What the Heck is CoQ10, and Do We Need to Take it?
Having been a health care practitioner for almost ten years now, I have had my fair share of experience with vitamins, minerals, juices, special powders, superfoods, and dietary supplements in general. I have done it all, from making the daily breakfast smoothie chock full of protein and vitamin powders, to taking a combination of seven or eight vitamins a day, so I know how tedious it can be. I found myself thinking, why can’t I just take a Flintstones chewable like I used to give my daughter? But of course, there is no easy fix or magic pill for a healthy lifestyle.
There is, however, Coenzyme Q10, or CoQ10.
CoQ10 is a key nutrient in boosting your cells’ energy levels. Found in every single cell, your body naturally produces CoQ10, but at the age of about 25, the level of production decreases dramatically. Some nutritionists believe that this change in production contributes to a decline in mental and physical energy that a lot of people in their 30s and beyond notice.
Cellular energy is directly linked to so many aspects of health, it’s no surprise to learn that CoQ10 is commonly used in treatment for heart conditions, diabetes, migraines, muscular dystrophy, and many other conditions. Additionally, CoQ10 has been shown to strengthen the immune system and even fight breast cancer. There’s even being research done right now studying the effects of CoQ10 on lifespan and longevity.
One way to incorporate more CoQ10 into your life is through meals. Foods such as spinach, broccoli, peanuts, wheat germ, and eggs are great sources, along with whole grains and the heart, liver, and meat of beef, lamb, and pork. However, as much as I personally prefer to get my nutrients form whole foods, it’s important to note that eating these foods is not usually a sufficient substitute for taking a supplement, so you should consider including both into your healthy habits.
From the research being done, it seems like everyone over 25 should be taking a CoQ10 supplement, even if you already have a healthy diet and lifestyle. In addition to aging, smoking also decreases your body’s ability to produce CoQ10, so smokers should be sure to get their hands on some CoQ10.
CoQ10 is a great addition to your anti-aging arsenal, and can boost your day-to-day energy on a cellular level. I know I’ll definitely be trying it out!
“This entry has been posted as part of Prevention Not Prescriptions Tuesday hosted by The Kathleen Show” Click here and check it out!
What Does an Anti-Inflammation Diet Have to do With Longevity?
So many people are looking for that special diet that will change everything about the way they look and feel, but I’ve started to notice that most of the diets out there are more like programs rather than lifestyle changes, focusing on a quick fix, and not long-term health.
However, in the search for a comprehensively anti-aging lifestyle, I’m hearing more and more people talking about the role of an anti-inflammation diet. I found it a little odd that there were no really concrete rules or regimens, such as a gluten-free diet or a açai super-fruit diet, so I asked myself what, exactly, does “anti-inflammation” mean when it comes to our food and the way that it interacts with our body?
As it turns out, all food can be divided into three categories based on how they affect us on a cellular level: pro-inflammatory, neutral, or anti-inflammatory. By choosing an anti-inflammatory diet, not only can we slow down the affects of aging on our cells, but also fight against heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s.
The good news is that anti-inflammatory foods are easy to find and delicious to use. For example, whole grains, all kinds of beans, and nuts and seeds are all great anti-inflammatory foods. Even better news? Natural dark chocolate and red wine are also anti-inflammatory, and high in antioxidants, and can slow down the affects of aging.
Another really important thing to include in your anti-aging diet is a variety of richly colored fruits and veggies, especially cabbage, onions, and garlic.
Doctor Andrew Weil, creator of the Anti-Inflammatory food pyramid (http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART02995/Dr-Weil-Anti-Inflammatory-Food-Pyramid.html), says, “Following an anti-inflammatory diet can help counteract the chronic inflammation that is a root cause of many serious diseases, including those that become more frequent as people age. It is a way of selecting and preparing foods based on science that can help people achieve and maintain optimum health over their lifetime.” With that in mind, here are a few recipes that are high in anti-inflammatory foods, not to mention really tasty.
