The Benefits of Algae in Chronic Illness: Featuring EnergyBits
Episode 97
In this week's episode, Dr. Nicole, joined by Catherine Arnston, founder of EnergyBits, discuss the benefits of algae in chronic illness'. Listen to the podcast to learn more about how Catherine's products are a great way to stay energized and healthy! For more podcasts like this, visit https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/integrative-wellness-radio/id1126893522. Also check out Catherine's website for additonal information on her prodcuts and story! https://www.energybits.com/
Topics: nutrition, because, diet, algae, should, years, tell, benefits
Key takeaways from this episode
- Now, they, they didn't tell her, thank God, they told her, first of all, that's remarkable, and, um, this is 10 years ago and people were not talking about plant-based nutrition like they are now.
- So, I decided 10 years ago, I was gonna devote the rest of my life to getting algae into the mainstream because it is the easiest way to get your nutrition.
- So, we have Catherine here, which owns a company called Energy Bits, where she is, um, creating a, or I should say, putting out an amazing product that is really, really beneficial for people's health.
- And, um, then out of the blue, my younger sister in Canada developed breast cancer, and her oncologist told her she should change her diet to an alkaline diet because it would help her heal.
- But they didn't tell her what it was, an alkaline diet, or, or, uh, why it worked.
Pull quotes
So, we have Catherine here, which owns a company called Energy Bits, where she is, um, creating a, or I should say, putting out an amazing product that is really, really beneficial for people's health.
And I know that for her, a big thing that we want to talk about is the quality, because I think that that's something that's, a lot of people don't realize is that not all of the spirulina and chlorella is created equal.
So before we get into the nitty-gritty, I want you to introduce yourself and tell everyone like a little bit about yourself, your company, and how you got into it.
Transcript
Hello everyone, welcome back to another episode of Integrative Wellness Radio. So, we are doing it a little bit differently this time. So, we have Catherine here, which owns a company called Energy Bits, where she is, um, creating a, or I should say, putting out an amazing product that is really, really beneficial for people's health. And I'm gonna let her talk a lot about it, but both when it comes to spirulina and chlorella products, we have been using this, uh, in our practice for many, many years and it's been something so essential that we personally seen with helping to purify the blood. And I know that she's gonna talk probably more about some of the things that she's seen and some of the benefits of it, but I know that it's such an essential, uh, component to people's supplement regimens in order to really just see their health really get back to where it should be. Right. And I know that for her, a big thing that we want to talk about is the quality, because I think that that's something that's, a lot of people don't realize is that not all of the spirulina and chlorella is created equal. That's true. Like, like everything in life, right? Exactly, exactly. So before we get into the nitty-gritty, I want you to introduce yourself and tell everyone like a little bit about yourself, your company, and how you got into it. Okay. Well, yes, it's it's an interesting story because you don't become an algae expert, um, uh, you know, you don't, when you're you're born, it it I tell people, I I didn't choose algae, it chose me, and I'm quite happy with that, so, um, and every day I learn more about it and it's still stuns me after 10 years about, you know, this amazing food group that Mother Nature has given to us. So, um, yeah, so I have a, I'm Canadian, I live in Boston, I've been here 30 years, but, um, I had a corporate career. I actually was also in the other startups and I was in the interior design industry, nothing to do with nutrition. And, um, then out of the blue, my younger sister in Canada developed breast cancer, and her oncologist told her she should change her diet to an alkaline diet because it would help her heal. Now, they, they didn't tell her, thank God, they told her, first of all, that's remarkable, and, um, this is 10 years ago and people were not talking about plant-based nutrition like they are now. But they didn't tell her what it was, an alkaline diet, or, or, uh, why it worked. So she called me, not because I know anything about nutrition, but because she's my baby sister, and I'm also a really good researcher and I can find out anything. So I said, don't you worry, we'll figure this out, and it and so I did, I went went to the internet and I turned out an alkaline diet was predominantly a plant-based diet because of the phytonutrients and the chlorophyll that do build your immune system and we'll talk a little bit about that. So she, and removing acidic foods like dairy and processed foods. So, she did change her diet, she did go through chemo, and 10 years later she is still cancer-free. But in the process of helping her, I started, you know, getting more curious about this. So, I I started reading book after book after book. By the tenth book, I thought, my gosh, this is really powerful knowledge, somebody should tell the rest of the world about this and I thought, well, what the heck, why don't I try? So, but I had no nutrition background, so I I didn't have time to get a registered dieticians degree, I already had two. So, I got a a one year certificate coaching nutrition coaching certificate from the Institute for Integrated Nutrition in New York. And then, uh, with that, I put together a a curriculum teaching plant-based nutrition, and I gave it for free at large corporations, in uh, hospitals, places like State Street Bank, basically anybody who would let me in. Um, and I learned a valuable lesson, one, well, two, actually. One, that everybody knows they need to eat more greens and they should incorporate more plant-based nutrition in their diet. But