Healing your Mitochondria

Mitochondria are the little factories inside our cells that generate energy and play a central role in our metabolism, our vitality and our well being.

First, address the causes of mitochondrial damage:

1) Minimize your intake of processed food, junk food, sugar, empty calories, artificial sweetners, artificial colors, and other chemical food additives. Their toxic effects can damage your mitochondria and prevent them from producing energy property.

2) Detoxify. Support your body in ridding itself of the environmental and internal toxic "sludge" it has accumulated over the years.

3) Address inflammation. Chronic, smoldering inflammation slowly destroys our organs and our ability for optimal functioning and leads to rapid aging.

4) Balance your hormones. By resetting your metabolism and improving the way your body handles sugar and insulin, a master hormone, you can make your cells more intelligent and cooperative, and less resistant to doing their jobs.

Then, boost and protect your mitochondria:

1) Exercise. In essence, exercising encourages your body to upgrade its energy factories. Interval training, for example, increases the efficiency and function of the mitochondria.

2) Eat food that's full of antioxidants, and phytonutrients. Get eight to 12 servings of fresh vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, seeds, and whole grains every day.

3) Take mitochondria-protective and energy-boosting nutrients. These include acetyl-L-carnitine, alpha-lipoic acid, coenzyme Q10, n-acetyl-cysteine, NADH, D-ribose, resveratrol and magnesium asparate. While not a cure-all, these nutrients, taken in conjunction with a whole-food, plant-based diet, can provide metabolic support for those low on energy.

4) Increase omega-3 fats to help build your mitochondria membranes. Coldwater fish, such as wild salmon, sardines and herring, are good sources of omega-3 fats, as are flaxseeds and omega-3 eggs. They all help strengthen the fragile cellular membranes that make your mitochondria work the way they're supposed to.

This was taken from the Experience Life Magazine, p66, December 2008.