Age related muscle loss, known as “sarcopenia”, affects 25 percent of the U.S. population over age 65. Sarcopenia cannot be detected by calculating BMI (Body Mass Index—a ratio of height and weight) or looking at a person. A person can appear obese or look very slim and still have muscle loss. The research shows that whether one is under or overweight, too little muscle decreases quality of life and increases the risk for chronic diseases. The ultimate loss with sarcopenia is the loss of functional independence and the tendency toward physical disability. Although sarcopenia is common, it is a very reversible and preventable condition.

What can you do to prevent muscle loss or re-gain muscle that has already been lost:

1. Move: The old saying is true, USE OR LOSE IT! If you want to maintain muscle you must use it. All types of exercise work. If you are home bound or a TV aficionado, lifting soup cans with your arms does the trick. If you can walk or do water aerobics that would work also. The biggest thing is to find something you can do, enjoy doing and do it.

2. Eat Protein: It is harder for the body to make protein from scratch than to use it from food. Ensure you are getting appropriate amounts of protein each day to make/maintain muscle. Protein foods include animal products (beef, chicken, turkey, seafood, fish, eggs, and dairy) and vegetable sources (legumes, nuts, and seeds)

3. Digest Protein: Once chewed, protein must be digested to do any good. Digestion begins with stomach acid. By the time we turn 65 our stomach acid production has decreased 75 percent. By adding lemon/lime juice or vinegar to meals we can help increase the acidity of the stomach and digest proteins better.

Consider Essential Meal: If fat loss is important, your appetite is low, or there is a meal you tend to forget to eat on a regular basis, Essential Meal is a great solution to ensure adequate protein intake to prevent muscle loss.

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.

Zinc is most commonly indicated as a nutritional supplement to help with immune support and general wellness, but a lesser known role of zinc is as a key mineral in eye health. Here are a few fun facts about zinc and eye health!

• The concentration of zinc in the eye is unusually high when compared to the rest of the body, and it is particularly abundant in the retina of the eye.
• Zinc has been found to be directly involved in many important processes of the eye including the activation of the pigments that register light (vital to night vision), the transmission of electrical impulses that help transmit images to the brain, and the antioxidant protection of the eye from light and chemical damage.
• Zinc is thought to reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration—the leading cause of vision loss in the Western world.
• The formation of cataracts, another age-related eye problem, has also been associated with zinc deficiency.
• There is some anecdotal evidence that zinc prevents and in some cases may even reverse the formation of floaters in the eye by strengthening the delicate tissues of the eye as a whole.
• People who chronically use antacids or other products that reduce stomach acid are at a higher risk for eye problems associated with zinc deficiency because stomach acid is required for proper absorption of zinc.
• Adequate levels of dietary zinc during pregnancy help to ensure proper eye formation and function in offspring. Protein foods tend to be richer in zinc—especially almonds, oysters, and beef.

For more information and biochemical details on the link between zinc and eye health, please see the article titled “Zinc and the Eye” from the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.

March is Chronic Fatigue awareness month. While Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is an actual medical disorder, many of us suffer from varying levels of fatigue on a daily basis. Here are five natural ways to help fight fatigue.

1. Stay hydrated. Mild dehydration can be a major factor in fatigue, especially fatigue that occurs in the afternoon. The basic rule is that a person should drink the amount of water in ounces that is equal to their body weight in pounds divided by two. This means that a person who is 150 pounds needs around 75 ounces of water daily. This number may change based on individual needs and activity level.

2. Eat enough protein. Protein is the building block for muscle, as well as for many of the hormones involved in keeping energy levels balanced throughout the day. Protein also helps to stabilize blood sugar levels, which prevents the fatigue associated with low blood sugar. An easy way to calculate the minimum amount of grams of protein that you should aim for is to divide your body weight by 2.75 (use your ideal body weight in this calculation if you are significantly over or under weight). For example, a 150 pound person needs about 55 grams of protein to maintain that weight. Athletes, pregnant or breastfeeding women, and people who are healing or are under stress usually need more protein.