two, most people are busy, or they don't like the taste, or their kids won't eat them, or their husbands won't eat them. So I thought, if I'm gonna help America get healthy, I've gotta find a way to get greens into them that's easy, fast, safe, and maybe doesn't even taste green. So, back to the drawing board and I just started testing things and powders and And I thought, what about that algae that I'd found for my sister? So, I hadn't spent a lot of time on it. It was just one of many things I found for her. But then I started researching it extensively and it was like Alison Wonderland falling down the rabbit hole because algae is the most studied food in the world. There's almost 100,000 studies, about 60,000 on spirulina, about 40,000 on chlorella, documenting scientifically its efficacy, whether it's for energy or detox, or preventing, you know, chronic illnesses like, uh, diabetes or cancer or helping to reverse them. It's used in Asia, uh, where the it's a major food group in Asia. It's uh, an industry the size of the beef industry here. It's enormous and I tell people, these algae farms are not like your little back grand backyard garden. They're like four times the size of a football stadium, they're enormous and the only thing wrong with algae is that in America, people don't know about it like they do in Asia, or the quality is poor. There's been no educating, there's been no branding. So, I decided 10 years ago, I was gonna devote the rest of my life to getting algae into the mainstream because it is the easiest way to get your nutrition. We don't, it's not a supplement, it's a food, it's like kale or broccoli and so it's it's a food group. And supplements, um, are extracts and you your body only absorbs a very small percentage of them. when you get your nutrition from food, and something so easy as algae where you don't have to cook it, clean it, or even taste it if you swallow it, although you can chew it, uh, it's the simplest, fastest, purest, cleanest, if you buy ours, way to protect your health, get all of your nutrition, get rid of toxins and and help to reverse any illnesses that you do have. So, it's an honor for me and my team to educate people about algae and we're everything we do is, um, very high quality and that's why it's taken us a long time and why we're endorsed by doctors and nutritionists because of the purity and the efficacy and the, um, safety levels that we've gone to because I want everybody to feel, uh, and be healthy and, um, we have a health crisis on our hands. For sure. So, so that's how algae found me. And I tell people algae, you know, I was on Shark Tank a couple, a while ago and they accused me of not being in love with an entrepreneur. They said, you're just in love with algae. And I said, well, you know, you've got a point. I I am in love with algae and if you knew as much as I do about algae you'd be in love with it too. So, I'm here to share what I I know. That's something I would love the audience to know is, um, as we were digging through all of this research, like, I'm sure there were so many components that you're like, oh my gosh, I can't believe it does this and helps with this. But like, what are your top three that makes you so in love with algae? Oh wow. Oh my god, that's like asking a mother which child is her favorite. That's unfair. Well, um, before I answer that, let me step back and help your listeners understand what exactly algae is and what the two are because the two have different attributes and so there's top three for each one. So, as I mentioned, algae is a food group. So, just like fruits or vegetables, algae is a whole food category. And just like in fruits, for example, you have, um, apples and oranges, is types of fruits. You have types of algae and the two main types are seaweed and microalgae. And within seaweed you have, uh, red and brown, and within microalgae you, the main ones are blue-green and green. And so, we sell two types of algae, spirulina, which is one type of blue-green algae, and chlorella, which is one type of green algae. Now, the reason why I mentioned that they're only one types because often you'll go on the internet and you'll read about the poisonous blue-green algae. Well, that's only if it's grown in the ocean or swamps or lakes or your swimming pool or your aquarium, because algae absorbs whatever's in the in the water and so it's toxic. If it's grown carefully like a, uh, like we do and as, uh, the two, you know, spirulina and chlorella are the two that are harvested the most for consumption. And like I mentioned, it's a multi-billion dollar industry in Asia where it's grown for 50 years. The company that grows ours is a $50 million company. I mean, this is, this is not a small industry. This is massive. So, and we grow ours in Taiwan, which has the highest quality standards there. So, so there are multi types of blue-green green, but they're only two that really are consumed are spirulina and chlorella. So, spirulina was the first life on earth and it's been documented with fossils four billion years ago. And, uh, so the, it's a, uh, we call, it gives you energy. So, the top three attributes of spirulina are that it gives you energy, mentally and physically. It satisfies your hunger. Uh, and it's the and you could live on it forever because it's such a complete nutrition. Yeah. It has, um, in fact, the nutrient profile is almost identical to mother's breast milk, at least the amino acids are, because, uh, and I used to wonder about that because I read that in Asia, if babies couldn't digest mother's milk, uh, and they needed something to keep them alive, spirulina and water was the only thing that worked. And I often wonder, well, why is that? Well, then I looked at the nutrient profile of spirulina, it's exactly the same amino acids in the same proportions as mother's breast milk, and we all know that mother's breast milk is the perfect food. So, spirulina is also this perfect food, and it's endorsed by United Nations and has been for 50 years, or 40, by the United Nations as the answer to world hunger because it has the highest concentration of protein in the