Exercise fosters numerous benefits, including improved brain function, elevated mood, and reduced inflammation. Notably, a study revealed that the absence of physical activity can be more detrimental to health than severe conditions like diabetes or smoking!
Furthermore, researchers have identified a type of fat, bis-monoacylglycero-phosphate (BMP), which accumulates in aging tissues and may contribute to chronic disease. Just one hour of moderate-to-vigorous exercise per day for four days was shown to significantly decrease BMP levels.
It is crucial to recognize that it is never too late to begin exercising! A study published in the September 2023 edition of the journal Aging Cell, looked at previously sedentary older adults (with an average age of 73) and split them into two groups: One group was put on an exercise program for one year, while the other group was allowed to maintain their sedentary lifestyle.
The exercise group was put on a program including up to three days a week of a well-rounded exercise routine consisting of aerobic endurance, upper and lower body strengthening, balance, and flexibility training. The results were significant. Researchers found that the exercise group maintained a high level of physical performance, while the sedentary group suffered losses of strength, aerobic endurance, and mobility.
Additionally, maintaining physical activity is linked to better mental health outcomes, including lowering the risk of Alzheimer's disease and improving emotional resilience. An article published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine determined that exercise was a viable therapy for depression that outperformed conventional treatment, with walking or jogging, yoga, and strength training standing out as the most effective forms studied.
Health experts recommend adults engage in 150 to 300 minutes of moderate exercise weekly, alongside 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous activity. Exceeding these amounts can further reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Despite the clear benefits, nearly 80 percent of American adults do not meet the recommended exercise levels, contributing to substantial healthcare costs and premature mortality.
This collective lack of exercise takes a remarkable toll on our health care system. HHS says physical inactivity is linked to approximately $117 billion in annual health care costs and about 10 percent of premature mortality!
If you struggle to motivate yourself and fall shy of the minimum 150 minutes of exercise per week suggested, consider this: A meta-analysis from the European Society of Cardiology found that people who choose to take the stairs see a 39 percent lower likelihood of death from heart disease, compared to those who always take the elevator or escalator. Even small changes like this can affect your lifespan in a meaningful way.
Barriers to exercise often include a lack of time and motivation, compounded by more sedentary lifestyles. To overcome these obstacles, individuals can seek social support, incorporate small amounts of activity into their day, set specific fitness goals, and use superfood supplements such as ChagaMax, Royal Power, Ashwagandha, and Purely Liver. You may also add the following essential nutrients that support physical strength and energy: Collagen Power Plus, Purely Min Magnesium, Purely B, Purely C, and Purely Zinc.
Tracking progress can enhance motivation, making it easier to achieve and maintain a healthier, more active lifestyle.
References:
Reimers CD, Knapp G, Reimers AK. Does physical activity increase life expectancy? A review of the literature. J Aging Res. 2012;2012:243958. doi: 10.1155/2012/243958. Epub 2012 Jul 1. PMID: 22811911; PMCID: PMC3395188.
Mandsager K, Harb S, Cremer P, Phelan D, Nissen SE, Jaber W. Association of Cardiorespiratory Fitness With Long-term Mortality Among Adults Undergoing Exercise Treadmill Testing. JAMA Netw Open.2018;1(6):e183605. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.3605Janssens, G.E., Molenaars, M., Herzog, K. et al. A conserved complex lipid signature marks human muscle aging and responds to short-term exercise. Nat Aging 4, 681–693 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43587-024-00595-2
Monty Montano, Krisann K. Oursler, Vincent C. Marconi, Healthy aging: Linking causal mechanisms with holistic outcomes, Aging Cell, 10.1111/acel.14065, 23, 1, (2023).
Kennedy G, Hardman RJ, Macpherson H, Scholey AB, Pipingas A. How Does Exercise Reduce the Rate of Age-Associated Cognitive Decline? A Review of Potential Mechanisms. J Alzheimers Dis. 2017;55(1):1-18. doi: 10.3233/JAD-160665. PMID: 27636853.
