When we think about body recovery, the first thing that comes to mind can be different for each of us. For me, I think about recovering from a workout. Others may think about recovery from a medical condition. This blog will focus on two areas of body recovery: activity and toxins. I am leaving out recovery from a medical condition because of the complexity of topics one would be recovering from, which would end up being a book and not a blog.
Activity Recovery
Whether you are someone who works out regularly or not, recovery from any activity is important. When we put our body into any sort of extra physical (or mental) activity, there needs to be a period of recovery to avoid damage or discomfort. The following are a few of my personal favorites (I take them daily) as part of my recovery from my active lifestyle.
PEA (Levagen®+)- PEA or Palmitoylethanolamide has a dual mechanism of action to help enhance muscle regeneration, and it is clinically proven for exercise-induced inflammation. The most bioavailable form of PEA is Levagen®+ (the brand of PEA I take). Because PEA helps with muscle regeneration (repair and production), it can be essential to help support your body as you expose it to increased exercise. Additionally, reducing exercise-induced inflammation will help you recover quicker and not feel sore.
Curcumin (HydroCurc®)- HydroCurc® is the most bioavailable form of curcumin available. HydroCurc® uses patented technology to help improve its absorption into your bloodstream to work quicker. Studies with HydroCurc® show it helps with exercise recovery, reduces lactic acid levels post-exercise, reduces joint pain and discomfort, and supports overall joint health. These two are an excellent 1-2 punch for helping your body as you begin to exercise again. Nothing is worse than feeling sore the next day, which can deter you from working out again.
Omega-3s- omega-3 fatty acids help post-workout inflammation and faster recovery.
Antioxidants- antioxidants can act as an anti-inflammatory and help reduce chronic inflammation and help you with faster recovery. While HydroCurc® is considered a powerful antioxidant, I believe that additional antioxidants should be consumed too. For activity-related recovery, astaxanthin (AstaPure®) is great here because studies show it helps reduce muscle fatigue and supports faster recovery times.
BCCAs- Without consuming enough amino acids (what makes up protein and muscle), your body will lose muscle or not create/repair muscle after your activity. BCCAs will help assure your body can repair, rebuild, and restore your muscle and lead to a faster recovery.
L-glutamine- is one of the best supplements for muscle recovery due to its ability to reduce muscle breakdown and post-workout soreness. With less soreness and faster recovery, you can increase your workouts.
L-Carnitine (CarniPure®)- L-Carnitine is depleted during exercise and is needed to help with energy production, decrease fatigue, reduce metabolic waste accumulation and facilitate recovery post-exercise. L-carnitine helps transport fatty acids out of the blood and into the mitochondria, the energy factory of each cell. These fatty acids are then burned as fuel to provide energy during increased activity. L-carnitine also helps improve endurance by inhibiting the build-up of lactic acid, one of the primary causes of fatigue. L-carnitine also plays a role in reducing muscle damage and soreness.
Recovery from Toxins
Recovery from toxins is often overlooked as part of a body recovery program. I believe supporting your body with regard to toxins should be a daily battle. Some people choose to use cleansing products once or twice a year, but I think that we are under attack from toxins daily, either from our environment (air, water, foods, etc.) or the toxins our body naturally produces. Most don’t think about the second part of the body producing toxins.
Liver Support
In a previous blog, I wrote a detailed article on Liver General Health in which I discussed the many areas of health impacted by having an unhealthy liver. Since the liver is the primary organ to either break down or neutralize toxins, it is imperative to support its health. Here are a few of my favorite supplements for helping the liver and the body eliminate toxins:
Milk Thistle- The active substance in milk thistle is silymarin, which is made up of several natural plant molecules. Studies show that silymarin may help the liver cells’ regeneration, decrease inflammation, and protect liver cells from damage in an antioxidant-type manner.[i]
Artichoke- Artichoke has been used in traditional medicine for centuries as a specific liver and gallbladder remedy. The active ingredient in artichoke is cynarin which is found in the highest concentrations in the leaves. Like silymarin, cynarin has demonstrated liver-protecting and regenerating effects in several studies.[ii].
Dandelion- Dandelion has been tested against various drugs and chemical-induced chronic liver diseases in experimental animals and has yielded promising results. Studies also show liver-protective, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties.[iii].
4’LiverTM- 4’LiverTM is something new to the natural health market. It is a potent herbal extract traditionally used in Ayurvedic formulas. It combines two herbs (Terminalia chebula and Sphaeranthus indicus). A recent study showed that 4’LiverTM helped reduce fatty liver index, impacts the progression of fatty liver, supports liver biomarkers, supports healthy blood fat levels (LDL, HDL, etc.), supports overall liver function, and acts as a potent antioxidant protecting the liver. The study also showed that this potent liver health combination outperformed silymarin by the end of the study. Perhaps 4’LiverTM should be our top consideration for liver health support.
Kidney Support
Supporting the kidneys is also important since they are the filter that captures and removes toxins from the body. The following are a few of my favorite kidney support ingredients.
Water- Yes, you read this right. Water is something that most people don’t consume much these days and is critical for helping to remove toxins through the kidneys. You have a choice of what beverage you are going to consume, and water should be your primary choice.
Dandelion- Dandelion leaf has diuretic effects, promotes increased urine production, and replaces potassium that may be lost in the urine.
Uva Ursi- Like dandelion leaf, uva ursi can increase urine flow. By eliminating more fluids, we are helping to support the removal of toxins.
Parsley- Parsley, like the two herbs mentioned above, has a diuretic effect. It is also known not to remove electrolytes (an added benefit).
Nettle Leaf- This might seem like a broken record, but nettle leaf is a powerful diuretic known to help in the “purification of the blood” and remove uric acid.
Summary
Remember that the supplements mentioned in the kidney and liver recovery sections would most likely benefit those recovering from physical activity too. Since the body produces more toxins when we are physically active, combining these ingredients with your active lifestyle supplements would most likely improve your overall recovery from that activity. The way this was written, the idea would be to take supplements from each category daily to support your body’s recovery and repair process.
[i] PDQ Integrative, Alternative, and Complementary Therapies Editorial Board. Milk Thistle (PDQ®): Health Professional Version. 2018 August 17. In: PDQ Cancer Information Summaries [Internet]. Bethesda (M.D.): National Cancer Institute (U.S.); 2002-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK65780/
[ii] Cilt, Sayi, Hepatoprotective effects of artichoke (Cynara scolymus), Bilm ve Genclik Dergisi Tunceli University 2013 Vol. 1, Issue 2,
[iii] Devaraj, Ezhilarasan. Hepatoprotective properties of Dandelion: Recent update. Journal of Applied Pharmaceutical Science. 6. 202-205. 10.7324/JAPS.2016.60429