world. It's ours is 64% protein. That's three times the amount of protein as steak or animal protein. So, that's spirulina. And the other really amazing thing if I'm allowed a four For, uh, um, key thing about spirulina is that it's technically a bacteria. So, it has no cellulose wall on the outside of it. So, that allows your body to absorb it effortlessly and instantly. This is why athletes love it so much because we work with triathletes and marathon, uh, long distance, ultra runners who go 100 miles, we work with NHL teams, Olympic teams, and they love the spirulina because it gets into their bloodstream very quickly and it gives them sustained energy. So, it's not a rush like sugar, uh, or caffeine and there's no crash, it's just steady. And, um, all the protein is already in amino acid form. So, again, nothing for your body to break down. So, fast absorption, highest concentration of protein, satisfies your hunger, it's used for intermittent fasting, because it's keto and vegan, uh, high energy, um, steady energy, and approved mental, uh, acuity and focus. So, I know that's five. So, it's a little bit, it's like, well, and my, my child also does this, you know, Yeah, That's my, that's my firstborn is spirulina. So, that's And my second born is chlorella, which, uh, did occur on, uh, show up on earth a billion years after spirulina. So, spirulina is the firstborn. Okay. And I have no children, these are my children. Literally. Yeah. And you know, just as a segue, I I laugh sometimes, I go into somebody else's offices and all their shelves still have pictures of their children, and for me, I have pictures of my my tins and my bags and my products. Just algae. All my God let me introduce you to my family. So, I feel, and when we sell it, it's like, you know, we feel like an adoption agency we're sending them to good homes. So, that's All right. So, so back to my second born, chlorella. It's a green algae because it only has one pigment in it, which is chlorophyll, the other spirulina has two pigments. And and chlorella is part of the plant kingdom because it does have a cellular wall. And in fact, it has the hardest cellular wall in the plant kingdom. And the reason why that's important is because that hard cell wall attaches to toxins in your body. It will pull out, so it chelates lead, mercury, radiation. Uh, athletes use it because it pulls out lactic acid. It pulls out alcohol, which you know, we're getting into the festive season here and there's lots of parties going on. And I promise you, it works every time because what your body converts alcohol into certain toxins, and the chlorella identifies it as a toxin. Now, it's much better than activated charcoal if you're trying to remove toxins because activated charcoal pulls out everything, even the good minerals. Not chlorella. I call chlorella intelligent food because it knows what to do in your body, and you have to be intelligent to take it. Um, so, it only pulls out the bad, the toxins. It also pulls out the toxins that come from fungus or mold. It will pull out everything, cleans out your liver, it's beautiful. So, chlorella top top thing it does is chelate and removes toxins. It also cleanses because it has the highest concentration of chlorophyll in the world. That's why it's called chlorella is because of the chlorophyll. And, um, you know, spirulina has chlorophyll as well, but chlorella has the highest amount. Now, chlorophyll, your your mother's always told you to eat greens. Well, a large part of that is because of the chlorophyll, which is very, um, cleansing to your body. And you might say, well, what's exactly, what does that mean? Well, chlorophyll is a fat-based pigment. And the reason why that's important is because all of your health issues start at the cellular level. So the cell walls have to be healthy, your mitochondria inside the cell walls have to be healthy. And if and if those two things don't happen, then then there's, um, uh, then the cells become ill, they stop communicating, they become rogue cells which grow into cancer cells and it's not it's a slippery slope after that. So, keeping your cell walls healthy, which require fats, is your first step to make sure your health is maintained. Well, chlorophyll, I say it's it's like a window washer. You know, when your windows get dirty, you can't see out and sunlight can't get in. Chlorophyll cleanses your cell walls because it's fat-based. So, nutrients can get in and toxins can get out. And that's what cleansing means when you talk about chlo chlorophyll. Uh, the interesting thing about chlorophyll is only about 10% gets absorbed in your stomach, so the rest of it travels through your liver and down through your colon. So, it's very cleansing and because chlorella absorbs toxins, it absorbs carcinogens at the same time. They use it for IBS and Crohn's disease. So, very cleansing to the liver, very cleansing to the colon and very cleansing to your blood. Speaking of which, if anyone's curious, go online and you'll find that the chemical composition of chlorophyll is virtually identical to the chemical composition of your hemoglobin. There's only one difference. In your in chlorophyll, the central, uh, atom is, um, is magnesium, and in your blood, it's iron. And that iron atom is what carries oxygen in your blood. And if it wasn't for that iron atom, we would literally have green green blood. So, if your blood and you and chlorophyll are virtually identical, that's gotta be a tip-off of how important it is to maintaining your health. And I worry so much about these people when people are on keto diets because they're cutting back on all of their greens because they don't want the carbs, but now you're cheating yourself of this rich chlorophyll. So, I encourage anybody who's on a keto diet to take some chlorella because it is ketogenic, which means it doesn't decrease your ketones or increase your glucose, and it's got all that rich chlorophyll. So, top notes about, you know, the top three for chlo chlorella pulls out toxins, cleansing, and it also builds your immune system. And how does it do that? Well, it has the highest concentration of