Sleep...the common missing link.

The key (and often missing) ingredient in maintaining and sustaining a healthful lifestyle is the quality of sleep you're getting or not getting. For athletes and individuals where exhaustive physical exertion is a day to day routine this is even more crucial as your body's immunological and repair functioning is at it's peak while in deep sleep. Without adequate rest and sleep hygiene, you are putting yourself at a disadvantage to not only grow muscle tissue but repair the tissue you've been breaking down in workouts. This equates to decreased strength, stamina and power as well as an increased chance of injury while working out. You likely have a dental hygiene routine, so do yourself and the hard time you put in at the gym a favor and follow these simple rules for proper sleep hygiene as recommended by the Life Extension Foundation:

Getting a good night’s sleep starts with good sleep hygiene.
Experts recommend the following:

Go to bed and rise at the same times every day, even on weekends.
Maintain a bedtime routine, doing the same (relaxing) activities every night.
Do not use the bed for anything but sleep and sex.
Sleep in a dark, quiet room. If necessary, mask ambient noises with a fan or other “white-noise” generator. Or try earplugs.
If you have not fallen asleep after 30 minutes, get up and sit quietly in another room. Do not fret about your lack of sleep. After 20 minutes, retire to bed again. Repeat as necessary. Known as stimulus control therapy, this approach to falling asleep helps reassociate the bedroom with restful sleep rather than stress over lack of sleep.
Avoid caffeine, tobacco, and alcohol in the hours preceding bedtime.
Exercise routinely during the day to improve onset and quality of sleep.
Avoid napping during the day.

Could Eating More Healthy Fats Help You LOSE Weight?

Extrapolated from a VERY recent and VERY pertinent article by Dr. Mercola. "...if you cut carbs from your diet, you need to add fat. The Atkins Diet is one popular example of the theory that you can lose weight on a low-carb, high-fat diet. Unfortunately, Dr. Atkins did not pay much attention to the QUALITY of the fats so his recommendations did work but had long-term problems. Remember, eating fat does not raise your insulin levels; eating grains and sugars does.

So, if you want to lower your insulin levels and reduce fat accumulation, simply cut the amount of grains and sugars you eat; NOT vegetable carbs. .You actually need to radically increase the amount of vegetables you eat as you need to replace the grains with vegetable carbs and by volume they are much larger than dense grains.

But you do need energy, and this is where the fat comes in.

Saturated fat is actually the preferred fuel for your heart, and it's also used as a source of fuel during energy expenditure. Fats also slows down absorption of your meal so that you feel satiated longer, which in and of itself can help you shed some pounds if your problem is frequent snacking due to constant hunger. In addition, saturated fats are also:

Carriers for important fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, and required for the conversion of carotene to vitamin A, for mineral absorption, and for a host of other biological processes
Useful antiviral agents (caprylic acid)
Effective as an anticaries, antiplaque and anti fungal agents (lauric acid)
Useful to actually lower cholesterol levels (palmitic and stearic acids)
Modulators of genetic regulation and prevent cancer (butyric acid)
As you can see, eliminating saturated fats from your diet can have a significantly detrimental impact on your health. Grain carbs, on the other hand, can actually be eliminated from your diet entirely, without any ill effect! Sources of healthy fats include:

Olives and Olive oil
Coconuts and coconut oil
Butter made from raw grass-fed organic milk
Raw Nuts, such as, almonds or pecans
Organic pastured egg yolks
Avocados
Grass fed meats
Palm oil
Unheated organic nut oils
Keep in mind, however, that olive oil should NOT be used for cooking. Instead, use coconut oil for cooking, frying and baking, and save the olive oil for salad dressing. Also, if you need to increase calories you will need large amounts of these types of fats. When I am in need of fat, I increase my intake of healthy fats. I typically combine four tablespoons of raw butter with coconut oil and some chia seed powder and a scoop of Pure Power Protein, and it is an absolutely delicious snack that fills me up for some time.

Lastly, another healthful fat you want to be mindful of is animal-based omega-3. Deficiency in this essential fat can cause or contribute to very serious health problems, both mental and physical, and may be a significant underlying factor of up to 96,000 premature deaths each year." - Dr. Mercola.

Green Super Smoothie!

Let this nutritious blend of organic foods, roots, herbs and superfoods empower your blender daily!

Some of the ingredients used in my Super Green Smoothie:
coconut milk
raw cacao powder
goji berry
coconut butter
fossilized phytoplankton
spirulina
agave immune support formula
cold-processed whey protein
cinnamon
cayenne
raw vanilla bean powder
maca powder
mushroom-immune POW-der (shiatake, maitake, reishi blend)
barley grass
wheat grass
spinach
acai
bee pollen
cholorella
flax seed
astragalus
green tea
sea kelp
FoTi
pygeum
royal jelly
dulse
ginger
nettle
acerola cherry
strawberries and raspberries
alflafa
broccoli sprout
an array of pre and pro-biotics, and digestive enzymes.
Plus a lot more!!
Experiment with your own version and see what you like.
To your health. Enjoy!!

