Wellness and the Not-So-Quick Fix.

Written by Lycored Yoga Ambassador Kristin McGee

It’s easy in this day and age to rely on “quick fixes” to get everything done on a daily basis. That goes double for supplements, many of which offer things that seem (and are) way too good to be true. As a very busy working mom, makeup remover wipes and dry shampoo are two of my best friends. When it comes to my health though, I really cannot skimp on certain key things such as exercise, yoga, breathing, eating healthy foods, and getting good quality sleep. Many people feel they can just pop a “miracle” pill or drink one expensive green juice a day to make up for other unhealthy lifestyle habits. In reality, supplements are here to support our well-being, not do all the heavy lifting by themselves. It’s up to us to focus on practicing methods that truly make up the foundation of a healthy mind, body, and spirit.

In a recent article, I wrote about the benefits of antioxidants, molecules derived from metabolism, food, and even supplements, which are capable of neutralizing harmful free radicals. Carotenoids, which are natural pigments found in certain plants, are especially powerful antioxidants. Lycopene, the carotenoid responsible for the red color of the tomato, is a particularly potent detoxifier. It has been shown to protect against breast, skin, and prostate cancer as well as inhibit the production of cholesterol. The primary food source of lycopene is raw (unprocessed) tomatoes. Most people can’t or don’t eat enough raw tomatoes so a supplement containing a lycopene nutrient complex formulation, like Lycored’s Lyc-O-Mato® may be the best bet for obtaining the health benefits of lycopene.

Of course, all of these wonderful things can’t be felt or seen overnight. It takes time and patience to see real wellness manifest within you.

Take yoga, for example. I discovered it long before it was a big trend, and I immediately fell in love with the practice and especially the idea of uniting the mind, body, and spirit. Many other forms of exercise focus on just one element (strength training to build muscle, running to build cardio endurance, stretching to aid in flexibility, etc.), whereas yoga brings everything together. Yoga is a full system that not only focuses on strengthening and stretching the body, it also helps develop a stronger cardiovascular system, develops the lungs and breathing, helps the mind learn to focus, allows the body and mind to relax, lessens the body’s reaction to stress, and helps develop a stronger immune system. Much like supplements, you don’t get all of these benefits at once. They come over the course of months and years, gradually building up, until one day you notice that you feel just a bit different.

These methods may not be quick fixes, but they are the real deal. I’ll take them over a “miracle cure” any day.