Holidays. How did your body feel after Thanksgiving? If you felt great, then bravo, you're one of the lucky ones! Celebrate whatever you did. If you're like many of us, you may want to try some different strategies for the rest of the Holidays! If so, read on!

Your New Best Friends! First off, let's look at what make us feel good, whether it's the Holidays or anytime of the year. What is the one thing we all want as much as possible of? Energy. Our personal energy is the foundation for everything! Literally everything that we think, speak and act on takes energy! Where does that energy come from? Many of us would say, air, food and water. Ok great start! What's next? Is it magic that turns your food into usable energy for your brain, and body to function? What do we know a about the process? 

It turns out we know a lot about the amazing things occurring in each of your cells every second of everyday! Do you know about your personal production of ATP? ATP stands for Adenosine Triphospphate, and it's your primary ingredient in every aspect of your metabolism! 

Therefore ATP is your basic source of energy.  And the good news is that you don't need to know all the details about how it happens, because you have over a Quadrillion "friends" in you body that specialize in producing ATP for you. Who are these friends? You guessed it, Mitochondria. Yes your Mighty-chondria are literally your best friends that you've never seen, and probably barely know about. Isn't life amazing!

What is my Mitochondria? These tiny beauties operate in every single one of our cells and are our "ultimate transformers". These DNA-packed dynamos are taking the nutrients that you put in your body and converting them into energy to be used moment by moment. Your Mitochondria are literally the "power plants" inside your cells.

Here's what the brilliant researcher Sayer Ji wrote about your Mitochondria: "Mitochondria are known as the "powerhouse" of the cell because they are responsible for producing the body’s primary source of chemical energy: adenosine triphosphate (ATP), but they are also intimately involved in a wide range of other indispensable cellular functions, e.g. neurotransmitter, hormone and RNA/DNA production, which is all the more fascinating considering that they have their own bacteria-like DNA ring completely foreign to our own."

East meets West. Your Mitochondria are potent little beings that not only give you your personal energy, they also unite leading-edge Western Medical Science with the ancient wisdom of Eastern Medicine! They both agree: these potent little engines of energy production are the fountainhead of your energy and vitality! Every second of every day, they are producing your "energy", your "chi", your "prana", your "life-force". The ancient cultures of China and India had very detailed instructions and practices for keeping your "life-force" clear and strong!

If your chi level is high, you could say that your "Mighty-chondria" are operating on all eight cylinders! If your mood and attitude is highly positive, you can rest assured that your "prana" is potent! Although these foreign words might sound woo-woo to some people, the overall concept is really not. These are principles that have stood the test of time in millions of people's lives, and recently Western Science developed the exact same concept, just with more biological details. Whether you use the words from the East or the West doesn't matter. What matters is your personal ability to be happy and vibrantly engaged in the beauty of Life! And this can only happen in conjunction with a healthy state of “Good Chi” or “Strong Prana”. And these states require well supported "Mighty-chondria"!

Best Investment You Can Make. These powerhouses of your cells are integral to every aspect of your body, from your overall metabolism to your eyelashes!

Because of their incredibly "high level of responsibility" in your body, it is very important to know how to care for them! And really care for them! Think of being nice to your Mitochondria as a fantastic investment! If you give them X, they will give you back 2X, and in only a few weeks! That kind of return on investment is unbeatable anywhere!

Tiny Powerhouses, Huge Results!

• Do you want everything in your life to be a little easier?
• Want more energy, stamina, endurance?
• Do you want to think more clearly and have a better memory?
• How about becoming more beautiful and magnetic?
• Any chance you'd like to have better libido?
• Do you want more balanced hormones?
• Want less fatigue? Less brain fog? Less irritability?
• Want to operate at your full potential?

If you want any of this, then nothing is more important than following a few guidelines that will pay you great dividends every day for the rest of your life!

The famous visionary, Dr. Mark Hyman just last month said this about the Mitochondria: "This is probably one of the most exciting areas of research! Everything we know about longevity and wellness and health comes down to the Mitochondria! And, Mitochondrial dysfunction depletes energy, and all your cells need energy to function!"

What can I do to keep my Mitochondria healthy? Right away, just by knowing that Mitochondria are transformers of nutrition into energy, you know that what you put in your body is a huge factor in how well these microscopic digesters will perform and behave.

Here are the top 6 Nutritional Do's and Don'ts:

Do:

1. Eat plenty of healthy, clean fats!
2. Take really good care of your Microbiome!
3. Eat lots of brightly colored fruits and vegetables.
4. Only consume clean, organically grown proteins.
5. Eat more Superfoods!
6. Add in as many anti-inflammatory foods and herbs as possible.

Don't:

1. Don't Consume Sugar. Avoid refined sugars as much as possible! This is the single biggest "killer" of your Mitochondrial functioning!
2. Avoid white flour! Since all refined flours turn to sugars in your bloodstream quickly, it's the second biggest damper on your health and well-being.
3. Reduce the Use of Antibiotics. These are so hard on your GI tract, and therefore your Mitochondria also.
4. Eliminate Toxins. Everything from food coloring to cleaning supplies can hurt your body in countless ways.
5. Avoid "junk oils" such as Canola, Soy, and Corn oil. Especially hydrogenated fats.
6. Eliminate or reduce other inflammatory items like peanuts, dairy, gluten, and alcohol from your life.

How You Move and How You Don't Move. What else can you do to encourage a healthy state in each one of your cells? Exercise! Good exercise benefits your whole body! Even the health of your toenails are enhanced by exercise. And several good studies have proved that not exercising is almost like taking a depressant. That's how much we need to move our bodies! And studies have shown that some of your best type of exercise is fun! Make your movement activities as fun as possible. So please don't underestimate the potent benefits of exercise for your Mitochondria!

