Nutrition Archives - Healthy Lawyer Archive

Archive for the ‘Nutrition’ Category

Start with a healthy breakfast – think protein!

Posted on: February 18th, 2020 by Jordan Leasure No Comments

I routinely run into clients who are not regularly eating breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Just like most of you my schedule is hectic and limited. At least two days a week I’m out of the house by 6:00am and do not return before 8:00pm. It’s imperative that I start with a healthy breakfast to keep me going on those 14 hour days. I often start the other 5 days with a 60-90 minute workout heavy on weight lifting. So how do I do it? How do I have time to make such a complete breakfast? What do I eat before/during/after workouts? I often get asked by clients and friends alike what goes into my protein shake. So here are the answers.

Base: I keep it simple and easy and I start with water. Depending on the amount of frozen ingredients I’ll use between 4-6 oz of filtered water. If I’m making the shake for my husband or company I’ll sometimes substitute some of the water for coconut or almond milk – just to mix it up a bit.

Veggies: I like frozen broccoli, kale, and spinach as my go to. Honestly, you can throw almost anything into your shake (if you have a Vitamix like we do) and it will blend fully to make your shake crazy healthy. If you have veggies from last night’s dinner leftovers or ones that are about to turn bad throw them in as well!

Fruit: Don’t get carried away here. I will add a 1/4 cup of frozen blueberries and 1/2 a banana at most to my shakes. If I’ve made a salad the night before and only used 1/2 an apple I might throw that in. I try not to add too much sugar here by limiting the amount of fruit.

Protein shake options

Supplements: Here’s where it should be more personalized. For our protein shakes I use the following:

Pro-Active Power Greens: a powdered greens product loaded with energizing phyto-nutrients, certified organic wholefoods and plant extracts, including pure spirulina, chlorella, certified organic goji, certified organic banana, broccoli and cauliflower.
Pro-Active Probiotic Complete: hypoallergenic blend of 12 certified probiotic species offers the most complete spectrum of microorganisms for individuals seeking higher amounts of several types of probiotics.
Omega Superb: contains a stable combination of EPA and DHA as well as astaxanthin for added antioxidant support.
Immucare II: supports key systems in the body responsible for maintaining a healthy immune system, including the liver, digestive tract, endocrine glands and spleen.
Botanical Treasures: delivers broad spectrum antioxidant activity to quench free radicals, thereby normalizing gene behavior and supporting healthy aging.
Colostrum: Increases energy and stamina, lean muscle mass, activates fat metabolism, and returns our body to vibrant health.

Protein: I vary my protein intake between whey and vegan products. They both have their individual benefits. If you’re not opposed to animal protein sources I highly recommend having both on hand and alternating them each day.

When making your shake be sure to add the protein last. Make sure everything is well blended prior to adding the protein so as to not alter the structure of your protein powder by blending it too much.

Keep watching our other blog posts for what to look for when choosing a protein powder, why probiotics are beneficial and all the different uses for colostrum!

Top Supplements to Combat Stress

Posted on: November 2nd, 2019 by Jordan Leasure No Comments

Being a successful attorney is a dedicated, time consuming task. Finding an adequate life-work balance is key. Adding a few supplements to your routine can improve your energy, your concentration, lower your stress and decrease your incidence of all disease! Let’s get started!