Singh B, Olds T, Curtis R, et alEffectiveness of physical activity interventions for improving depression, anxiety and distress: an overview of systematic reviewsBritish Journal of Sports Medicine 2023;57:1203-1209.
Childs E, de Wit H. Regular exercise is associated with emotional resilience to acute stress in healthy adults. Front Physiol. 2014 May 1;5:161. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2014.00161. PMID: 24822048; PMCID: PMC4013452.
https://health.gov/sites/default/files/2019-09/Physical_Activity_Guidelines_2nd_edition.pdf
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.121.058162
Dong Hoon Lee, ScDhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-1329-4637 [email protected], Leandro F.M. Rezende, ScDhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-7469-1399, Hee-Kyung Joh, MD, PhD, NaNa Keum, ScD, Gerson Ferrari, PhD, Juan Pablo Rey-Lopez, PhD, Eric B. Rimm, ScD, Fred K. Tabung, PhD, and Edward L. Giovannucci, MD, ScDAUTHOR INFO & AFFILIATIONS, Circulation Volume 146, Number 7 https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.121.058162
For all parents preparing their children for their next year of school, whether at home or in the classroom, you can take a few practical steps to ensure your son or daughter has the best year ahead of them. Are you maximizing your child’s potential, or are there some missing pieces that can help them achieve better health and success?
Keeping your child Focused with the right foods
Concentration and focus are lacking in children, often due to dietary imbalances and malnourishment. Children need their healthy protein and fats to thrive while limiting their carbohydrates and sugar intake. They often miss key nutrients that help the brain and nerves perform well. There are several tactics to use to give your child a winning edge. Some hidden ingredients can wreak havoc on your children including all artificial dyes and flavors, as well as many of the common cooking oils. The only oils a child should consume as foods are the following: Avocado, coconut, beef tallow, olive oil, cold-pressed pumpkin seed oil, and grass-fed butter. With more than 10,000 chemical additives used in our foods and supplements, it is paramount you learn to read every food label and stay vigilant for the sake of your child’s well-being and future.
Exercise more: Encourage your child to move and play. They have been sitting at a desk for the better part of the day, and they need to get the blood circulating. This is no different than our own needs when we are sitting at a desk all day at our jobs. Workout together! This can be as simple as riding a bike, going for long walks, or playing sports with your children.
Less screen time before bed: The artificial light and stimulation from phones, PCs, and TVs have proven to disrupt children’s sleep and quality of rest, this can interfere with their ability to learn and retain information. Eat nutrient-rich whole foods, and avoid junk food, fast food, and processed ingredients. We are what we eat! We must teach our children this important lesson early on and be an example of this for them to follow.
Use Herbs that support calm and focus: Hops and Chamomile are particularly important because they have been used traditionally and are well tolerated. Hops acts as a mild sedative to curb hyperactivity and chamomile soothes the nerves as well as the gut, (think Gut/Brain connection). When children are in a relaxed environment, both outside and on the inside, they can think and problem-solve more effectively.
Key Nutrients for maximizing classroom performance
Children have many nutritional needs! From early on, they must receive the right amounts of essential nutrients to thrive and compete with their classmates. If malnourishment is present, illness and brain fog are the results. When there are other sick children around, only the well-nourished ones can hope to avoid the ailment that is circulating.
Vitamin A- This is a forgotten and underappreciated Immune System nourisher. Vitamin A makes the Immune System stronger and more efficient. This Vitamin also acts as a powerful antioxidant. Most vitamin A is synthetic and difficult to absorb, which is why food-based vitamin A (Retinol) is the most effective route for your child. Real vitamin A will also support the health of the eyes, liver, and skin, in addition to bolstering immune health. The best food sources are wild-caught salmon, grass-fed beef liver, and egg yolk.
