Wormwood

Let’s face it, we're pretty stressed. That may mean that we struggle to maintain balance in our over-stimulated and fast-paced culture. When we are chronically stressed, our body struggles to keep up with the demands of our life, leading to illness, mood disorders, physical ailments, and overall poor health. However, what if there was a natural way to better adapt to life’s stressors and become more resilient in the face of adversity? Enter adaptogens! Used for thousands of years in Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine, adaptogens are plants, herbs and mushrooms that help counteract the harmful effects of stress. Called adaptogens due to their unique ability to “adapt” their function according to your body’s specific needs, they can help heal a host of health issues or simply help ease stress by bringing the body back into balance (otherwise known as homeostasis). Why is this important? In order for our bodies to thrive, we must have a constant internal environment. This means that everything from our body temperature, blood sugar levels, and water content must be controlled and balanced for our cells and bodily systems to function optimally. When we’re exposed to life’s stressors our homeostasis is disrupted, and so are the systems of the body. Adaptogens can help improve our resistance to stress (emotional stress, physical trauma or injury, illness, fatigue, pollution) and normalize our body’s functions. This allows us to maintain a more regular state of homeostasis for optimal health. How do adaptogens work? Our stress levels and response are controlled by a system of glands called the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The central nervous system helps regulate and normalize the HPA axis to help us better cope with stress. Adaptogens ease stress response by releasing Hsp70 and Hsp72 (1), which are "stress sensor" proteins. This helps the central nervous system come out of fight-or-flight mode and back into a balanced state. Without easing our stress response, our bodies can either be over-functioning or under-functioning, often leading to neurodegeneration, chronic inflammation, and even cancer. The benefits of using adaptogens on a regular basis: Improved quality and quantity of sleep Boosted energy (without the crash you get from caffeine) Improved emotional well-being and resiliency Increased concentration and cognitive function Balanced stress and sex hormones Normalized digestive functioning Strengthened immune system Increased detoxification and liver health Stronger resistance to stress   Start by adding your favourite adaptogen into your morning smoothie and observe the improvements you may feel. Remember, adaptogens can help make lasting changes to your health, but it won’t happen overnight. When you stay consistent, keep up with your self-care practice, and make small, sustainable changes you can create your healthiest, most joyful lifestyle. Learn more about our adaptogens    

Would you believe me if I told you that you are made up of trillions of bacteria? Sounds crazy right? At any given time, we have more bacteria (in and on us) than we have human cells. How is that for a “did you know?” Bacteria is found everywhere throughout your body. One very important place it is found however, is in your gut. The gut’s lining, is covered with microscopic bacteria and organisms which impact your health. Your lifestyle, mood, activity, diet all impact the balance of these microorganisms. It’s this microecosystem that is referred to as your gut microbiome. What you want, is good bacteria to make up your microbiome. What are the good bacteria? Good bacteria contribute to our overall health and well-being. We are continuously discovering the never-ending extent into which these little bacteria are beneficial to us. Certain strains of bacteria do really beneficial things in our body such as: Stimulate the immune system Break down food compound Help absorb nutrients and amino acids Play a role in contributing to reactions in the body that impact weight, mood and digestion You will find different families of bacteria in different areas in the gut. In the colon you will mainly find anaerobic bacteria you commonly hear such as for Peptostreptococcus, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Clostridium. These “good bacteria” also work to prevent the growth of the “bad bacteria”. There are many ways to keep your gut microflora strong and thriving, in order to help contribute to better health. Listed below are a few ideas of how to incorporate these into your daily routine. DID YOU KNOW? Your gut houses up to 1,000 different species of bacteria? 1. EAT MORE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES I know you hear this often, but we all need reminders from time to time. The bacteria in your gut love the fibres in fruits and vegetables. They use the fibre as a source of energy and it helps them grow strong, which in turn helps keep us strong. Here are some tips to follow: Consider keeping some, if not all, skin on fruits and vegetables because this is a great source of fibre for your gut. Fermented foods such as tempeh and sauerkraut are great for your gut bacteria as well. Fermented foods are a bonus because they contain both prebiotics and probiotics. Adding a new fruit or vegetable to your diet may also help maintain diversity of your gut microflora. 2. LIMIT STRESS I know this is easier said than done, but it is incredibly important. Stress wreaks havoc on your intestinal tract. Constantly being in a state of stress will cause long term damage all over your body, but especially in your gut. This is important because the bacteria in your gut need a healthy environment to thrive. So how do you mitigate the sometimes-unavoidable effects of stress? When you find yourself overwhelmed by daily stressors in life: Take a moment to relax and take a deep breath. Stop for 2 minutes to close your eyes, breathe in for a count of five, and then out for another count of five. Take adaptogens that work to limit your stress, help you come to balance with your mind and body. Products like Maca, Reishi, and Ashwagandha work great. Take stress support supplements with your collagen. Enhanced Collagen Relax offers a blend of collagen (which helps gut health) in combination with L-Theanine (the stress supplement). 3. GET OUTSIDE AND GET DIRTY Using antibacterial products consistently will also damage your microbiome. This means it will destroy the bad bacteria and the good bacteria that keep us healthy. It is also especially important that our immune system does get exposed to bad bacteria. This exposure is vital for our body's ability to build up immunity to these not-so-friendly microbes. It allows our immune system to defend itself more readily in future exposures to these strains. Our bodies are brilliant and will constantly build immunity to bad bacteria and protect us more often than we realize. It is important to have this immunity strong for times when we really need it. When we use antibacterial products often, we kill off beneficial bacteria, and do not provide our immune system with enough exposure to bad bacteria. Without this exposure to bad bacteria, our immune system cannot build up the correct resistance - sometimes it is okay to get a little dirty! If you want to maintain a healthy microflora the true trick is to keep it simple! Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet, work on reducing stress. Next time you are at the park with your children, try playing with them in the sandbox! Note: Kids should be taking probiotics daily, get their microbiome off to a healthy head start. Cheers to good health! Amy Wilson