Recipes from: The Anti-Inflammation Diet and Recipe Book by Jessica K Black, N.D.
Five Minute Breakfast (can’t beat that, and it’s a warm breakfast too)
1 cup leftover cooked brown rice
¼ teaspoon cinnamon powder
1/8 cup raisins
¼ cup chopped walnuts
¼ cup sunflower seeds
½ cup rice milk or almond milk or other milk alternative
1/2 teaspoon maple syrup (optional)
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan on the stove. Add milk to cover the rice for a cereal consistency. Warm over moderate heat to desired temperature and serve.
Serves 2
Nutritional Information:
370.5 calories~11 g protien~40.7g Carb~5.2 g fiber~20.4 g total fat-This recipe is chock full of nutritional value, Omega 3’s, folate, and remember cinnamon is great for regulating blood sugar.
Dianne’s Personal note:
I started doing this with my leftover brown rice years ago and found it such a great alternative to oatmeal. (I still love oatmeal, but great for a change)
Substitutions:
Any nuts and seeds you like and you have on hand. I also really like dried cranberries instead of raisins..
Quinoa Vegetable Salad (this can be for lunch or dinner)
2 cups leftover cooked boneless, skinless chicken, cubed
1 cup cooked quinoa or 1/3 cup dried quinoa
1 medium apple, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium carrot, shredded
¼ cup walnuts
1/3-cup raisins
1 ½ tablespoons organic mayonnaise (w/ no preservatives or hydrogenated oils)
4 large lettuce leaves (for serving)
If dried, cook quinoa according to directions
Toss all ingredients together, and serve chilled over lettuce leaves.
Serves 4.
Nutritional Information:
284 calories~20.8 g protien~31g carbs~3.7g fiber~9.4 total fat
Quinoa is a high-energy grain and a complete protein. It contains more calcium than milk.
Substitutions:
You can substitute many different kinds of chopped fruits, nuts or raw vegetable. You can use cooked or canned salmon in place of chicken, or just completely leave meat out.
Dianne’s Personal Note:
I would add scallions, zucchini, avocado and I would prefer to leave out the mayo and add olive oil and lime juice. Just my personal preference.
I hope that you gained a little insight about how an Anti-Inflammation Diet can affect the aging process… Please leave a comment and let me know.
“This entry has been posted as part of Prevention Not Prescriptions Tuesday hosted by The Kathleen Show” Please check it out here!
Am I Too Old To Become a Famous Salsa Dancer?
Well I think my days of Treadmills and Elliptical Machines are OVER!!!
I just got back from a new “exercise” class that I absolutely LOVED! It is called Zumba!
Zumba class was a absolute blast. The hour flew by and by the end of class a was soaked in sweat and had a HUGE smile on my face! It was just so much darn fun, it felt more like a dance party than a “workout” class.
What the heck is Zumba?
So for those of you who have not heard of Zumba, it is a Latin music and dance infused exercise routine. It is high energy and everyone in the class is having an awesome time.
I spoke to one of the “regulars” in the class today who has been doing it for quite awhile, and she is completely hooked and said that our teacher today was one of the best in town, yay for me. There are several exercise clubs in town that offer Zumba and she informed me of all the good teachers to follow and which clubs they taught in and what times. I’m all set.
This is what the official Zumba website had to say: “The Zumba® program fuses hypnotic Latin rhythms and easy-to-follow moves to create a one-of-a-kind fitness program that will blow you away. Our goal is simple: We want you to want to work out, to love working out, to get hooked. Zumba® Fanatics achieve long-term benefits while experiencing an absolute blast in one exciting hour of calorie-burning, body-energizing, awe-inspiring movements meant to engage and captivate for life!”
Celebrity fitness trainer, “Beto” Perez, stumbled upon the concept of Latin-inspired dance-fitness in his native Cali, Colombia in the mid-‘90s. He first brought Zumba to the states in 1999 and his success has just swept the nation and the world.
