Whether you are a student studying for finals or are simply looking to ward off memory loss, we can all use a boost in memory. Here are five foods to include in your diet to help your mind stay sharp and keep your memory clear:

1. Egg yolk—Whole eggs are a great source of protein and nutrients, but egg yolks in particular may have memory-boosting properties. Egg yolks contain phosphatidyl choline, a nutrient that has been found to support brain function and improve memory in people with a variety of conditions causing impaired memory.
2. Oily fish—In a study performed by Rush University Medical Center, people who eat oily fish such as salmon, sardines, herring, and mackerel at least once a week were found to have the memory function of people three years younger.
3. Purple fruit—Fruit with a purple color such as blueberries, grapes, and plums, contain anthocyanin, a plant nutrient that has been found to protect against damage to brain cells.
4. Leafy greens—Greens such as spinach and chard are rich sources of folic acid, a nutrient which has been found to increase the speed at which the brain processes information and improve the brain’s ability to remember.
5. Cruciferous vegetables—The vegetables in this family include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, and bok choy. A Harvard Medical School study followed women for 25 years and found that those who ate higher amounts of cruciferous vegetables were less likely to experience age-related memory loss.

Dementias, including Alzheimer ’s disease, are associated with debilitating memory loss. Inside the body, as memory loss becomes greater, inflammation increases. Inflammation can be likened to a fire, which needs fuel and oxygen. Following this example inside the body, the wood feeding the fire is high stress, poor diet and little exercise. The oxygen fanning the flames comes in the form of uncontrolled free radicals and high levels of insulin. Here are four simple ways to take charge and put out the smoldering coals in the brain before they catch fire:

1. Balance Blood Sugar—You can control the inflammation in your body by simply keeping blood sugar constant. Eat a meal or snack every three to four hours that includes a protein source. Choose appropriate portions of low glycemic foods as carbohydrate sources such as green vegetables and whole grains. Most important, choose foods that are unprocessed or minimally processed.
2. Take Antioxidants—In combination with an active lifestyle, antioxidants are the best defenders against dementia. There are many important antioxidants and it is important to have all of them in your diet or supplement regime. Coenzyme Q10 is especially important as it has been shown to increase brain function in those with Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s related dementias and helps the heart muscle function appropriately. CoQ10 is fascinating because it is a vitamin that is used at the end of the body’s process for making energy, called the Kreb’s cycle. Without Coenzyme Q10, the oxygen used to make energy would create even more free radicals and cause increased inflammation.
3. Use the Brains You Have—An extensive web of brain connections is critical in protecting functional memory. The more connections you have, the less likely you will miss one if it disappears. The best way to increase or maintain these connections is to turn off the TV and continually learn. Learning can occur in many ways including: taking a class or taking on a new responsibility/skill at work; playing games, crosswords or cards; reading a book.
4. Healthy Fats—Fish Oils not only improve brain connectivity but also help decrease inflammation when in taken combination with GLA, an anti-inflammatory omega 6 oil. Nordic Naturals Omega 3-6-9 contains a good ratio of fish (EPA/DHA) to GLA fatty acids for brain health.

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.

Recently, I was sitting on a plane and overheard my neighbors talking about sunburn, sunscreen, and of course the good old days. The younger one was saying his children get sunburned within 15 minutes of being in the sun and the older one stated that many years ago her children could be outside all day and not get burned. The whole conversation was summed up with, “What a shame that we destroyed the ozone layer”…but what if the destruction of the ozone layer was only half the story?

Anti-oxidants, especially vitamin C and vitamin E may be a missing part of the equation. One study found that those who took 2000mg of vitamin C and 1000 IU of Vitamin E orally had the ability to increase their daily exposure to UV radiation (harmful sunlight) before becoming sunburned. Thinking about the seemingly recent increase in sunburn, we may very well be a society that is not getting enough antioxidants to protect against the lack of ozone layer. All of this becomes more personal when realizing that sunburn causes increases in the risk of skin cancer and excessive skin wrinkling.

