Category Archives: Home

How to Keep Your Brain Sharp

keep your brain sharp

Here are some ways to help keep your brain sharp.

No matter your age, maintaining healthy cognitive function is the foundation for a full and satisfying life. We all forget where our keys are or have to rack our brain to remember why we came into the bedroom in the first place, but memory is just a small portion of what your brain does. Brain Awareness Week is March 14, and the focus of this week is to educate and raise support for brain science.

This week the Professional Supplement Center team has the information and supplements you need to keep your brain sharp.

5 Ways to Keep Your Brain Sharp 

There are several habits you can integrate into your daily routine to promote cognitive health.

Get Your Heart Pumping

Cardiovascular health is a key part of keeping your brain sharp and healthy. Multiple studies show that regular cardio exercise is the number one thing you can do to support brain health. It also plays a role in keeping blood pressure regulated and can stabilize mood and sleep cycles as well.

Schedule and Attend Your Regular Checkups

Getting a regular check-up and making sure you are completing recommended regular testing is a key part of maintaining brain health. These routine visits are designed to raise potential red flags that may indicate more serious issues.

Integrate Puzzles and Games into Your Life

When it comes to cognitive decline, if you regularly use your brain and all five of your senses it will thank you. According to Harvard Medicine, “The more senses you use in learning something, the more of your brain that will be involved in retaining the memory.”

Prioritize Sleep

When you cheat yourself of sleep, your body and brain suffers. Sufficient sleep is what allows your brain to fully process information and function properly. The more you prioritize restful sleep each night the better your chances of a sharp mind later in life.

Stay Social

When you stay engaged with friends and keep a full social calendar your brain stays busy. Maintaining meaningful, enjoyable relationships is a key part of brain health at any age.

Supplements to Support Brain Health

The Professional Supplement Center is well-stocked with products to keep your brain sharp, here are a few we recommend.

Brain and Memory Power Boost by Brain MD 

Specially formulated to promote healthy brain metabolism, Brain and Memory Power Boost by Brain MD is a highly recommended supplement for cognitive support. Vinpocetine and ginkgo biloba extract work in tandem to support healthy blood flow to the brain while PhosphatidylSerine provides the building blocks for cell membranes.

ProDHA Memory from Nordic Naturals

Omega-3s are a powerful support for brain health and ProDHA Memory from Nordic Naturals has a blend of omega-3s designed to support the structure and function of brain cells. It also contains a blend of optimized curcumin, phosphatidylcholine, and huperzine A to support neural communication and protect neurons by modulating the effects of oxidative stress.

Dr. Formulated Brain Health, Memory and Focus for Adults 40+ from Garden of Life

As we age, our nutrient needs change. Dr Formulated Brain Health, Memory and Focus for Adults 40+ from Garden of Life provides clean, whole-food ingredients like organic grape extract and organic wild blueberry extract, which may improve memory performance and cognitive function in healthy adults.

What habits have you developed to keep your brain sharp? Share them with our community in the comments section below.

4 Dietary Changes That May Help Joint Pain

diet-changes-joint-pain

If you experience some degree of chronic joint pain, you aren’t alone. According to the CDC, around 54 million American adults – 22.7% of the adult population – have been diagnosed with chronic joint pain caused by arthritis (including rheumatoid), gout, lupus, or fibromyalgia.

Despite that number and the increase in the risk for joint pain that comes with aging, chronic joint pain does not have to derail your life. Whether you’re just beginning to experience occasional joint pain or deal with chronic joint pain due to one of the diagnoses above, there may be ways to manage and lessen the severity of joint pain. Along with working with your primary care physician as a first step, you can follow these four supportive lifestyles and dietary changes that may help joint pain.

4 Dietary Changes That May Help Joint Pain

While there are a number of medications (both prescription and OTC) that may be used to help joint pain, what we eat has a significant effect on inflammation and joint pain. Some studies demonstrate how foods, spices, and supplements have a measurable effect on inflammation and joint pain.

Here are some tips and dietary changes that may help your joint pain.

The Mediterranean Diet

Even if you don’t stick strictly to the Mediterranean diet, its key principles have a number of studied health benefits, many of which are similar to benefits attributed to using NSAID medications. Any diet that prioritizes plant-based whole foods and is free of refined foods has similar benefits.

The Mediterranean diet refers to a diet that incorporates the following:

  • Lots of low-glycemic fruits, vegetables, and legumes
  • Lots of unsaturated fats (particularly olive oil)
  • Modest amounts of alcohol (primarily wine)
  • Moderate to high levels of wild fish
  • Low levels of dairy and red meat

Eat More Fish and Fish Oil

Fish oils have high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which have anti-inflammatory properties and have been studied for their efficacy in helping joint pain. Ideally, the best way to get fish oil is by starting with cold-water fish.

