an aversion to these foods or is going through a phase when they are more picky (don’t worry, they usually grow out of it if you keep offering them a variety of foods and don’t make a big deal of it), try adding a whole foods supplement such as PureNutrition to their food or drink. It works well mixed into foods such as oatmeal, yogurt, or smoothies. If they are put off by the green color, try using PureNutrition Red

For many people, July is the most sun-filled month of the year. Most of us know to protect our skin from the sun by limiting amount of time in direct sunlight, covering up, and using natural sunscreens if needed. However, many of us are not aware that we can protect our skin from the inside out by including certain phytonutrients (plant nutrients) in our diets! Here are a few highlights of sun-protecting phytonutrients that can be found in our PureNutrition Red formula:

• Mangosteen and Acai contain phytonutrients which have been found to protect against aging of the skin caused by sun exposure.
• Silymarin, the active ingredient in milk thistle, has been found to protect DNA from UV-light induced damage. It was also found to reduce the overall level of oxidative stress caused by UV-light exposure in skin cells.
• Green tea extract helps to protect skin by delaying the sunburn response and preventing DNA damage in overexposed skin.
• Hibiscus has been found to exert a protective effect against the initial formation and proliferation of skin cancer cells.
• Resveratrol (also found in red wine) is a potent anti-cancer phytonutrient that induces apoptosis (programmed cell death) in skin cancer cells.