You may vaguely remember the term mitochondria from your high school biology class. As it turns out, these guys are pretty crucial to our health and well-being. In short, mitochondria are the “powerhouse” of your cells and responsible for energy production. You actually have roughly 40 quadrillion mitochondria in your body! They pull energy from the nutrients (think glucose or fatty acids) in your blood to create ATP (adenosine triphosphate.) You may or may not have heard of ATP before,  but your cells are constantly using it to create energy for a whole host of functions from sprinting, to thinking, to breathing!

When our mitochondria are not able to function optimally, inflammation increases, fatigue sets in, and chronic disease starts to take place, which includes metabolic dysfunction. 

As you can imagine, if you want to support vital functions in your body, prevent chronic disease, increase energy production, and feel your absolute best, it’s important that you are supporting your mitochondria. 

So, what can we do to support our mitochondrial function? There are a few things within your control. We are going to start sounding like a broken record here, but diet, exercise, sleep and stress all affect your mitochondrial function. There is more to this story but for now here is what you can start doing to improve your mitochondria. 

1. A low-insulin diet, which includes adequate protein, good quality healthy fats, and high fiber whole food carbohydrates. You need “clean fuel.” 
2. Adequate minerals. Minerals like magnesium and copper are crucial to our mitochondria health and function. Your dietitian can make sure you’re including foods rich in these nutrients in your diet. 
3. Lots of low intensity movement throughout the day (walk more), resistance training and a sensible amount of high intensity training based on your physical conditioning. 
4. Optimal sleep, both in terms of the amount of sleep and the quality of sleep
5. Reducing Stress
6. Regular sunlight!  Aim to get outside in the morning if able, or anytime during the day

When you work with Simplex, our protocols address all of these factors that improve mitochondrial function, lower fasting insulin levels, improve your energy and reduce excess body fat. All of this when functioning properly works together for you to look and feel better.