A high quality Multi-Vitamin – How do you know what qualifies as a “high quality” product? Supplements are not as regulated as they should be and there are quite a few distractions out there. An easy rule of thumb is to purchase only through your functional medicine professional. They are physicians trained in the use and distribution of supplements so they will know what you should take and what to stay away from based on your medical conditions as well as prescription interactions. Look for a product that is copper free.
Magnesium – Magnesium is beneficial in almost every body process. It acts as a muscle relaxant – smooth muscle, skeletal muscle and cardiac muscle. It helps with heart conditions – irregular heart beat, high blood pressure and can minimize the spasms of arteries. It can help with sleep by acting like melatonin, it can decrease muscle spasms and even improve your mood! A deficiency in magnesium can be linked with anxiety, migraines and pain. Magnesium deficiencies can be caused by stress – both physical and emotional. We recommend our clients consume 3-4.5mg of magnesium per pound of body weight; if you weigh 150 pounds you should be taking between 450mg and 675mg daily. See this link to determine which type of magnesium is right for you! Magnesium Options
Probiotic – Probiotics are the good bacteria that lives in your gut and helps you not only digest food but fight off the bad bacteria we’re exposed to on a daily basis. They also help your gut communicate with your immune system and restrict immune over-reactions including inflammation. Probiotics are also key to vitamin absorption – they can increase Vitamin D levels by 25%! They should be consumed daily since most of us engage in behaviours that kill our gut flora daily such as having stress, drinking alcohol, taking antibiotics and eating sugar. Look for a probiotic that contains multiple strains (we recommend one with 10 different strains of bacteria) and of course it’s a live bacteria so it should be stored in the refrigerator.
Vitamin D – Some common conditions Vitamin D supplementation can improve are: blood pressure, depression and low back pain. If you’re looking to boost your immunity, vitamin D may be the answer! It controls the immune response in autoimmune conditions like diabetes, MS and arthritis. Meaning your body doesn’t attack itself. Vitamin D boosts the immune response your body has to invaders like bacteria and viruses. A good rule of thumb for supplementation is 1000IU/30lb of body weight; double that if you’re found to be deficient. There are a few categories of individuals that should NOT be taking vitamin D: sarcoidosis, melanoma, lymphoma or leukemia patients.
Omega 3 FattyAcids – Foods high in Omega-3 include fish, vegetable oils, nuts (especially walnuts), flax seeds, flaxseed oil, and leafy vegetables. Studies have shown that heart attack survivors have reduced risk of another heart attack, stroke or death if they supplement with Omega 3. As a society our diets are too heavy in Omega 6 fatty acids. They are found in safflower oil, soybean oil, as well as poultry and eggs. (Try to limit or avoid these foods). A lower ratio of omega-6/omega-3 fatty acids is more desirable in reducing the risk of many of the chronic diseases. Omega 3’s help to decrease inflammation, improve your brain health and even reduce the risk of some cancers.

Your brain and your body are your tools! Take care of them from the inside out. It’s impossible to get all of your required nutrients from food so supplementing with the above will help you to function better. Take control of your health like you do your practice. Start with the supplements above. As always check with your functional medicine practitioner to make sure the recommendations above are appropriate for you.

Magnesium Supplementation to aid your deficiency

Posted on: June 2nd, 2019 by Jordan Leasure No Comments

Many Americans, half actually, supplement with a multivitamin on a daily basis. Most of them think that is adequate enough for their daily lifestyle. Even if you are taking a high quality multivitamin, you probably still have a deficiency in specific vitamins. In fact, about 80 percent of Americans are deficient in Magnesium. Many of the clients we work with are easily helped with the appropriate dosage of Magnesium. Ask yourself the following questions to determine if you need to change your supplement regime.

Are you currently taking any prescription medications?

While prescriptions may be beneficial in treating symptoms they also often contribute to an already underlying issue of deficiency. Prescriptions alter Magnesium levels through a variety of means including blocking absorption, excretion and even synthesis (creation) of vitamins.

Are you under any stress – at home, at work or at play?

Stress, both physical and emotional will increase excretion of magnesium in urine creating a deficiency in your body. Supplementing with magnesium can not only bring your levels back to optimal range but allow you to handle the stress easier. Magnesium is a vasodilator so it lowers blood pressure and acts as a natural antidepressant.

Do you crave and consume sweets, sugary drinks, coffee or alcohol?

