Vitamins to kick-start your happy day
We’re pleased to announce that we’ll be running Body advice from My Fit Foods‘ Meg McCall B.S., M.S. Candidate in Human Nutrition, Corporate Nutritionist every other week!
What if there was a supplement that would safely help your body make more energy and burn more fat naturally? This may sound like a dream come true, but supply your body with the right nutrients and your metabolic engine will no longer be sputtering along! There are two nutrients that many people are deficient in and don’t even know it. Our body needs basic building blocks to make things happen. Unfortunately, with today’s food supply and stress levels, we are faced with having some major missing links.
B-12: A CRITICAL NUTRIENT
A study that came out of Tufts University last year found that as many as 40 percent of healthy men and women have low levels of B-12.1 The study was led by Katherine Tucker, PhD, a nutritional epidemiologist at Tufts University in Boston. They evaluated B-12 blood levels in 3,000 adults and found many of them deficient even though they were eating diets that had as much as three times the RDA (Recommended Daily Amount) of B-12.
ARE YOU LOW IN B-12?
- Memory Problems
- Depression or Negative Mood
- Foggy Brain
- Heart Disease
- High Homocysteine Levels
- Anemia and Poor Energy
- Female Fertility Challenges
There are many reasons why you could not be getting enough B-12 and also not absorbing enough B-12. Low thyroid function lowers your ability to absorb this nutrient along with other stomach issues, antacid use, the drug Metformin, coffee consumption, and increasing age. It is very difficult to overdose on this crucial nutrient so it is important to include lean animal proteins in your diet and supplement every day. It is also important to take the converted form, methylcobalamin versus the cheaper version, which is cyanocobalamin. My Fit Foods B-12 with L-Carnitine and our Daily Fit Packs (Multi-Vitamin) supply this more bio-available form.
YOUR SECRET WEAPON: L-CARNITINE
When you see the research on this little known nutrient, you will be a big believer in its power to help you burn fat, protect your heart, and increase your energy and brain power. Unless you are eating pounds of red meat a day, you are probably not getting enough of this nutrient to really optimize fat burning.
ARE YOU LOW IN L-CARNITINE?
- Fatigue
- Progressive Weight Gain
- High Cholesterol and Triglycerides
- Weak Heart Function
- Lack of Mental Focus
- Poor Immune Function
So, how does L-Carnitine work in the body? L-Carnitine is the only nutrient that can transport fat to the part of the cell that burns it off: the mitochondria. If you can’t get fat into the mitochondria, you can’t burn it. So no Carnitine, no fat burning. Higher Carnitine levels, on the other hand, allow our body to burn fat at an optimal rate. One study showed that those that took 2,000 mg of L-Carnitine a day had 11 times the fat loss than those that didn’t and this was with no change in diet or exercise. Talk about a power house! 2
L-Carnitine is also a crucial nutrient for heart health. The heart derives 70% of its energy from fat and fat can’t be burned without Carnitine. Carnitine is one of the most useful nutrients for lowering cholesterol and triglycerides.6 Because of the role L-Carnitine plays, it is also a great aid for increased exercise and sports performance. Carnitine has been found to increase the peak running speed in athletes by 6%.7
If you are new to L-Carnitine, you can begin by picking up one of the new My Fit Foods B-12 with L-Carnitine and for your first week, take one serving in the morning on an empty stomach. You may increase after a week to two servings. It takes about 4 to 5 days to feel the full effects but be warned that although this is a natural energy producer, you don’t want to take it after 3 pm or it may affect your sleep.
You can also add it to the My Fit Foods Cocktail (recipe here).
On our 21 Day Challenge, we ask our clients to wean off caffeine completely and we now give them the safe substitute that really works! You will definitely find you no longer need your morning cup of joe, mental sharpness is returning, and your ability to burn fat is heightened.
Resources:
B-12:
1.Tucker KL, Hannan MT, Qiao N, Jacques PF, Selhub J, Cupples LA, Kiel DP. Low plasma vitamin B12 is associated with lower BMD: the Framingham Osteoporosis Study. J Bone Miner Res. 2005 Jan;20(1):152-8. Epub 2004 Oct 25.
Carnitine:
2.Rebouche CJ, Paulson DJ. Carnitine metabolism and function in humans. Annu Rev Nutr 1986;6:41-66.
3.Avogaro P, Bon GB, Cazzolato G, Rorai E. Acute effects of L-carnitine on FFA and beta-OH-butyrate in man. Pharmacol Res Commun 1981; 13(5):443-50.
4.McCarty MF. Promotion of hepatic lipid oxidation and gluconeogenesis as a strategy for appetite control.
5.Kaats. The short-term therapeutic efficacy of treating obesity with a plan of improved nutrition and moderate calorie restriction. Curr Ther Res 1992;51(2): 261-274.
6. Fernandez C, Proto C. L-Carnitine in the treatment of chronic myocardial ischemia. Clin Ter 1992; 140 (4): 353-77.
7. Clarkson. Nutritional ergogenics aids: Carnitine. International Journal of Sports Nutrition 1992; 2: 185 – 190.
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