However, without UV radiation (sunlight), cholesterol cannot be turned into vitamin D, which is an important nutrition for protecting against dementia, heart problems and age related depression. So sunlight is an important part of an anti-aging protocol, but skin still has to be protected!

As with everything, the sooner we start to work on prevention the greater the benefits. Acting now to protect your skin can help guarantee beautiful skin that is free of excessive wrinkles. Unfortunately, many of us have been sun worshipers and need a “wrinkle redo”. A serum containing 5 percent vitamin C has been shown to decrease the depth of sun-induced wrinkles and cause skin to appear more youthful. As vitamin C breaks down quickly it is best to make your own single use serum and use it immediately. Below is a recipe:

1. Dissolve 1000 mg vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in 1 teaspoon distilled water in a small glass container. Make sure it is fully dissolved before proceeding to next step.

2. Add 1 teaspoon of glycerine (can be purchased in the beauty section of most health food stores) and mix.

3. Apply directly to skin. Store any leftovers in a dark glass container (i.e. a clean tincture jar) in a cool place such as the refrigerator.

Study reference: “Protective effect against sunburn of combined systemic ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and d-α-tocopherol (vitamin E).” Bernadette Eberlein-König MD, Marianne Placzek MD and Bernhard Przybilla MD. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. Volume 38, Issue 1, January 1998, Pages 45-48

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.

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

Anti-aging is a buzz word in holistic communities. How do we turn another calendar year older and have our bodies act, feel—and most importantly—look like we are in our 20’s or 30’s? But do we really want to re-live our 20’s and 30’s or are we just trying to avoid the negative images of aging?

We never want to end up with:

• Wrinkles
• Low energy
• Frailness
• A chronic disease (i.e. heart disease or diabetes)
• Memory problems such as dementia or Alzheimer’s

There are many ways to decrease the risks negative symptoms of aging and one of them happens to be by using Coenzyme Q10. The main function of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is as an antioxidant in making energy (specifically in the form of ATP, the energy molecule) in the body. If we imagine that ATP is gasoline that the body makes for energy, the role of CoQ10 will become clear. To make gasoline with CoQ10 our body spends 2 gallons of gas to produce 38 gallons. Without CoQ10 our body spends the same 2 gallons of gas but only makes 8 gallons. The added energy provided by CoQ10 allows each individual cell to do their job better, but it also helps energize the body as a whole. A little extra energy goes a long way when we are trying to accomplish a multitude of things or just trying to survive the day.

Much of the CoQ10 is made and used by the muscles. It helps keep them alive and working. When our muscles have energy they can exercise more effectively and stay stronger as we age. Many studies have noted that those who maintain lean muscle mass as they age resist the negative side effects of aging particularly frailty, falling, and poorly working heart muscles.

As an antioxidant CoQ10 is a great tool to protect against skin damage and correct damage if it has already occurred. Skin damage is an important risk factor in increased wrinkles. Oral use of CoQ10 has the benefit of being available to your skin on an as-needed basis. Topical CoQ10 products must be reapplied several times a day, like sunscreen. Those who eat an antioxidant-rich diet and take antioxidant supplements have less damage seen on their skin even if sun exposure is more than optimal.

Last but certainly not least, CoQ10 protects against neurological damage caused by oxidative stress (what antioxidants protect against) including where the energy of the cells has been produced without CoQ10. Following our gasoline example above, this means that brain cells had to live too long on 8 gallons of gas instead of 38 gallons. Can you imagine running on low gas for years? Maybe it’s time to be able to fill up the tank again!