(Note: many listed here are available in a formula called "Greens Today", and the others I have added separately. =)

Kale and Avocado Salad

Brilliant and Simple salad, makes a nice change from the regular, garden variety, mixed green salad.

Kale and Avocado Salad:

1-2 bunches of Kale (OR Whole Foods does a pre-packed, washed, chopped kale salad mix which is perfect)
1 ripe avocado
EVOO
himalayan salt (to taste... a little goes a long way, so be careful!)
1-2 ripe heirloom tomatoes or grape tomatoes sliced.
olives (optional)
1 bunch scallions diced (optional)
shredded carrots (optional)
juice of 1 lemon
pepper to taste (optional)

Chop kale into small pieces, drizzle the EVOO onto the kale and sprinkle a bit of salt onto it and massage it a good 2 minutes..
add in the avocado and massage it onto the kale leaves
add additional chopped toamtoes, scallions, olives and mix well
add lemon juice and mix all together.

serve and enjoy!

ESSENTIAL Supplement Spotlight: PQQ

Mitochondrial dysfunction. Yes, it's VERY real and YES it's happening to all of us. In fact, it's the primary cause of age-related decline. Mitochondria are found in every cell of our bodies, and you need a LOT of them considering the trillions of cells we have in our bodies. Basically it's the Energy Generator for all cellular functioning. They're the reason you're here reading this!

A recent study showed that the muscle tissue of a 90 year old man contained 95% DAMAGED mitochondria compared to almost 0 damage in a 5 year old. Mitochondria is responsible for the synthesis of energy production on a cellular level. Diminished and damaged mitochondria leads to a myriad of health abnormalities including cancer, stroke and heart disease...the big 3. Is it any coincidence then, that the lifestyles of most people today ensure that they are on a disastrous path towards cellular DNA malfunctioning?
We've known now for several decades several anti-oxidative nutrients that protect the cellular mitochondria from loss and dysfunction, including:

CO-enzyme Q 10 (COQ10), Alpha Lipoic Acid, and L-Carnitine. Most of us that are longevity enthusiasts have been taking these for years, however a remarkable new compound has been shown recently in studies to actually GENERATE NEW Mitochondria and not merely repair them. Essentially GROWING FRESH MITOCHONDRIA!! This powerful new mechanism provides us with unprescedented control over the destructive aging process.
This substance, PQQ (pyrroloquinoline quinone) protects and augments delicate mitochondrial structures to promote youthful cellular function in three distinct ways:

Antioxidant power. Like CoQ10, PQQ is a highly potent antioxidant. Its extraordinary molecular stability enables it to facilitate thousands of biochemical reactions in the mitochondria without breaking down, for maximum antioxidant and bioenergetic support.

Favorably modulates gene expression. PQQ activates genes that promote formation of new mitochondria—and beneficially interacts with genes directly involved in mitochondrial health. These same genes also support healthy body weight, normal fat and sugar metabolism, and youthful cellular proliferation.

Mitochondrial defense. Mitochondria possess their own DNA, distinct from the DNA contained in the nucleus. Unfortunately, compared to nuclear DNA, the DNA housed within each mitochondrion is relatively unprotected. PQQ's antioxidant potency and favorable gene expression profile act to support mitochondrial defense.

PQQ is an Essential Nutrient, meaning your body cannot make it on its own. A growing body of research indicates that PQQ's unique nutritional profile supports heart health and cognitive function—alone and in combination with CoQ10. This comes as no surprise, given how much energy these vital organs need.

For the first time EVER we have access to this novel compound to generate BRAND NEW Mitochondria.
This is VERY exciting news indeed!

For Longer Life
J.J.M.

A Very Paleo T-Giving!

No need to stuff your gob with a lotta crap like the rest of America this Thanksgiving, be the difference and the change and try a few of these recipes that'll leave you satisfied without a hungover feeling due to a carb/sugar insulin overload! Plus they're delicious! Turkey, Yams, dressing.. all the usual but only better!

http://everydaypaleo.com/2010/11/15/thanksgiving-recipes-and-everyday-paleo-pumpkin-pie-cooking-demo/

Point Blank to Dr. Andrew Weil. Cut out the CRAP!

Why Dr. Weil are you overweight? I have a hard time listening to someone about health and wellness when they themselves haven't mastered their leptin signaling hormone to the hypothalamus saying "quit storing fat"! You eat many carbs, startches, soy and grains as you tout those on your website often as "healthy" (which they aren't at all) , and that is likely the culprit of your not being able to lose. Kick grains and all carbs (save cruciferous veggies and some fruit) out of your diet and up your healthy fat intake by leaps and bounds and you'll likely drop those extra pounds.