3. Eat every two to three hours. Skipping meals or leaving too much time between meals can lead to low blood sugar which may create a drop in energy levels. Eating regular, balanced meals and snacks has the added benefit of helping your body to conserve hard earned muscle tissue. If you need help, try incorporating one of our Essential Meal products as a meal or snack replacement up to twice daily. Each serving of Essential Meal provides 15 grams of protein as well as a balanced profile of other necessary nutrients.

4. Exercise. Exercise in any form helps the body to detoxify and builds muscle tissue—both of which help to keep energy levels up. If you don’t exercise regularly, it’s best to start with gentle forms of exercise such as walking or mild yoga and gradually build your way up to a more challenging workout. Overexertion during exercise can actually contribute to fatigue!

5. Sleep. This may seem like a really obvious way to fight fatigue, but many of us tend to push sleep to the bottom of the priority list. This is especially true when we are under stress, which is unfortunate since times of stress are when the body needs the most rest! If you are fatigued, make it a priority to get eight uninterrupted hours of sleep each night (starting before 10 p.m., if possible). If your schedule allows, also give yourself at least 10 or 15 minutes in the afternoon to lie down and rest even if you don’t actually fall asleep. This practice is healing and restorative to the adrenal glands, which are responsible for your stress response. If you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, consider adding a daily dose of a magnesium supplement such as our Essential Calm to your evening routine.

If you’ve found other ways to help fight fatigue, please share them in the comments section of this blog!

It’s February—happy American Heart Month! Here are five important (yet simple) dietary ways to love your heart. Enjoy!

1.     Eat six to eight servings of colorful vegetables each day (a serving of vegetables is half a cup). Choose fresh, frozen, or home canned (in glass jars) over canned vegetables in metal cans. Eat a variety of colors to be sure you’re getting an assortment of nutrients—the compounds that make vegetables colorful actually have different health benefits! Vegetables can be easily and healthfully enjoyed raw, lightly steamed with olive oil or grassfed butter, or stir-fried with your favorite protein source.

2.    Eat two to three cloves of garlic daily, or if you’re not a fan of garlic take a daily garlic supplement in pill form. Garlic contains compounds which have been shown to reduce the formation of unwanted blood clots—an important benefit in preventing heart attack and stroke.

3.    Eat two tablespoons of raw walnuts each day. Walnuts are significantly higher than other nuts in omega 3 fats, the type of fat that has been shown to lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. They taste great on their own as a snack, or can be chopped up and served over oatmeal or salads.

4.    Eat one tablespoon of cold pressed olive oil daily. Olive oil is a rich source of antioxidants and monounsaturated fat, two key ingredients that have been found to keep cholesterol levels in balance and prevent heart disease.

5.     Eat small, clean fish twice per week. Fish contains protein and heart-healthy fats that fight inflammation. Smaller varieties of fish contain less mercury than larger fish. See www.gotmercury.org for a list of healthy fish choices.

Since the weight management webinar earlier this month, I’ve been taking care to follow my own advice (shocking idea, I know!) and make sure I get enough protein.  Truthfully, it hasn’t been easy as I spend much of the day chasing my 10-month old son who has a fascination for all things hazardous around the house and it’s easy to forget to feed myself regularly.  So, after committing to eat enough protein, I dug my bottle of Marilyn Farms Protein Power out of the cabinet and at least once (sometimes twice if I need it) per day have started drinking a scoop or two mixed into a glass of diluted pomegranate to help boost my protein intake.  In researching whey protein I came across some interesting benefits, which I wanted to share with you.  Enjoy!

• Whey protein contains a type of amino acid called “branched chain amino acids” that specifically build and repair muscle tissue, which makes it especially beneficial after a workout.
• The amino acids in whey are required to help the body generate glutathione, which is one of the most (if not the most) potent and important antioxidants in the body.
• Since it is from an animal source, whey contains important immune compounds that boost our immune function.
• Whey protein contains many of the same compounds found in human breast milk, which is why it is commonly used in infant formula.  This makes it an excellent protein supplement for pregnant or breastfeeding mothers who aren’t getting enough protein in their regular diet.

Whey protein is one of the richest sources of leucine, an essential (meaning the body can’t make it) amino acid that has been linked to improving body composition by helping the body to increase muscle levels and burn body fat.