iron, it has the highest concentration of RNA and DNA in the world. Um, it has something called chlorella growth factor, which speeds up the growth of your cells. So, that when you do, um, get sick or, or when you're just, it, you know, the aging process, it helps you grow back healthier cells. It also has your daily requirement of, um, K2. This is an important vitamin that that was just discovered 25 years ago. Most people don't even know about, and almost everyone is short of it, and there's virtually only two food sources in America that you can get it from. One is grass-fed, uh, animal protein and the other is chlorella. And K2 moves calcium out of soft tissue, so out of your brain, out of your blood vessels, out of your skin, and into your bones where it should be, um, so you prevent osteoporosis at the same time. So, these are just, so chlorella is a wellness algae. Very healing, detoxing, cleansing, uh, and spirulina is an energizing, uh, sort of, uh, it satisfies hunger and, um, so I tell people, well mother nature gave us a, you know, she had a sense of humor. She gave us spirulina to get us up in the morning and get us energized for the day for the parties, and then when we go to a party or, uh, do something that's maybe stressful, whatever exercise, we take the chlorella to pull out the toxins from the day, um, or, and then we could do it all again the next day. So, they they work tandem, and they do completely different things in your body. Yeah. Well, I think that it's just, it when we're having this conversation about these products and all of the benefits of them and how they're providing us nutrients, and how they're also helping with purification, detoxification, et cetera, is that some people might be sitting here thinking like, do I really need that? You know, most people have no idea the level of toxicity that exists in our world, but also just in our food industry. I know. I know. And it's just such a huge thing that I think people need to be aware of is that number one is, even if we're eating organic, so if we're eating conventional, the the soil is completely nutrient devoid. Yeah. And then even if we're eating organic, it's a bit better, but because of how things have changed, we're still dealing with way less nutrients that is in the soil from 20 to 30 years ago. Exactly. Yeah, I'm so glad you mentioned that because I I I point that out to people all the time. There's all sorts of studies that show because the soils are so nutrient deprived, there's nothing those there's no minerals for them to pull up. And then we're also growing the fruit and vegetables farther and farther away, so they're they're crops before they reach their maturation, so they don't have, so the another reason for them to have fewer nutrients. Then they're shipped and stored for weeks or months at a time. Again, fewer nutrients. I had a chart that I used to show in my, when I gave classes, and you're basically eating, you know, fiber with no nutrient value. And they've also shown because of the CO2 levels increasing, that there's more sugar and less protein being developed by the plants themselves, even if they were in ideal conditions. So, so we are at a we've at a crossroads nutritionally because our grandparents were probably the last generation that could eat and uh, eat healthily. We have to be proactive and seek out, um, foods that are going to give our body and our brains what we need if we're going to turn this around. And I tell people, I think algae is the last shot, either that, that, and having your own garden are the two things that you can do to protect your health and your children's health. And the health of the environment, and I know we're talking about people's health, but let's not forget that the earth, we live on Earth, and algae is the most sustainable crop in the world. You can cut out, by the way, there's so many nutrients in spirulina and chlorella, especially spirulina, you can eliminate a multivitamin, you can eliminate fish oil, magnesium, potassium, coq10. There's five things right there that you can eliminate. And at the same time, um, you're helping preserve the oceans because we're where, you know, right now there's so much overfishing for fish oil. Where do you think the fish get their, their omega-3 from? They get it from the microalgae. They just consolidate it. And yet, what's happening is we're getting dead zones in the ocean from the overfishing. And by the way, all that a wonderful fish oil goes rancid after about a month. They've tested it. And so, so, you know, you're taking it to reduce inflammation and you're better chances to get it right from the from the source, which is algae, which, you know, releases oxygen when it's growing, protects the oceans. You get, uh, 20, 100 times more protein per acre than animal, um, protein. So, it's it's remarkable. So, you're protecting your health with algae, you're also protecting the health of the the earth and and mother nature thanks you for that. So, Yeah. You know, and it's unfortunate too, because, well, I think it's great what you said is that, you know, are we going to go for the fish oil, are we going to go for what the fish eat to make them healthy. But I think the bigger picture here is, you're talking about how you're growing, um, you know, these products in a controlled environment to prevent the toxicity. And one of the components that's actually happening right now with the oceans is, there's actually a, uh, a government project that has to do with trying to slow down global warming, and they are actually spraying things, and it has these micro particles that cover the ocean, which is actually not allowing the algae to use sunlight properly. Oh my God, I didn't know about that. This is actually causing problems with the algae, it's causing problems with the fish, and it's just this massive cycle that's happening. So, the point of me saying this is that if we're trying to, you know, eat fish for the benefits, we're not getting the benefits that we hope for. So, really going straight to the source and using products like the spirulina and chlorella, but we have to be really, really, really