You really are what you eat!

How often have you heard that phrase?  Many times, I bet, but do you know the truth behind it?  Our bodies are ever growing, changing, ageing and replenishing constantly.

Did you know every 7 to 10 years, the majority of your body’s cells are completely replaced!  Some cells are in fact replaced every 5 days; your digestive tract works so hard that it must be renewed as frequently as this.

Your skin completely replenishes itself every 2 to 6 weeks, your bones 7 to 10 years.  Incredible really!

This then begs the question, if our bodies are needing to produce new cells all the time, where do the building blocks to build these cells come from?  The very atoms that are needed to make new cells must come from what you put into your body.

The types of food or supplements you ingest will provide the very basis to rebuild your new cells, it is therefore so important that you choose wisely.  The better quality of nutrients put into your body will lead to a better quality of cell produced.  That is not to say a treat is out of the question, but overall, you must be very much aware of what you ingest if you want the best quality of cells to become the new you.

Although sounding clich, fresh fruit and vegetables accompanied by high quality protein are essential.  Many nutritionists advise people to ensure half the food on their plates is vegetable-based.  They also suggest including a wide range of different colours when choosing your fruit and veg because that way you are more likely to ensure you are getting a wide range of nutrients.  Think of it as a foodie rainbow.

You can split the various types of fruit and vegetables into the following colours:

RED
Foods in this colour group contain lycopene, this is a bright red antioxidant which means it will ‘mop up’ free radicals and has been found to help heart health and help to reduce the risk of cancer. Tomatoes and watermelons are a great example of lycopene rich foods that also contain vitamin A and C.

PURPLE/BLUE
Blue and purple vegetables and fruits contain anthocyanin; this gives them their vibrant colour. Anthocyanin is also an antioxidant that helps protect our cells by reducing the number of free radicals in our bodies. Antioxidants are essential in maintaining cardiovascular health and helping to reduce the chance of mutated cells that can lead to cancer. Blue and purple foods are often high in vitamins K and C and a couple of tasty examples are blueberries and aubergines.

ORANGE/YELLOW
Orange and yellow fruits and vegetables get their colour from carotenoids. An example of which is Betacarotene. The liver converts betacarotene into vitamin A, this is essential for our immune system and helps our heart, lungs and kidneys function correctly. Some delicious examples are pumpkins and sweet potatoes. These types of foods also contain vitamin C and K which are essential for replenishing collagen and helping our blood clotting systems.

GREEN
Green vegetables contain a huge range of health-promoting phytochemicals ranging from antioxidants and various vitamins. All of which are essential for normal healthy cell function and reproduction. Green vegetables are also high in vitamins such as K, B and E and C. Some great examples are spinach, broccoli and kale.

BROWN/WHITE
Foods such as garlic contain the antioxidant allicin which is has incredible antibacterial and antiviral properties.  Foods such as bananas and potatoes are a great source of potassium, this is essential for muscle contraction and also fluid balance in your body.  You also have the added benefits of vitamin C, B and K.

As you age it can become more difficult for you to obtain everything you need from food alone, this is when a high-quality supplement can aid you and your body to age healthier and stronger. Our supplements; Ingenious Vegan and Ingenious Active contain vitamin C, vitamin E and Zinc for the specific purpose to increase collagen synthesis, the main structural protein of our body. We also selected the most powerful antioxidant known to man, Astaxanthin, to put inside all our supplements. Astaxanthin is 6,000 more powerful than vitamin C at removing free radicals from the body.

So, the next time you pick up that burger or go for the lower quality supplement, remember what you consume will be the basis for building your new cells. Using the best quality building blocks will lead to the best quality final product. So invest in yourself and your body. It’s the only one you have and will yield bigger dividends than any other investment you’ll ever make.

Pupinder S Ghatora MPharm MRPharmS SCS

CEO Colltec Laboratories