We at Marilyn Farms are excited to announce the addition of two new CoenzymeQ10 (CoQ10) supplements to our product line: CoQ10—30, in a 30 mg dosage and CoQ10—100, in 100 mg dosage. CoQ10 is a potent antioxidant of all fatty body tissues, especially the heart, brain, and kidneys. It is also important in energy production occurring in the mitochondria (the energy powerhouses) of the cells. There are few foods that contain CoQ10 in considerable amounts, but organ meats are one of the richest sources. Natural production of CoQ10 declines with age. Here are a few of the many amazing benefits of CoQ10:

• CoQ10 is one of the most widely used anti-aging supplements.  Its strong antioxidant properties have been indicated to be useful in treating and preventing ailments associated with aging including joint pain and skin wrinkles.
• Deficiency in CoQ10 is strongly associated with weakness and fatigue, as well as chronic pain syndromes such as fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. For people taking cholesterol-lowering statin medications, an unfortunate and inevitable side effect is interference of CoQ10 metabolism, often causing symptoms of fatigue and aching muscles called rhabdomyolysis. Many scientists recommend taking at least 30 mg of CoQ10 daily when taking a statin drug.
• Heart muscle is especially rich in CoQ10. The relationship between heart muscle cells and CoQ10 is so important that CoQ10 can actually help to reverse damage in heart muscle due to heart attack!
• Adequate levels of CoQ10 in the bloodstream prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol. Oxidized cholesterol, not necessarily just cholesterol itself, is most likely to stick to vessel walls and cause problems.
• CoQ10 helps to protect the nervous system. Research has shown very strong results in CoQ10’s ability to protect against the slow deterioration and oxidative stress on nerves, the brain, and the eye (especially the optic nerve). CoQ10 has been found to be beneficial for those with Parkinson’s disease, macular degeneration, and Alzheimer’s. It may also be protective against the process of developing cancer.

• CoQ10 is especially important in maintaining oral health. Deficiency in CoQ10 is associated with gum disease

Vitamin E (in my humble opinion) is one of the most misunderstood nutrients out there. Here are a few helpful facts about the different forms of vitamin E that are intended both to educate you on this important nutrient and make you more interesting to talk to at parties. Enjoy!

• There is a huge difference between natural and synthetic vitamin E, and most supplement companies do not clearly label whether you are buying natural or synthetic versions. To be sure you are buying natural vitamin E, turn the bottle around and look for d-alpha tocopherol, d-alpha tocopheryl acetate, or d-alpha tocopheryl succinate on the label. Synthetic vitamin E carries the prefix “dl”.
• While your body can use both natural and synthetic vitamin E, natural vitamin E contains the molecular form that is most efficiently used. It takes three times as much synthetic vitamin E to achieve the blood levels achieved by natural and your body gets rid of synthetic vitamin E three times faster than natural.
• “Vitamin E” actually covers an entire family of antioxidants: four tocopherols (alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and delta-) and four tocotrienols (alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and delta-). Alpha-tocopherol is the most commonly found supplemental form of vitamin E because it is the form that is actively maintained in large quantities by the body and therefore appears to have the most significance to human health.
• Gamma-tocopherol, the form of vitamin E that is maintained in the second largest quantities in the body, has been found to have potent antioxidant qualities in test tube studies but its specific function in the human body is still not completely clear. A 2000 study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that increased blood levels of alpha-tocopherol and adequate tissue levels of selenium significantly reduced the risk for developing prostate cancer but only when blood levels of gamma-tocopherol were also high.
• Vitamin E in all forms can effectively decrease blood clotting by platelets—an important benefit in the prevention of heart attack and stroke, but this also makes it an extremely important thing to communicate to your doctor prior to taking vitamin E if you are on blood thinners or are planning to undergo surgery.

For more information on vitamin E, including dosage, food sources, and vitamin E’s role in cardiovascular health, prevention of cataracts, diabetes, and other interesting interactions please see the Linus Pauling Micronutrient Information Center’s entry on vitamin E.

Study reference: Helzlsouer, et. Al. “Association between alpha-tocopherol, gamma-tocopherol, selenium, and subsequent prostate cancer.” J Natl Cancer Inst. 2000 Dec 20;92(24):2018-23.