particular on where, you know, what we're buying because we have to know that it's pure and not consuming something that is chock full of toxins, essentially. Right. Well, I know. And um, so here's the thing. Um, you know, algae's been sold in America for 50 years, but it's never, um, really taken off because of a couple reasons, the quality's been very poor. Most of it came from China, and a lot of it, you know, I've got pictures of tablets or or capsules where they ground up rocks or sea shells to and merged it with the with the powder to make it look like it had more in them. And then I'm gonna talk a little bit about chlorella because um, there's a technique that we don't use, which, uh, ends up putting lead into all the chlorella that's on the market place. So, um, and there was a company, I'm not gonna mention them, but they used to, um, they were very, they grew very large. They were growing their algae in a lake, Klamath Lake. You can't control the conditions in a lake, it's just it's impossible. Um, so, you do not want things that because there's what was what it's called BMAA, which is a neurotoxin. And by the way, I took me three years to find a lab to test our algae for for neurotoxins. I knew we didn't have any and I finally found one. There's one in Finland, one in Canada, and one in America. And we don't have any BMAA because we grow ours very carefully. But the lake that they use did have a toxins in it. So, so here's the thing with algae, it has to be grown in pure condition because it absorbs whatever's in the in the matter. So, we grow ours in triple filtered spring mountain water in Taiwan, and the water is tested daily. Um, we then air dry it without heat because all everybody else, by the way, doesn't grow it as carefully as we do. And then they use high heat because they're mass volume producers. And the high heat kills the enzymes and it also denatures the nutrients. So, we that doesn't happen with ours, which is again, another reason why it's high qualified or high quality. And then we just press the water out of it, uh, out of the powder into these little, I almost like little muffin tins into these little tablets. So, there's no what's called binders. There's no coatings. There's no filler. There's nothing extra in there that could cause a problem. And then we bag we bag we we we import them in large quantities, so there's no irradiation because it's a large containers, and then we do all the packaging here at an FDA approved packaging facility. So, but um, most other companies, they it's just, you know, they slap a label on and they just want to get the volume out there. They don't really care. I mean I started this company because my sister and I thought, well, I can help more people and I just kept going. So, I I'm very determined to be sure I'm putting a high quality product in people's bodies. But uh, with chlorella, because it has that hard cell wall, it has to be cracked in production. And the original company that developed the technique to grow chlorella and crack it is called Sun Chlorella and I'm very grateful for them because they started this whole industry 40, 50 years ago. And they develop they patented the technique to crack the chlorella, which is a tumble it with glass beads. But there was always concern that when the glass heats up that lead would leak into the chlorella. And they always denied it. But then a few years ago, 10 years ago, actually, the state of California tested their chlorella and found out that it did have high levels of lead. So, they said, well, you can either put a warning on your package or basically stop selling. So, they put a warning on their package and that says there's a, you know, high amount of um, uh, a chemical that causes birth defects and brain disorders. So, I said to my team, you know, well, you know, uh, because that's the technique that everybody uses. That means 99% of the chlorella that you're buying has lead in it. When I started the company, I was I became aware of that. And I said, well, that's not gonna work for me. There's got to be something else that we can do to crack this. And so we found a new technique that was just has just emerged, was more expensive and that's the one that we used. We passed the chlorella through a sound chamber. And so it's the vibrations that crack the chlorella. So, there's no heat, no lead. And that's why all the um, biological dentists want to work with us because they're aware that chlorella pulls out mercury, but they also are aware that everything else has lead in it. So they're, um, happy with us because we have no lead. And somebody said recently, um, oh, well, your chlorella has got good vibrations. You know, I'm actually also a Reiki healer, so it's all about energy and vibrations. So, I said, yeah, you know, we we we believe in the good vibrations. So, we're I'm very proud that we did that extra, went that extra step to be sure that we have the cleanest chlorella that you can buy. And then we do third-party lab tests here in America and we share those lab tests with all our doctors and and practitioners who work with us and we also do the now we do the BMAA testing as well. So, so we're we're pretty locked and loaded to be sure that we can show people, um, that we've done everything we can to ensure it's a quality product that's safe for you, your family, and your pets, by the way. Oh yeah. Uh, cats and and dogs love this stuff. They go crazy. Yeah. Oh my God. And they're smart, these they're smart. Exactly. All right. So, one of the things that really intrigued me was when I received some of your products, I saw that there was some verbiage about, uh, beauty. So, I'm just curious with your own experience as well as the experience with some of the people that have used your product and how that has actually impact, you know, their their hair, their skin, their nails, or or anything that you've seen in that realm. Yeah, great question. Well, first of all, um, when we started, we had one spirulina product called Energy Bits, which as I mentioned, gives you energy. So, we make we we try to pick words and names that made sense to people. Then