Horseman’s Health: Algae for the Holidays

Holiday time can be lots of fun, but it can also be stressful. Add to that the overeating that can occur with family dinners, parties, and eating on the run during travel or just being rushed decorating or shopping, and you have the perfect conditions for weight gain, heartburn, stomach cramps, diarrhea, constipation, and bloating as well as other symptoms triggered by stress. Stress causes an overabundance of cortisol in the body which can also lead to overeating with an increase in appetite and cravings for unhealthy foods which are all around us during the holidays. Stress also compromises the immune system giving us less protection against colds, flus, and other viral or bacterial contagions. Since no one wants to spend the holidays being sick, finding ways to combat stress and making a plan to avoid overeating are two things you can do to make your holidays a more pleasant time. In addition, here are some ways AFA blue green algae products can help you during the holidays.

AFA bluegreen algae – With holiday eating often not the healthiest of foods, eating some AFA blue green algae can help you get the healthy nutrition your body needs to perform its best. It has the amino acids for activation of enzymes, that help in metabolizing fat, and control appetite and cravings for unhealthy foods. It also gives you a wide spectrum of minerals, vitamins, fiber to help from absorbing fat, and cholorophyll that can help reduce food cravings and support the digestive system. Since magnesium is known to help in dealing with stress, AFA is a great source for getting a helping hand with this mineral.

Enzymes – Many holiday foods are of the processed, canned, thoroughly cooked and sugary variety which means they don’t have a lot of digestive enzymes if any. This means these foods are not getting broken down sufficiently to be used by the body and get stored as fat instead. According to a research study at Tufts University School of Medicine, overweight people studied showed a deficiency in lipase, the enzyme that digests fat. Adding a high quality enzyme supplement to your day can help support this digestive function.

Probiotics – Probiotics such as acidophilus, bifidus, or a full spectrum supplement not only help support the digestive system that can be overworked with holiday eating, but also helps produce important B vitamins such as vitamin B-12 to help combat stress and help us relax and vitamin B-9 that aids the brain in producing serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine which are all brain chemicals affecting mood. These friendly bacteria are also an important part of the immune system and boosting levels of your gut bacteria can help support immune system protection.

All-In-One – When traveling or visiting relatives and friends, or being out on extra shopping trips, it could be inconvenient to carry around bottles of algae, probiotics, and enzymes. That’s when these convenient daily packets containing all these supplements can make things easier for you. Just pop some packets in your bag, wallet, or pocket to carry with you.

For Keeping on Your Toes – Your normal lifestyle may be stressful enough, but add in all the holiday planning and activities and you can go on overload in the stress department. This algae supplement with organic wild bluegreen algae, eleuthero, Ginkgo biloba, Lion’s Mane, bee pollen, wheatgrass juice, and noni was created for those with a demanding, high-stakes lifestyle, where heightened focus and mental clarity is a critical factor.

Antioxidants – Antioxidants help the body in many ways. First they help in dealing with the toxins produced by overeating and stress that can leave us feeling lethargic or just an overall feeling of being unwell. They help in repairing the damage to cells caused by free radicals, and give the immune system a boost. Brightly colored fruits and veggies are the best source for antioxidants, but if you don’t have the time to get in your vegetables or are rushing around not eating healthy, this supplement with red beta algae, kale sprouts, red clover sprouts and wheat sprouts is a good source of antioxidant nutrition. Then there is the antioxidant Ubiquinol, which is the bioavailable form of coenzyme Q10 good for heart health, daily energy, and relieving stress. This algae supplement not only contains ubiquinol, but also reishi and oyster mushrooms, polyphenols from olives, and AFA bluegreen algae. Reishi mushrooms are high in beta glucans known to support the immune system, polysaccharides and triterpenoid compounds as well as being rich in proteins, enzymes, and minerals. Oyster mushrooms are a rich source of healthy protein and high in B vitamins and lovastatin which help balance blood cholesterol levels.

Planned Snacking – According to Jennifer Lovejoy, Ph.D., eating snacks such as cheese, carrots, or cereal with high fiber and skim milk before going to a holiday party will help you arrive being less hungry so you are not as likely to overeat. Eating one of these healthy snack bars fortified with sprouted grains, greens, and bluegreen algae is another healthy snack alternative to help you curb hunger before heading out for a holiday party or meal.

Immune System Boost – Since we all want to be healthy to enjoy the holiday fun, giving the immune system a boost can help make sure we don’t miss out. Certain varieties of mushrooms and beta glucan have been reported in many research studies to be helpful in boosting the immune system. This wholefood supplement  gives you an easy way to get a combination of reishi, cordyceps, maitake, shiitake, Turkey Tail, and Agaricus blazei mushrooms with astragalus, beta glucan and bluegreen algae.

I hope your holidays this year are full of peace, joy, and fun. Planning ahead for the nutritional deficiencies the holidays often bring with them can help with keeping you at your best to make sure you have an enjoyable holiday season.

Sources:
https://www.empowher.com/indigestion/content/digestive-problems-during-holidays
http://www.oprah.com/health/holiday-season-diet-plans-from-obesity-doctors