CELL MEMBRANE: Where optimal health begins

What we eat applies on the cellular level directly to cell membranes. Proper nutrients provide the inputs so that our trillions of cells and cell membranes that are constantly signaling each other can properly function. Lacking these critical nutrients overwhelms our cells and their functions leaking material out of our bodies, this is also known as “leaky cells”.

This week, we are continuing our series on Cell Membrane. If you have followed along, you know that the Cell membrane creates a protective barrier that shields the outside elements from the internal components of the cell, organelles.

Cell membrane provides vital functions in the maintenance of cell activities including:

• They protect from toxic substance out of the cell

• Contain pathways that allow specific molecules to enter and leave the cell such as ions, nutrients, waste via transmembrane proteins.

• Separate vital metabolic processes conducted within little organs known as organelles.

• Communication

• Signal generation

Importance of Proper Nutrients

As we learned last week, all our cells have a cell membrane. Cell membrane creates a protective barrier that shields the outside elements from the internal components of the cell, organelles. Organelles have specific functions such as producing energy and controlling cell growth. For our organs and body systems to work at a functional level, that requires to have proper nutrients for optimal cellular performance. This means we need to consume an adequate number of phospholipids, cholesterol, amino acids, to support our cell membranes. Unfortunately, when we do not have enough of the necessary nutrients, our cells become “leaky”.

Leaky Cells

We have heard the term “leaky gut” which is caused by increased intestinal permeability when the gaps in the walls of your intestines loosen. This condition invites bacteria, toxins, and more to pass through your intestinal walls. This condition is linked to several health conditions and triggers inflammation, autoimmune disorders, and more.

Similarly, this can occur in our cell membranes too. When we are not consuming the adequate amount of phospholipids, cholesterol, amino acids that make proteins that deficit in conjunction with oxidative stress burdens our cell membrane on a cell level. This results in our cell membranes being unable to perform properly and making them unable to detoxify our cells. Luckily, we can take steps to optimize our cell membrane health.

How to Optimize Cell Membrane Health

Supporting our cell membrane health requires a nutrient-dense diet. A diet that is rich in processed oils, genetically modified foods, conventional high-fat dairy products will result in your cell membranes being composed of unhealthy fatty acids from those foods. Why isn’t this ideal?

All cells are contained by a cell membrane that is selective to desired components but protects it and acts as a protective barrier to undesired components, known as cell membrane permeability. When your cells are less permeable that reduces the ability for nutrients to reach our cells and for our cell membranes to properly function.

What foods will optimize cell membrane health?

-High-quality fats such as Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, and Avocado Oil

-Cruciferous vegetables

-Root Vegetables: Yams, Carrots, Turnips, Squash

-Fruit

-Whole Grains: Buckwheat, Brown Rice, Gluten Free Oats are great examples.

-Bioavailable animal protein: a protein that is easy for the body to digest, absorb, and make into other proteins

Ultimately, what you put into your body has a direct impact on your cellular function. However, so does the toxins and stressors we are exposed to daily. Other tips you can try at home include

Optimized Sleep: Making sure your sleep area is dark and cool. The best bedroom temperature for sleep varies from person to person but studies have shown it is around 60-67 degrees Fahrenheit. Limiting your blue light exposure before bedtime also helps with sleep rhythms.

Stress Management: Stress is a part of everyday life but there are things we can do individually to manage it including daily exercise and relaxation techniques such as yoga, stretching, and meditation.

More about The Institute for Human Optimization

At the Institute for Human Optimization, we are committed to helping you create a personalized plan for living your longest, healthiest life possible. My team and I leverage the most cutting-edge advances in genetic testing, nutritional analysis, and functional medicine to get to the root biological imbalances that cause aging.

The Institute for Human Optimization was created with the intention of pursuing a highly personalized approach to longevity medicine to help enhance healthspan. Where lifespan is the actual number of years we’re alive, healthspan is how many of those years are spent in health and wellness.

We believe that a long healthspan – not just a long lifespan – is the most important thing you can cultivate. A long healthspan means you don’t miss out on life as you get older. It means remaining independent and having the vitality to travel and see the world.  A long healthspan means that you can be there – in full body and mind – for the people who need you the most and that every day will feel like a gift.

We know that each person is truly unique. From DNA to iris, we all possess a blueprint that is genetically inherited and environmentally influenced. By gaining a deeper appreciation for the person on a molecular level and addressing the root causes driving disease, we can help promote optimized health through our unique scientific, N of 1, approach to individualized care.

The Institute for Human Optimization provides the most comprehensive, data-driven, personalized approach to wellness. It is:

·   Predictive – We use genomics and advanced biomarker testing to risk stratification and empowerment.

·   Personalized – We use data-driven health information to curate actionable change for disease mitigation and prevention.

·   Preventive – We utilize highly individualized programs tailored to your unique genomic blueprint.

·   Participatory – We empower engagement in personal choices, which allows for improved outcomes and enhanced results.

I am so excited about the possibility to support you on this cutting-edge journey to extend your lifespan AND your healthspan. Click here to schedule Your Longevity Equation Epigenetic Consult! Can’t wait to meet you!