we had, uh, Recovery Bits, which helps you recover your health. Uh, and actually we have a third product called Vitality Bits, which is a blend of the two algae. So, if you can, you know, you can get a little bit of energy, a little bit of whatever. But we found that women just weren't attracted to the energy bits, um, packaging or the blue the name or the blue packaging. And so my girlfriends basically said, you know, you need to make a, you need to make it pink and give it a cute name if you want women. And because I started this because of my sister, and women's health is really important to me, I'll do anything. I will swing from the air on a plane, anything to get women to take this because it's so good for you. So, I thought, okay, well, sounds a little silly, but I'll give it a try. And so, we did c- uh, create, uh, a second spirulina and called it Beauty Bits and made it pink. The and and I feel somewhat legitimized doing that as well because your skin is collagen and elastin, your hair is is, um, I'm trying to think of the the keratin. Both of which are proteins. And so, spirulina has the highest concentration of protein in the world. So, it does build your skin and hair health. It's alkaline. So, it helps reduce the acidity which contributes to breakouts on your skin. And here's the other really amazing thing, um, uh, there is still K2 in the spirulina, more in chlorella, but, uh, elast- elastic, consider elastic like the structure that holds up your skin. The collagen is the puffy, you know, it's considered the the paneling of a building, but the elast elastin is like the metal structure. And when you have to, if you don't have K2 in your diet, virtually nobody does, your calcium gets into your skin and effectively damages that those structures, which causes them to collapse, which causes wrinkles in your skin. And this is all documented in science. So, the spirulina does contribute to your skin and hair health. We use to chuckle because the guys, we had some, you know, young, we still have some guys that work here, but they used to, they were happy but not happy because their hair would grow faster. So, they'd have to get hair cuts twice as frequently. Uh, of course, that's good news for women, but guys, you know, they're they weren't so happy about that. So, it does build not only a stronger keratin for your hair, but it it speeds up the the the growth of it. So, uh, so it's yeah, it's definitely a beauty. Um, product. And then I just rebranded it and we re-packaged it. So, all the new packaging will, um, be on our website soon and it also allows us now to go into the spa and beauty world. There's a new category called Beauty Ingestibles. And some of your listeners may be familiar with vital proteins, which is a collagen powder. And they were really the first one to, um, introduce collagen as, uh, in the create this category called Ingestibles. Because it's not really a vitamin because it's made from food. So, it's this new category called functional foods. It's functional food Ingestibles. And that's what algae is as well. It's a food. Uh, so, it's not a vitamin, and it is something that you can swallow or chew. So, it's a whole new area that the beauty world has starting to endorse and embrace because of that, we're actually now starting to go to beauty shows and spa shows. And they're very excited because they they know this is the bridge between wellness and beauty. Uh, and we say, hey, look, a beauty's an inside job. What you put inside your body shows up on your skin and helps your skin more than what you put on your skin. And it's just it's just you know, it's just is the way your body operates. Uh, because those nutrients get into your blood, and the blood feeds your skin, and if it doesn't have nutrients, it's very difficult for your skin to be healthy. When I meet someone, I can tell literally what their skin, uh, condition. So, and I I don't want to tell you how old I am, but I have my for my age, my skin is off the charts. I look younger now than I did 10 years ago. I was gonna say, if anybody wants to know, does it really work? They should just look at your skin. Well, I'm over 60. I won't tell you how much for that, but I'm I'm I am way over. So, uh, okay. So, I am proof. I am absolute proof that this stuff works. Was awesome. Well, I think that the when in the world that we're living in right now, a lot of women are utilizing different types of cosmetic surgeries and things for, you know, attaining better beauty or or anti-aging. And one of the most significant things is when you start to actually fix the internal environment is when you actually start to see the biggest changes from an anti-aging perspective. And what people don't realize is that, you know, the health of your cells really dictates how fast you're aging. Oh, absolutely. Yeah. And and then of course, the the biome is finally get is being given recognition. And and, um, because your immune system, 80% of your immune system is in your in your gut area. And they're starting to learn about the vagus nerve and the fact that the communication from your gut to your brain, 80% of it is from your gut to your brain. Only 20% is from your brain to your gut. So, what you put in your gut, what you're eating is feeding your, um, not only the intelligence of your food, but of your brain and your skin, of everything. And it and it's not just what you eat, it's what you absorb. And so if you have uh, leaky gut and you're getting the wrong nutrients leaking into your blood, and which causes food allergies, uh, you know, you it's just a terrible situation. So, it it takes longer to, um, to heal, but you've got to, if you start the healing process now, then you're gonna have another, you know, another 30, 40 years of of great health. You there's no, it's not necessary to be in pain or have bad digestion or bad skin. You it is achievable, but you have to want to, you know, reach out and and learn educate yourself, first of all, which we're doing with podcasts, and then make the selections appropriately. We're not saying that you can't go out and have fun and have dinner, but it if you have something