I am so very glad to have found a new form of exercise and movement that I can incorporate into my life and look forward to. How about you, do you have any fun favorite ways to move and get physical? I would love to hear from you, so please leave your comments below. I am always looking for new ways to have fun exercising, thanks.
Here is a sample class that I found on You tube, but I think our class was having even more fun 
! Enjoy!
Be Well and Live Well, Dianne
Do You Want to Know the Benefits of Walking? Join Me For a Walk in the Park!
Just a couple of notes about walking:
Walking, which is one of my favorite things to do, really offers quite a wide variety of benefits and very little risk. Trust me, not a big chance of getting shin splints, torn muscles or ligaments from walking.
- It’s easy, it’s inexpensive and it can basically be done anywhere!
- Did you know that it burns the same amount of calories per mile than running? Of course with running, you can get more miles in, in the same amount of time.
Here are some tips:
Walk briskly, but start slowly.
Just like with any new activity, you want to start slowly and build up over time. So only you can be the best judge as to what that means. 10 minutes is better than NO minutes. Do try to walk as briskly as you can. You will want to build to a rate of about 15-20 minute miles, (3-4miles/hour).
Bring a friend
Anytime I walk with a friend, the time flies by. It’s more fun, the time goes by more quickly and there is some accountability when you make a commitment with a friend.
Buy a pedometer.
This is a great way to track your steps. You can also keep a log of your walking progress to start seeing your improvements over time.
Oh the benefits.
In the short term, walking will help you burn some calories, improve your energy and give you clearer thinking. Over the long term, walking will help lower your blood pressure, help improve your cholesterol, lower your risk for osteoporosis and may even reduce the discomfort from arthritis.
So if you enjoy it, consider making walking part of your overall lifestyle habits.
Additional resource: Realage.com
Cold Winter Months = Dry Itchy Skin
Is your skin exceptionally dry this winter? If you’re like me, it is.
As we age, our skin naturally loses moisture and becomes drier. Unfortunately, that becomes even worse in the winter. As the temperatures outside get cold and dry, the heat in your home gets cranked up; combined, these things result in our skin getting robbed of moisture and feeling sucked dry.
What I want to do today is share with you ways to keep your skin replenished with moisture to minimize the effects of the cold winter months.
- I know nothing feels as good as a long hot shower or bath when it’s cold outside. I certainly enjoy them. However, what’s happening during the hot shower or bath is the hot water is breaking down the natural oils on your skin leading to greater loss of moisture. It is recommended that you take a luke-warm shower or bath instead. If you can’t even begin to accept this idea, just make your hot shower of bath brief instead.
- Speaking of showers and baths, directly after is the best time to moisturize as the pores are still slightly open and the skin is still damp, both of which will help to absorb your moisturizer.
- As for moisturizers, now is the time to think oils! As the seasons change so too should your moisturizer. Find a moisturizer that’s oil based rather than water based as the oil can create a protective barrier to help you retain moisture. Choose “non-clogging” oils such as avocado oil, almond oil and vitamin E oil. I have included a homemade moisturizer recipe below. Feel free to moisturize 2-3 times per day, I do at least twice per day and occasionally more. You can probably also add one of these to your favorite moisturizer.
- If you are used to exfoliating daily, slow it down. Exfoliating can help smooth out skin and get rid of dry flakes and patches, but it can also eliminate the natural oils on your face and body. Try decreasing this practice to just once or twice per week at the most.
- “Stop licking your lips…” I can’t tell you how many times I had to tell my poor daughter that the other day when we were out shopping. When our lips are dry, there’s a natural tendency to want to lick them. This actually helps dry them out even more. A simple lip balm will help protect your lips from the cold dry air, apply often. My cousin Carole has always simply used Vaseline. She puts it in a small tub and carries it around with her everywhere; she swears by that stuff! Read more