The short answer, yes. Collagen plays a role in gut health. As you age all body functions start to decrease or slow down. This includes digestion for some. The muscles of the digestive tract may become weaker. The production of key digestive enzymes may decrease, but also the lining of the gut may become more permeable (easier to attack or get through). When your gut is unhealthy it can lead to various symptoms: mood disorders, decreased immunity, weight gain, just to name a few. Here's why you should take collagen supplements to help heal your gut or increase its strength. How does collagen help improve gut health? Collagen has a rich amino acid profile, many of which have been studied to support gut health by reducing inflammation and healing the gut. Collagen is high in Glutamine, which helps build connective tissues and heal the gut’s lining. This has been shown to be helpful in those with compromised intestinal permeability (leaky gut). Glutamine has been linked to improving the gut’s microbiota which helps to keep the digestive tract running smoothly and makes it stronger to avoid injury, wounds, or damage under stress. Glycine and proline, also found in collagen, work to help seal and heal the gut lining whenever there is damage. This improves digestion. Arginine is another amino acid involved in wound healing in the gut. Because collagen contains all these essential amino acids, a hydrolyzed collagen peptide supplement daily can help build a stronger and healthier digestive tract. Is collagen more important than gelatin – or is it the same? Gelatin is essentially the cooked version of collagen. They both provide the same amino acids and provide the same benefits. However, collagen, like our Enhanced Collagen Original, is hydrolyzed (broken down into smaller peptides), whereas gelatin is not. It's better to take collagen to ensure you are obtaining all benefits. Your body can skip the step of having to break it down, making collagen much easier to absorb. Collagen also easily dissolves in water and is a lot more convenient to use. Should I take collagen powder or bone broth for gut health? Either or both. Collagen powder can help support gut health (described above due to its amino acid profile). With that being said, bone broth contains collagen and gelatin. So, you can heal your gut with Organika’s Bone Broth Powder as well. The bonus of bone broth is that it contains additional essential minerals that also work to heal the gut’s intestinal lining and reduce inflammation. Bone broth is a highly beneficial source of nutrition. Both collagen and bone broth are great options, so the choice really depends on your preference. Organika does have an option to maximize this: Full Spectrum Collagen 1,2,3. This product combines chicken bone broth, bovine collagen, and marine collagen – making it a mix of all types of collagens.