like algae that makes it easy for your body to get the nutrients that it needs, then it takes the pressure off you for your other meals, right? And and your children can take these as well. Your as you say, your pets, and men are notorious for not eating greens. And so, this gets them off the hook as well. Hey, can you imagine that, you know, here, you go out to have a to a party, you have a few cocktails, and it's like, oh, well, I think I'll have my greens now and get rid of my hangover. So, so it's like, it's you know, multiple, it's a one-stop shop. Well, that's the thing is I think that we need to really help people understand that it's not about living in fear of these chronic illnesses and living in fear of the potential of getting cancer, Parkinson's or Alzheimer's. There's a lot that we can be doing, and really just what we put in our mouths is is number one, and it's something that we can be in control of every single day. But obviously, being aware that, you know, even if we're really, really trying to eat as clean as possible, there's still limitations with the amount of nutrients we can get in a day. So, really accessing these types of products and being able to really amp that up. But then at the same time, helping your body to detox, helping your body to get nutrients that it might not be getting, and then reversing the aging process is just the icing on the cake. Yeah. I tell people, I'm the real Benjamin Button, I I literally, yeah. And and I don't know if people realize, but your body completely regenerates itself. Uh, your organs, I think take about seven years, uh, your skin is 23 days, everything is a different speed. But you you will literally be a different person in a couple of years or even in a couple of months. But the the body requires the inputs to make a better body. So, um, if you're giving it nutrient-deprived deprivation, then you're going to be regenerating and aging faster. So, if you want to stop and possibly even reverse that that aging process, um, then this is the proper nutrition. We we can't do anything about, um, your fitness level, but this certainly helps you feel better when you are exercising and it and, uh, encourages you to do it again. Um, so, it's it's very exciting to have something that's so healthy for so many people. And we're so proud that, you know, it's it's close to the, you don't get any lower on the food chain than algae because it was the first life on Earth. So, it's it's paleo and it's keto. And there's only one ingredient, it's it's just it's a vegetable, it's basically a dried vegetable. Even the FDA considers a a food because it's a nutrient in other foods. Um, most companies don't even realize that it's a food. They just are slapping a label on it and selling it as a as a supplement. And I don't know if I mentioned, but this, um, White House passed the very first algae agricultural Act in January of, uh, 2019 as part of the farm bill because even they have recognized that algae is the most nutrient-dense food in the world, and that it's all grown in Asia, and then it needs to be grown here. So, there's starting to be some slow recognition that this is this is an important, um, crop and it's really good for the earth. And we need to, um, we need to start looking at, um, you know, doing, I my goal is to grow algae here in America. So, stay tuned. Look me in, give me a few years, of course. Yeah. Um, so kinda an interesting, uh, random fact about, uh, chlorella specifically is because my husband is in the world of quantum medicine, um, when he with his research, he's actually found that chlorella acts as a light conductor within the body, which actually improves the fascia, and the fascia then in turn will actually help the entire meridian system of the body. Wow. Yeah. So, um, so that was some interesting aspects of it that not a lot of people are really thinking about. So, really, is when it comes to spirulina and chlorella, you're not just, you know, getting nutrients. You're getting so many benefits on so many different levels by consuming, you know, these products. And really, it does significantly impact your energy in a positive way. And I I've been taking, I mean, I've been using the products for a while and I feel such a change almost immediately. And you know that if your dog is eating it off of your hand and knows when you take it out of the cabinet and comes running, you know, it's good. Yeah, right. We we had had some somebody work with us and they, um, they had a bag. They left it on their counter, they just opened it. And then they had a little lap dog. And this little lap dog had loved the, I think it was the spirulina, but it would be the same with chlorella. This little dog found a way to leap up onto the counter and ate the entire bag of a thousand tablets. And she was horrified. She came home from work and was horrified cuz she saw the empty bag and she thought she called me in a panic, will he be you know, will he die? And I said, no, no, he'll, he'll throw up and have, you know, green poop for a while, but he'll be fine. And that's exactly what. But this dog wanted this stuff so bad. And another funny story, a guy told me he was camping in the appellations and the their camp was, uh, and he had a bag of energy beds and I think he had chlorella as well. And the the the camp was invaded by some bears. And so they all, you know, got up and raced off. And when they came back a couple hours later, the bag of supplements, uh, was still there, uh, uh, ripped open, but everything was there. The bag of energy bits and chlorella and spirulina ripped open and licked clean. No. No. So, I say, look, even the bears know that this is really good for you. So, um, it's it's well, and you know, when we're bigger, we'll hopefully be able to sponsor some research because there's so many more benefits that we are just understanding now because of the synergistic nature of these nutrients, because they're there's factors and co-factors and enzymes and co-enzymes that all work synergistically and phytonutrients that we can't even isolate to identify what exactly it's doing, but because they work. It's just