Exercise and Diet
Eating for Energy
By: Michael W. Loes, MD
Do you often say:
Along the loops of the mitochondria, a chemical reaction called phosphorylation occurs. The reaction liberates the phosphate bond energy from the high-quality food you ingest and either uses it immediately or puts it in storage for later use.
Here's an analogy: you work, hence you have income. Perhaps you spend it as soon as you get it or you go the bank and convert the income to a government "E" bond. When you are holding the bond, you have potential energy. When you cash it at a later date, you release the energy (i.e., the shopping power).
Let's take it a step further. You are either bringing in a healthy amount of income or you are not. A "cash in-cash out" job is not the same as one that has stock options, dividends, and a pension plan. Food is energy, and the sage who said, "You are what you eat," is proffering wisdom.
High-energy foods are the colorful ones – the fruits, vegetables and the multicolored nuts and seeds. These foods are not only high in vitamins, minerals and bioflavanoids, but also loaded with phosphate bonds – the currency of the mitochondria.
Let me offer another important piece of advice: Protect what is valuable to you and take antioxidants. The membranes of the mitochondria are easily damaged when not protected from oxidative stress. This is the process whereby unstable split energy products, known as free radicals, zoom around your system looking for places to land. When antioxidants are insufficient, membranes get riddled. Many vitamins have antioxidant properties, especially C, D, and my personal favorite E (400 I.U per day). Newer, even more potent antioxidants include selenium, pycnogenol, beta 1, 3, glucan.
Food is energy. Choose carefully. Respect and protect your mitochondria.
- "I'm tired. What do I do?"
- "My body does not make enough energy to get me through the day."
- "The gas tank of my life seems to be always running on empty."
Along the loops of the mitochondria, a chemical reaction called phosphorylation occurs. The reaction liberates the phosphate bond energy from the high-quality food you ingest and either uses it immediately or puts it in storage for later use.
Here's an analogy: you work, hence you have income. Perhaps you spend it as soon as you get it or you go the bank and convert the income to a government "E" bond. When you are holding the bond, you have potential energy. When you cash it at a later date, you release the energy (i.e., the shopping power).
Let's take it a step further. You are either bringing in a healthy amount of income or you are not. A "cash in-cash out" job is not the same as one that has stock options, dividends, and a pension plan. Food is energy, and the sage who said, "You are what you eat," is proffering wisdom.
High-energy foods are the colorful ones – the fruits, vegetables and the multicolored nuts and seeds. These foods are not only high in vitamins, minerals and bioflavanoids, but also loaded with phosphate bonds – the currency of the mitochondria.
Let me offer another important piece of advice: Protect what is valuable to you and take antioxidants. The membranes of the mitochondria are easily damaged when not protected from oxidative stress. This is the process whereby unstable split energy products, known as free radicals, zoom around your system looking for places to land. When antioxidants are insufficient, membranes get riddled. Many vitamins have antioxidant properties, especially C, D, and my personal favorite E (400 I.U per day). Newer, even more potent antioxidants include selenium, pycnogenol, beta 1, 3, glucan.
Food is energy. Choose carefully. Respect and protect your mitochondria.