Antioxidants, we hear about them all the time. I even saw a commercial for pop that was advertising antioxidants in the hope that consumers would think it was good for you.  Don’t fall for that one, it’s still pop.

This is the second installment of my series on supplementation and its importance to you and your health.  In case you haven’t figured it out yet, we’re talking about antioxidants. Antioxidant has become quite the buzzword in the last few years and I hope to give you enough information for you to understand why that is.

So, Spokane do you know? Why are antioxidants important? What are antioxidants anyway? Where do they come from and how do they work?

What are Antioxidants and Why are They Important?

Have you ever cut an apple in half and left it on the counter?  What happens, it turns brown, right?  Well, if you took that same apple and put lemon juice on one half the lemon juice would keep the apple from turning brown.

That, in effect, is what antioxidants do for your body. They surround your cells like medieval armor and keep them protected from the free radicals that surround us and attack our cells. It’s basically an oxidation process that not only ages us faster but keeps our bodies from functioning to their full potential.

That is why you are constantly bombarded with commercials touting the benefits of antioxidants in everything from face cream to soda pop.

Where do Antioxidants Come From and How Can I Know I’m Getting Them?

Antioxidants generally come from food sources in the form of some common fruits and veggies, like grapes, spinach and broccoli to name a few.  You may have even heard of them…Vitamin C and beta-carotene are two that come to mind.

Now, granted you can get them in the foods you eat but probably not enough to protect your cells to the degree they need to be protected.  This is why I would recommend finding a good antioxidant supplement.

What to Look for in an Antioxidant

What to look for, what to look for…well, there are a few things.

• The source of the antioxidants in the supplement
• The reputation of the company producing it
• The ORAC value (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity)

Once again, do your research and get Spokane Fitness advice from someone who knows.  In the Spokane area, I’d recommend talking to Zach at Physzique in Liberty Lake.  His first concern is helping you find ways to get and stay healthy through exercise, eating right and doing what’s best for your body.

It’s the only one you have, you know.  It’s important to take good care of it.

We are beginning our last installment on supplementation and we’re going to talk about Essential Oils. I have to tell you, I am absolutely nuts about essential oils (pun intended), adding them into my diet has gone a long way toward improving my health and wellness.  These components are, as the name implies, essential.  In order for our brain, muscles and other organs to function properly we need these oils in our body.

Though you may not notice a huge difference in the way you feel when you take these important supplements, they can make a vast difference in your everyday life. Here’s how:

• You will see an improvement in your HDL or “good” cholesterol
• You will see a noticeable difference in your skin’s appearance and elasticity
• You will often find yourself in a better mood
• Losing fat will become easier
• If you have problems with acne, this will be improved as well
• Your brain will function better
• Your other organs will work more efficiently

Important Facts About Essential Oils

Essential oils consist of fatty acids like Omega 3’s (linolenic acids), Omega 6’s (linoleic acids) and Omega 9’s (oleic acids). Something you should know about essential oils is that while our body needs them, we cannot produce them.  So, we have to find ways to get them through the foods we eat and supplementation.

Good Food Sources of Essential Oils

Here are some great ways to improve your diet with essential oils.  I always think it’s fun when you can eat your way to better health (but I am a bit of a foodie with chef friends, so that could have something to do with it.)

• Eating fatty fish, like Salmon
• Incorporating nuts, seeds and nut butters into your diet (I LOVE pumpkin seeds)
• Eating good, healthy oils like first cold pressed Olive Oil for example
• Choosing whole grain breads (make sure you read the labels)

An expert in the field of nutrition, Audrey Sommerfeld of ViSalus Sciences, says you should always eat lots of colorful foods and avoid the “beige, processed foods”.  Oh, and just to clarify, ketchup, though colorful, is not a food group.

Personally, I would recommend finding a good supplement source for essential oils.  I actually take supplements that include all of the components I have talked about and then some. Make sure ALL the essential oils are in it, not just one. It’s important that your body get all of them and you don’t want to be taking 7 different capsules just for your oils.