Choose to eat a serving of wild cold-water fish like wild salmon, trout, and sardines twice a week. Fish provides an excellent source of fish oil. If you don’t eat fish, look for natural omega-3s from chia seeds, flax seeds, and organic soybeans. However, get as much as you can through whole-food sources.

Eat Cruciferous Vegetables

Along with your daily vegetable intake, try to add half a cup of cruciferous vegetables to your diet. Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and Brussels sprouts contain an antioxidant compound that disrupts an enzyme linked with joint pain and inflammation, making cruciferous vegetables a smart dietary choice for those with joint concerns.

Incorporate Spices and Herbs

Add turmeric and ginger to your diet. Both have long been used in natural and traditional Asian medicine for their purported anti-inflammatory properties. Recent research has shown a promising link between turmeric and preventing rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.

Another dietary change that may support healthy joints or provide temporary relief from occasional discomfort in joints are natural supplements from NutriDyn, Perque, and Ortho Molecular.

Chondro-Relief Intensive Care – NutriDyn

If you’re looking for more ways to help maintain joint strength and flexibility, consider Chondro-Relief Intensive Care from NutriDyn. Chondro-Relief Intensive Care is a daily dietary supplement that supports cartilage integrity and joint health with ingredients like vitamin C, manganese, D-Glucosamine, MSM, and more. MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) in particular may help provide temporary relief for those experiencing occasional joint pain, swelling, or irritation.

Pain Guard Forte (BioQuercitin Fore) – Perque

Pain Guard Forte (BioQuercitin Forte) from Perque is a dietary supplement formulated especially with those experiencing joint swelling or pain from exercise or over-exertion. Pain Guard Forte contains all-natural ingredients like magnesium, quercetin, OPC, and vegetable fiber to support your body’s natural ability to repair tissues and restore health.

Orthomega 820 Fish Oil – Ortho Molecular

Orthomega 820 Fish Oil from Ortho Molecular is a molecularly distilled, high concentration triglyceride omega-3 fish oil supplement providing 820 mg of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) per softgel serving for optimal absorption and anti-inflammatory support.

What dietary changes have you seen help the most with joint pain?

Ways to Support Kidney Health

ways to support kidney health

Here are ways to support kidney health.

Your kidneys play a vital role in your health. Without them your body could not absorb nutrients or filter waste and toxins. March is National Kidney Month, and March 10 is World Kidney Day. In keeping with this theme, this post is designed to overview the importance of kidney health, as well as natural ways to support your kidneys.

Your Kidneys – The Basics 

Your kidneys are fist-sized organs located at the bottom of the rib cage on either side of the body. They are part of the renal system, which eliminates waste and supports detoxification. The kidneys were created to function beyond capacity, which is why you can donate one and still live a healthy life. In fact, 1 kidney functioning at only 75% of capacity can sustain a healthy human body with minimal issue.

The Body’s Filter

As part of the renal, or urinary system, the kidneys have several main functions. The kidneys filter roughly 200 quarts of fluid every day, returning beneficial substances to the body and eliminating waste in the form of urine. Roughly 198 quarts are returned to the body, while 2 quarts are excreted through urine over a 24 hour period.

Role in Nutrient Absorption

Your kidneys play a key role in helping your body absorb essential nutrients. For example, kidneys activate the form of vitamin D necessary for calcium absorption. They also work to regulate Ph levels, salt, potassium, and blood pressure.

Diabetes and Kidney Function

There are a number of things that can cause a loss of or decline in kidney function, with the number one cause being diabetes. Over time, high blood sugar levels may cause clogs in the kidneys leading to a decline in function. Diabetes can also cause nerve damage that causes a decrease in bladder function and normal elimination. The pressure of a consistently full bladder can cause damage to all parts of the renal system.

Supporting Healthy Kidneys

Although some kidney disease is genetic, such as polycystic kidney disease and predisposition to kidney stones, most kidney disease is created through a poor diet, a lack of activity, and other less than healthy habits.

The best way to support your kidneys is to maintain an active lifestyle, paired with a healthy diet. Maintaining a healthy weight and eating a diet low in processed foods keeps excess amounts of sugar and salt from building up in your kidneys and causing blockages or painful kidney stones.

Supplements to Support Kidney Health

The Professional Supplement Center store carries a number of products designed to support kidney health, here are a few we recommend.

Kidney Support by Professional Botanicals

Containing a proprietary blend of European Goldenrod leaf, fenugreek seed, hydrangea root, plantain leaf, horsetail aerial, cordyceps mycelium, and other adaptogens, Kidney Support by Professional Botanicals is a natural way to support kidney health and detoxification.

Rentone by Ayush Herbs

Rentone by Ayush Herbs is a formula designed for kidney and urinary support with a unique combination of Eastern and Western herbs. Using a blend of shilajeet, vitamin B, cranberry, and other natural ingredients this supplement provides nutritional support for kidney health.

What steps are you taking to support kidney health this March and throughout the year? Share your favorite products of lifestyle hacks with our team in the comments section below.