the perfect harmony of nutrients that your body needs in ways that we're just starting to understand. An example of that is a couple years ago, we were called by a an organization called the anti the angiogenesis, uh, society. This is a cancer research organization funded by Bill Gates, Bill Clinton, I say all the Bills. And they said, did you know that you're algae stops cancer? And we said, seriously? Oh, there's the well, this is the blue pigment in spirulina, it's called phycocyanin. And apparently it ha it has what's called anti-angiogenesis properties, which means it stops the growth of blood vessels to tumors and cancers. And that made sense to me afterwards cause because phycocyanin is a water-based pigment. So, it naturally would affect the blood. So, we were thrilled, we did go and help them. But like, there's stuff coming out of the woodwork about what this stuff does because there's groups all around the world, India, China, Japan, America, uh, researching algae. There's a company in San Diego that makes surfer surfboards out of algae. Uh, there's a company I just learned about Gore, you know, the Gortex company that makes, you know, Gore clothing. They're making clothing now out of algae because it's so eco-friendly and they're, uh, it's gonna be, um, have much more, um, uh, ability to, you know, last longer and do more things. Literally, I can't wait for more people to learn about algae. Like right now they think I'm a little bit weird, but but it's I'm just ahead of my time, that's all. And I'm I'm happy to help other people learn. And I've written about 200 papers on various attributes that I can send you as many as you like to post, um, but it's real. It's not fake, it's not pseudo science, it's all NIH documented research from legitimate universities around the world, you know, peer-reviewed. So, so it's exciting to know you've got something that can really truly help people that's natural and and a gift from Mother Nature. So, yeah, it's cool. And one of the things that we do in our practices, we actually use DNA testing to figure out what types of supplements are appropriate for the patient. And I will tell you very consistently, people are testing for, uh, chlorella, I would say, especially, but also spirulina. So, it is something that is, because obviously, we are dealing with people that are struggling with their health, and it's everything from hormonal issues and thyroid conditions, to chronic illness, Lyme disease, and we are seeing benefits with these types of products with all different types of chronic illness. So, it really is so much bigger than, uh, than just being nutrient dense, or, or helping with hair, skin, and nails. It's really, really helping people recover with their health and, uh, it's really amazing to see see the benefits of it. And I really want people to know where to get it. Yeah. Yeah. Well, our our website is energybits.com. Uh, energybits.com. And we're also very active on social, which is Facebook, Instagram at energy bits. And we have a wonderful 20% discount, uh, code for your listeners to use any time. Woohoo! So, it's IW Radio, all one word. It doesn't matter if it's uppercase or lowercase. So, when you get to your shopping cart, you'll see a coupon box. Just type in IW Radio and you it works on everything, um, uh, on our website, every time, all the time. So, please, um, come and visit us and and and if you're not ready for the large bags on our website, um, our practitioners also sell the single servings for $4 and you can also get them on Amazon. So, try them first if you want to make sure that you're happy with them and do muscle testing and whatever you need, just we're here to help you. We're not here to sell you, we're here to help you. So, um, there's no, so we're really happy to, you know, make sure you use make a small investment rather before you make a big one. So, uh, but I want to assure you, I couldn't live without this. I've been taking it for eight years. And, uh, I can't go anywhere. I carry them in my handbags, in my pockets. Um, they're great for the chlorella particularly tastes delicious with sea salt or with sea salt and macadamia nuts or almonds or banana chips, coconut chips, dark chocolate. Spirulina is a tougher flavor to conquer. It's chewier and it's earthier, so a lot of people swallow that one. So, no shame in swallowing, but the chlorella, the chlorella does taste, it tastes more like a soy nut or a, um, sunflower seed. So, please give it a shot with some sea salt or some macadamia. We're gonna try to do a trail mix next year with macadamias and chlorella. So, stay tuned. I'd love that. Oh my God. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I've got lots of ideas, lots more things planned. So, so stay tuned it's going to continue. Awesome. Well, that's just a Well, I'm very excited about adjust about what you gave us so far, but definitely as we move into 2020, you're gonna have to keep us posted on all the new fun things happening and we will have to then bring it back to uh, Integrative Radio and and share it with everyone. You got it. All right. Thank you so much. Hey, that's for you. Well, I think this was awesome. I really, I I can't tell you guys like how much I actually use these products in the practice. So, I really, really hope that you take advantage of the offer because you will literally feel different almost immediately. Like your energy goes up, you feel more clear. You know, if you have gut issues, your gut issues calm down. It's it's pretty amazing stuff. So so try it for yourself. Okay. You got it. All right. It's been fun. Bye.
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About Integrative You Radio
Integrative You Radio is a root cause medicine and integrative medicine podcast hosted by Dr. Nicole Rivera and Dr. Nick Carruthers — two integrative doctors who build personalized wellness protocols from your DNA, minerals, hormones, gut, and nervous system rather than from a population template. Looking for an integrative doctor who reads your labs together instead of in isolation? This is the show.
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