Along with exercise, also consider that your Mitochondria are sensitive to your environment. Many studies have shown that natural sunlight, and being in nature directly benefit your cellular composition. Getting adequate, restful sleep is also key to the health of your Mitochondria’s performance. Be mindful of the balance between getting enough exercise and getting enough down-time to let your body rejuvenate.

Connection. Good news! Another wonderful aspect of your life that will enhance your Mitochondria is all your healthy connections with friends, co-workers, and loved ones! And if you have any kind of practice in the area of loving your self, even with any of your perceived defects, that is hugely beneficial to your "Personal Energy Field" and therefore greatly aids your Mitochondrial functioning, too! In a word, Love!

Your Heart. There are many reasons to focus on your heart, and here’s a fun fact to add to your knowledge: of all the organs in the body, the cells that make up your heart contain the most Mitochondria per cell than any other organ in the body. Up to 5,000 Mitochondria per cell! That’s a lot of horse power in one cell. That's a lot of "prana"! So make sure that you are in alignment with these phenomenal, eager agents of change inside your cells. The more you know about how your body functions, the more you may have a “change of heart” towards everything you do! Whether that means increasing the number of times a week that you get movement, or simply eating a new type of Superfood that will feel better to your body.

Be Radiant. Healthy Mitochondria is the key to looking your best! It's true that beauty shines from the inside out, and in the case of caring for your Mitochondria, it couldn't be more applicable. Think about the vibrancy of your skin, the way it glows and can feel smooth like a baby's bottom. Notice how your breath stays fresher...and without gum! Feel that new spring in your step. That's literally the direct result of feeding your cells clean food. And let's not forget the sparkle in your eye! Look into those windows of the soul and see deeply...and deeper still...and realize that in each cell of your eyes are thousands of Mitochondria beaming the very light that you are. It won't matter how much cosmetic make-up, hair removal, or physical modifications you make to yourself if you aren't supporting each of your cells with vibrant nutrition. Indeed, we are what we eat! So shine on! Glow! Be radiant! And take note of how many more compliments you'll start to receive from others. They'll want to know your secret!

Clean Living. Another word on the topic of toxins. Toxins are sneaky little dudes, and they can appear in anything from your food, to air quality, to your drinking water, to the lotions you apply on your skin. While there is no sense in becoming paranoid about toxicity in your environment (because stressing about it can create its own poison), it is more important than ever to have a healthy awareness of what you subject your body to. Become an informed citizen about where your food comes from, what is in your food, and what the ingredients mean for your body. And please love yourself enough to buy Organic whenever possible.

Paleo Diets and your Mitochondria. There's been a huge amount of buzz about the so-called "Paleo Diet" and attempting to eat like our ancient ancestors. Is this compatible with Mitochondrial wellness? What's legit? And what is over-hyped by people selling books and workshops? First off, the science is incomplete. We don't actually know exactly what any one tribe ate, let alone know what hundreds of different groups of humans ate thousands of years ago. However, we do have good science today that tells us a lot about a few of the underlying principles that are embedded in most Paleo Diets. And those key principles are to avoid refined foods like sugars and flour, to reduce dairy products, and to eat more whole vegetables and fruits, all of which helps your Mitochondria greatly. But there is also new data showing a significant "backfire" effect from adopting the excess reliance on meats that are so often part of a Paleo Diet. So if you want to follow the good science and skip the dogmas, then focus on the best aspects of a Paleo Plan. That way you will be truly enhancing your Mitochondrial Health!

Ketogenic Diet, Ketosis and your Mitochondria. There is a lot of news lately about adopting a "Ketogenic Diet". Is this compatible with supporting your "Mighty-chondria"? The short answer is yes. Because a Keto Diet will help almost everyone get away from most of the sugars and flour-based products they're probably consuming, it can be very beneficial from that standpoint alone. You see, when you cut out almost all carbs, your body transitions into a state of Ketosis. And then your Mitochondria will be burning lipids (fats) to fuel your metabolic functions instead of carbs and sugars. This provides a nice "slow burn" fire in your metabolism instead of the "hot and cold fire" that is so typical from consuming fast burning sugars and refined carbs. However, there can be real pitfalls from adopting a full-scale Ketogenic Diet for some people. Watch out for the Keto Diets that will have you going overboard on animal-based foods, which can lead to several problems over time such as blood pH imbalances, joint stiffness, excess inflammation, lack of fiber, constipation, and other issues. Be sure that you are getting good guidance as you embark on the big adventure into Keto-style Eating.

Empower Yourself. Becoming informed is not about creating more stress for yourself, but to reinforce that your life is worth the best! You and your Mighty-chondria deserve the best nutrients that this abundant Mother Earth has to give. You are worthy of the best knowledge, and of the clearest truth! We hope you make informed decisions for yourself and those who you love. Let’s build each other up! And is there any better place to start than with having a better understanding of our microcosmic world of Mitochondria? Where is there a better place to begin than with the very heart of your cells where real transformation begins?

Ghandi is quoted as saying, "Be the change that you wish to see in the world." You can do this by being informed, and by truly knowing that you are worth having your best life possible. You are the change. Your very cells are encoded with it!

Love Your Body! ~ ~ Love Everybody!

References:

https://www.mindbodygreen.com/revitalize/video/microbiome-mitochondria

https://heartmdinstitute.com/health-and-wellness/what-are-mitochondria/

www.biology4kids.com/files/cell_mito.html