Your body was designed to have it's own internal pharmacy! Our bodies were wonderfully made to heal it's self, but we must take care of it to work properly.
Nitric Oxide is our body's own pharmacy! Our body was created to release Nitric Oxide when we exercise. Once released it dilates the arteries and veins so that blood, oxygen and nutrients can flow freely throughout our body. It fights heart disease by keeping the arteries free from plague and blood clots. It protects against high blood pressure, Diabetes and sexual dysfunction - That's right guys and gals, no bedroom fun if you are deficient in this molecule!
Nitric Oxide also signals immune cells to kill harmful bacteria and cancer cells. It helps brain cells to communicate, reduces inflammation, protects against osteoporosis, helps wounds heal, aids in sleep, learning and memory! Wow, what other molecule provides us so much?
There are several ways to produce more Nitric Oxide in your body besides exercise. However, exercise really is the best way to produce and release it. Unfortunately, not everyone enjoys exercising or can not exercise due to health issues. But, if you can, the National Institute of health recommends at least 90 minutes of "vigorous" exercise every week. The recommended amount of exercise in general is 150 minutes per week, so three thirty minute sessions a week of aerobic-style exercise should be part of your regime. This could include a brisk walk, jogging, running, burpees, swimming, cycling or jazzercise; just to name a few.
Other ways to produce or increase production of Nitric Oxide include drinking beet juice, taking an infra-red sauna, supplements and diet. With a selection like this you should easily find one or more that you can see yourself implementing in your diet and lifestyle changes.
I love fresh beet juice. Some do not care for the earthy taste, but if you can not let that deter you, you can reap many benefits of beet juice. I recommend a good blender verses a juicer so that you have less waste and you get to enjoy the health benefits of the whole beet. I steam my beet for about 2 1/2 minutes then use the water I steamed it in to blend it up into a smoothie consistency. Sometimes I add more water, sometimes coconut water to thin it into juice. There are beet powders that you can buy and stir a scoop into a glass of water too for a fast and easy beverage.
Infra-red saunas have grown in popularity over the years and offer a few health benefits to the user. They are fairly inexpensive and you can set one up in your own home as they take up no more space than a standing shower. Doctors recommend 10-40 minutes twice a week. They recommend starting with 10 minutes and increasing your time to as much as 40 minutes. Besides helping in producing Nitric Oxide they help you sweat out toxins and boast weight loss properties.
If you are under the age of 40 a Nitric Oxide supplement could be beneficial. I recommend a whole-food supplement like Kyani brand. It doesn't have the same age limiting effects as L-Arginine and L-Citrulline supplements.
There are two ways that you can increase your Nitric Oxide production and release through diet. The first is to increase your Nitrate rich vegetables. Nitrate converts to Nitric Oxide. Nitrate rich vegetables include celery, cress, lettuce, spinach, arugula and beetroot. The other way is to increase Nitric Oxide is to eat foods rich in Antioxidants. Antioxidants neutralize Free-radicals, the cancer and age causing molecules in the air we breathe, water we drink and chemicals we put on and into our bodies. Foods rich in Antioxidants are raw fruits and vegetables, nits, seeds and grains. Vitamins E and C also offer Antioxidants. For those that do not care for vegetables I highly recommend Juice Plus. They are the most researched brand of fruit and vegetable powders on the market with over 40 published studies! They also have the longest and largest on-going Children's Health Study where children ages 4-24 can consume the product for FREE*!
A warning for mouthwash users! Mouthwash kills bacteria in our mouth, unfortunately if also kills the molecules necessary for producing Nitric Oxide. In one study, 65% of the participants were found to be likely to develop Diabetes if they used the mouthwash twice a day. Nitric Oxide regulates insulin. Without Nitric Oxide insulin cannot work properly to maintain blood glucose levels.
Hopefully you have seen some do-able ways to increase your Nitric Oxide production and release so that you can reap the many, many rewards of a Nitric Oxide rich system. I you would like more information about getting your child in the Children's Health Study, please send me an email via the Contact Me tab.