As the saying goes, "you are what you eat." Everything you consume has an impact on your well-being. Making healthy eating choices is one of the starting points for giving your mitochondria the best care, which in the end, adds up to better overall health and a stronger immune system.
Below you will find 7 Dietary Tips that support a healthy mitochondria.
Tip #1 – Stay hydrated
Begin drinking clean, filtered water the moment you wake up (at least 8 ounces) and continue drinking it throughout the day. Try to consume at least 1-2 liters of water per day. A helpful tip would be to carry around a water bottle that’s made from non-BPA plastic. Staying hydrated ensures that your body's various systems can function smoothly. It's important to listen to your body's signals for thirst and drink water regularly throughout the day to maintain good health and well-being.
Tip #2 – Eat 3-4 small to moderate meals per day
Eating 3-4 times throughout the day can be beneficial for maintaining steady energy levels and promoting a balanced metabolism.
Additionally, it's advisable to refrain from snacking in between them, and to avoid consuming anything substantial for 2 hours before going to bed. Stopping eating 2 hours before bed promotes better sleep quality by reducing the risk of digestive discomfort and acid reflux.
At each meal, chew slowly and eat only what you require to satisfy your hunger for the next several hours. Do not eat past the point of feeling satisfied. Over-eating will stress your gut’s digestive and energy-generating capacities and can precipitate symptoms such as fatigue, heartburn, abdominal pain and indigestion.
Tip #3 – Your diet should be natural and minimally processed
Eating a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, especially those that are in season (e.g. oranges and berries in summer, apples and squashes in winter) is a great starting point. Most people do not consume enough deep green and colored vegetables (e.g. kale, collard greens, spinach, radicchio, red bell peppers, etc.). Consuming a diverse range of fruits and vegetables benefits both health and mitochondria due to the varied nutrients they provide, supporting overall bodily functions and energy production.
In terms of meat, grass fed beef is much leaner and healthier than the marbled beef that comes from corn fed cows.
It's important to include some healthy fats in your diet. Healthy fats include olive oil, avocados, fresh fish, seeds and nuts. On the other hand, deep fried foods, canola oil and lard are to be avoided.
The consumption of flour and sugar products promotes fermentation in your gut. After many decades of consuming cakes, cookies, crackers, bread, chips, pizza and breakfast cereals, the bacteria in your gut (the gut microbiome) become highly adept at fermenting these nutrients. Fermentation of sugar and flour products can lead to the release of alcohols, ketones, and other fermentation byproducts that promote gas, bloating, fatigue, brain fog and chronic inflammation.
Tip #4 – Eat organic
Consuming organic food is ideal since many pesticides have a direct toxic effect on the mitochondria. When you are not well, your body does not need the added stress of dealing with toxic chemicals. Organic produce has also consistently been found to contain 20–30% more antioxidant compounds than conventional produce. However, it is impossible to expect most people to consume a 100% organic diet.
The most important foods to eat organically are:
1) Fresh produce, especially items that are consumed whole (grapes, apples, berries, etc.)
2) Organic meat (this will help you to avoid both pesticides and hormones).
Tip #5- Eat in moderation
Dairy products — Adult mammals no longer have the need for, or the ability to properly digest, large amounts of dairy products. Think of all of the milk, butter, cheese, pizza, yogurt, ice cream and other dairy products in our society’s diet. It’s way more than necessary. Many functional medicine physicians believe that an excess of dairy products contributes to many chronic health problems including heartburn, irritable bowel syndrome, obesity, etc. That said, a moderate intake of high-quality yogurt and sheep or goat cheese, consumed on an intermittent basis, can promote good health and an improved quality of life.
Nuts — Nuts contain a significant amount of protein. However, they also contain a significant amount of fat, making them somewhat difficult to digest in large quantities. Consuming 1-2 handfuls of nuts per day is a very healthful way to get essential fatty acids (anti-inflammatory) and non-animal protein into your diet.
Tip #6- Be mindful of allergies
There are at least two kinds of reactions to foods:
- Acute: an immediate allergic reaction, such as the kind that sends children who are allergic to peanuts to the emergency room with life-threatening symptoms (hives, difficulty breathing, etc.).
- Sensitivity: a more subtle reaction that can be delayed by a few hours to two days. The symptoms of this kind of delayed reaction are more subtle and include fatigue, brain fog, abdominal pain, bloating and diarrhea.
The most common foods that can cause a delayed sensitivity reaction are cow’s milk, wheat (gluten), corn, soy, eggs and nuts. Pay attention to your allergies and sensitivities and avoid them in your diet.
Tip #7- Support your mitochondria with supplements
Supplements with ingredients like Acetyl-L-carnitine, N-acetyl-cysteine, Coenzyme Q10, and Alpha-lipoic acid have been linked to improved mitochondrial health, which is crucial for efficient energy production in your cells. Find all of those ingredients in KPAX's proprietary mitochondrial support blend, which is backed by 20 years of clinical research and proven to increase energy production at the cellular level.
Supplements also play an important role in filling any nutritional gaps in your diet. They can provide you with essential vitamins and minerals that your body needs but may not be getting in sufficient quantities from what you are eating on a daily basis. Adding a daily multivitamin can help to support your immune system, maintain bone health, and help your body to function properly.