How to Learn More

Great sources of information can be found online, in health food stores, from nutritionists or distributors of high quality supplements and let’s not forget, your local personal trainer.  My trainer, Zach Hunt, at Physzique in Spokane is not only excellent at helping people get into shape, he is also a good resource for finding your way through the supplement minefield.  There are many supplements to choose from and not all of them are good or effective.

You can also find great oil blends in health food stores, one of my favorites is Udo’s Oil which is a little pricey, but well worth the expense. Don’t just take my word for it though, make sure you know what you are getting! Do your research and don’t be afraid to ask questions, it’s important and you only get one body. Do your best to take care of it.

What you must know about Supplements in Spokane WA….

With the current wellness shift*, and if you don’t know what I’m talking about I’ll explain, many people are focusing on supplementation.  Supplementation is important not only for your general health, but in contributing to weight loss as well. However, there is an enormous amount of information out there and if you aren’t educated in nutrition or do not have experience or good advice when it comes to choosing supplements, you could be throwing your money away.

So, if you’ll pardon the weight loss pun…here’s the skinny on supplements.  I’m actually going to break this into three parts due to the vast amount of information and we’re going to start with vitamin/mineral supplements.

The Skinny on Supplementation

As most everyone knows, our bodies need proper nutrition to function well.  What many may not realize is that through genetic modification (of food, not people), processing to extend “shelf life”, pesticides and other lovely things that ”happen” to the food we consume, our bodies are not getting the complete nutrition they need.

Here’s another scary fact: the nutraceutical industry isn’t regulated.  I’m going to let that sink in a minute….not regulated.

What that means to us regular folks, is that manufacturers can use whatever component they want, whether it works or not, slap a label on it, and get you to pay for it.  Why? Because companies realize how very uneducated people are in regards to this! If it looks like a vitamin and smells like a vitamin, it must be a vitamin. Wrong!

Shopping for Supplements in Spokane

So, now that you have enough information to be dangerous, let me give you some quick tips for supplement shopping.

• ALWAYS make sure it’s chelated (I’ll explain that in a minute)
• Research reputable companies
• Don’t expect people at retail vitamin stores to know everything
• Larger amounts don’t equal better deals

Okay, chelated (key-lay-ted).  As a general rule, our bodies do not absorb minerals.  For a good vitamin/mineral supplement to work it needs to be chelated.  Chelation means that the minerals are attached to an amino acid, which your body recognizes and absorbs.

So, where you get about 2-3% absorption in a vitamin /mineral that isn’t chelated, your absorption rate can climb as high as 40-50% with the right supplement.  If you buy a supplement that is not chelated, you are literally sending your investment down the toilet.

Research reputable companies.  The reason I say this is the aforementioned lack of regulation in this industry.  Do your due diligence and make sure you know what they stand behind.  Are they willing to refund your money if it doesn’t work? What moved them to put that formula together in the first place? What kind of laboratory do they create them in? Where do their ingredients come from, do they even know the answer to that question?  Big questions, I know, but when it involves your health there are no shortcuts.

The reason I said not to expect retail salespeople to know everything is, they are there to sell you a product, ANY product.  They will rarely know the ins and outs of every product and company they carry.  Be smart, you only have one body; there are no do-overs.

Okay, last but not least, buying in bulk isn’t always better. I love big warehouse stores as much as the next person, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you are getting the best product. Here’s an example…a certain store sells gummy vitamins for kids. The nutritional value in ONE children’s vitamin from the company I get my supplements through is equal to…get this, four and a half POUNDS of those gummy “vitamins”. So, while those might be cheaper and come in bigger packages, it doesn’t mean they’re a better deal.

To sum it up, pay attention to what you are buying. Do your research and make sure it’s right for you and if you have questions, talk to people who know like Zach at Physzique. He can help you get the skinny on supplements in Spokane WA and head you in the right direction for your own wellness.

*The wellness shift is the change in mindset from reacting to what’s wrong to being proactive and taking steps to prevent issues with our bodies in the first place.