Vitamin C- Probably the most well-known vitamin for Immune support. It is often used in its synthetic form, ascorbic acid, which is often a chemical reaction of sulfuric acid and GMO corn starch. Do we want our children to be taking this?! Let’s instead look at food sources that contain the complete vitamin C profile and can be quickly absorbed by the body. A top source of vitamin C we love is the Peruvian Camu Camu berry. Did you know it has 40X the vitamin C of an orange?! This popular nutrient also supports blood vessel integrity, oral health, and bones. The #1 sign of C deficiency is bleeding gums. Lastly, it is a crucial component of collagen formation. It too is an antioxidant in its own right, supporting the health of every cell in the body. Don’t be shy about giving your children this critical nutrient, they need large amounts every day through food and supplementation. Real vitamin C is what the body recognizes and every cell readily uses.
Vitamin D- This is a crucial source of Immune Support and unlike the other vitamins, D is a hormone and hormone signaler. Vitamin D regulates the expression of more than 2,500 genes! It is involved in energy metabolism, and mineral homeostasis, or balance. We get the majority of our vitamin D from the Sun, but for those of us living in the Northern Hemisphere, we lose about 150 minutes of daylight from September to December. As exposure to the sun becomes limited, so does our vitamin D intake. Once again, the majority of the options are synthetically made, and children need food sources to get the most out of this nutrient. There are only a few of them available, and we recommend wild-caught salmon as well as high-quality mushrooms to supply yourself through the colder months. More than half of the population lacks the necessary amount! Also, if your child has a darker complexion due to higher melanin in the skin, it is harder for them to absorb sunlight, so make sure you and your children are well nourished. It is no accident that those with lower vitamin D levels are more likely to fall ill in the Fall and Winter.
Magnesium- No other nutrient is involved in as many benefits for the human body as Magnesium. Indeed, this master mineral is a necessary co-enzyme for more than 650 biochemical reactions in our bodies! Examples of these are nerve impulses, muscle contractions, protein synthesis, blood pressure regulation, blood sugar regulation, proper digestion, relaxation of the nerves and muscles, insulin metabolism, nerve transmission, DNA synthesis, and building up the body’s energy stores, just to name a few. About half the population, conservatively, is deficient. Starting at age 9, children begin to need more than 240 mg daily. By age 14, girls need 360 mg daily and boys require 410mg. These levels are actually higher than the adult recommendations. This illustrates how crucial it is for developing children to receive adequate intake amounts, each day. Supplementation is often necessary, as it is difficult to receive adequate intake amounts in food alone. The top food source is pumpkin seeds, we recommend raw sources. Austrian Pumpkin seed powder is even more nutritious and easier to absorb.
#1 Herb for Supporting Children’s Immunity - Oregano, Oregano, Oregano!
Our creator has supplied us with many plants that support the immune system. None of them are as vitally important as oregano, specifically wild mountain oregano, which was used as a traditional medicine going back thousands of years by the ancient Greeks and Romans. There are 80+ species of this plant, all with different properties, and our research at NAHS determined that 4 species have the best effects on our health. Wild oregano supplies an abundance of antioxidants, some 100x more than blueberries, gram for gram. Support the immune system, digestive tract, respiratory health, skincare, liver, and inflammation response all in one powerful bottle. Most oregano oils can be too strong for children and not containing the correct source. Companies frequently state they are not to be taken daily. Certain children’s wild oregano formulas can be used from birth and beyond! It can also be rubbed on the spines, shins, and bottoms of the feet to support optimal immunity, directly through their porous regions. Oregano herb and oil is a perfect addition to food and drink. Beware of cheap imitations and opt for the wild, daily-use, children-friendly formulas.
Ms. Judy Gray, Master of Science in Nutrition, has authored an important book for parents, titled Kid’s Need Care. In this volume, she explains everything you need to know about raising strong, healthy, nourished children, from the earliest stages of life up to adolescence. This book will help you also.
Here are a few important quotes from Miss Gray:
“The community environment plus the care and training given at home are the foundation of a child’s world.”
“Without the proper nourishment, there will be failure to thrive.”
“Food is the major source of nourishment. Therefore, it should provide energy, growth factors, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, enzymes, fiber, and more.”
“Pure, natural food source supplements are always the most beneficial.”
“For those who think they cannot afford healthy food, remember this: it is better to eat small quantities of excellent food than huge amounts of poor food.”
Citations:
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminA-HealthProfessional/
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-HealthProfessional/
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/
