I’ve said before without much evidence, but based on a hunch that if you went around a room of middle-aged men and women and ask them what the one thing they want most from their health, and if you took all those responses and summarized them with one word that one word would be better energy.
Now I have some proof. And, it comes from the December, 2014 issue of Dr.Oz: The Good Life. In a survey conducted by the magazine 74% of its readership said they found themselves wishing for more energy almost every day. And, to put that in perspective 79% would rather have more energy than more sex. Of course those two go hand in hand – difficult to have more of the latter if you don’t have enough of the former.
Energy the Driver of Life
Life ends and death ensues the moment our bodies quit making energy. Therefore, it would seem a major goal of medicine would be focusing on enabling the body to make more energy for a longer period. But, the focus is on treating disease. We seemed to have lost sight of the bigger picture.
Better energy means better immune function. Better energy means better ability to avoid and fight disease. Better energy means better metabolism. Better energy means better weight control. Better energy means more vitality. Better energy means being more productive. Better energy means stronger ability to withstand stress. Better energy means higher quality of life.Better energy simply means a better life. And, that’s why people want more of it.
Look around you. Who are the healthiest people? Those with most the energy, right? Now you know why.
How to Make More Energy
How do you make more energy? Energy is produced by the mitochondria in all cells. Mitochondria are unique organelles of the cell. They are the only organelles that have their own DNA. Mitochondria can divide and replicate on their own without cells dividing. Click here to read about the mitochondrial decline theory of aging.
You can stimulate your body to make more mitochondria increasing your ability to generate energy and live longer. The best way to increase the number of mitochondria in your cells through exercise – specifically high intensity interval training. Exercising into your anaerobic zone creates a stimulus for mitochondria to divide.
It’s also important to provide nutritional support to improve energy production by mitochondria and to also protect mitochondria from premature death related to free radical generation. Since mitochondria are involved in the production of energy, which many times requires oxygen, mitochondria are subjected to free radical stress. The key nutrients to protect and enhance mitochondrial function are below.
1. L-carnitine
2. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)
3. D-ribose
4. Acetyl-L-carnitine
5. Alpha lipoic acid
6. B complex vitamins
7. Pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ)
The carnitines make it easier for your cells to burn fat rather than glucose for energy. D-ribose provides the substrate for mitochondria to make ATP- the fuel the body runs on. Alpha lipoic and acid and CoQ10 are powerful antioxidants that protect mitochondrial from premature wear and tear from free radicals. B-complex facilitated the overall function of the mitochondria.
Some research shows that PQQ can stimulate mitochondrial division, too.
Energy production is greatly influenced by our foods and facilitated by maintaining optimal hormone levels allowing the body to run more efficiently. You can think of this as getting more miles per gallons when you eat healthy nutrient dense foods while maintaining healthy hormone levels.
Better energy is at your finger tips. Eat well, exercise incorporating high intensity interval training in your workouts, take supplements to protect and enhance mitochondrial function, and keep your hormones levels in the optimal range.