Your kidneys have to process everything you consume and sugar is especially taxing. Dark colored beverages will drain your body of magnesium creating a deficiency. The more you consume sugar, coffee and alcohol the more likely you are deficient.

Do you experience muscle cramping, depression, constipation, heart arrhythmia or have trouble sleeping?

Magnesium is a natural muscle relaxant (don’t forget your heart is a muscle too) and can even mimic the action of melatonin helping you to achieve a more restful sleep. Magnesium deficiency is linked to migraines; adding Magnesium, Fish Oil and CoQ10 will help prevent 60 percent of migraines.

Now that you’ve decided to start supplementing with Magnesium which type of Magnesium is right for you? Many people end up buying Magnesium Oxide at big box stores because it’s the most economical but it’s not necessarily appropriate. The forms of Magnesium we routinely recommend to clients include:

Glycinate: This form of magnesium has the highest bioavailability and provides for the best absorption into the body. We use this most often for clients displaying magnesium deficiencies.

Threonate: It is transferred into the brain most effectively – can create vivid dreams. It allows for improved critical thinking and boosts daily focus. I take Magnesium Threonate every evening before bed.

Citrate: We use this most often in our practice for skeletal muscle support and relaxation. It also has laxative properties as it relaxes smooth muscles in the bowel.

Please speak with your functional medicine physician about supplementing with magnesium today and feel better tomorrow!

This post was originally published on October 2, 2015 on American Daily News.

Fall Tips To Stay Healthy

Posted on: May 27th, 2019 by Jordan Leasure No Comments

Fall is officially here and, despite our best efforts, New Year’s is less than 100 days away. Most of us will have a resolution having to do with health by that time, but let’s start working on it now to ensure a happy and healthy holiday season!

Ignore “Pumpkin” Flavored Treats

While tempting and oh-so festive, it is best to resist celebrating the falling of the leaves with one of these treats. A 16-ounce Pumpkin Spiced Latte at Starbucks made with two percent milk and whipped cream packs in 380 calories. Four pumpkin spiced sandwich cookies contain 300 calories and one pumpkin beer contains 337 calories. With those same 300 calories you could enjoy one of the following meals: Barbecue Salmon and Snap Peas (a six-ounce portion); Pork Chops Stuffed with Feta & Spinach (a four-ounce cut); and even a four-ounce filet with fresh herb and garlic rub!

Start Boosting Your Immune System

One of the benefits of following the previous tip is that your digestion and immune system will be working better since you’ll avoid a lot of sugar intake. In addition to minimizing sugar, it’s a good idea to take a high-quality probiotic on a daily basis. I recommend Klaire Labs Therbiotic Complete. Things to look for in a probiotic: it should be refrigerated, should include multiple strains of bacteria (ours have 12); and should contain anywhere from 25- to 50-billion bacteria per serving. Consult with your functional medicine doctor to determine which dosage is appropriate for you. Probiotics not only helps your digestion and improves your immune system, but also assists your body in synthesizing vitamin K and B vitamins.

Get Active

Fall is a beautiful time of year. Crisp air, changing colors of the leaves, the fetching JCrew outfits. Sign out of Facebook, set your DVR and lace up those sneakers. The moderate temperatures are a perfect time to get some mileage under your feet before the stress of the holidays. Walking will not only boost your metabolism but will help with the winter blues that some of us encounter as colder, darker days approach. It doesn’t have to just be walking – enjoy your outdoor activities. Rake the leaves, join a flag-football team, weed the garden or just chase the kids around. If you’re currently inactive, make it your goal to simply get up every morning, walk outside and take five deep breaths. Just start with something.

The goal for the next 30 days should be to lay a solid foundation of good habits. Traditionally October is a pretty quiet month so make it your practice run before the holiday rush is here. Hit up the farmers markets, cook fresh, real food, nourish yourself inside and out. Designate a team leader for your family (work or home) to have a healthy fall. Practice makes perfect!

This post was originally published on September 27, 2015 on American Daily News.