The longer I work with Core 4 clients, the clearer it becomes: A high nitric oxide (NO) level is anABSOLUTE NECESSITY for optimal health and performance. With that in mind, devote just a few minutes of time to reading this important post. Butbefore you do, please download and save our new NO Assessment PDF so that you'll have it when you need it.   

Need a quick NO refresher? 

Check out my previous post then continue reading what follows below.

Your body takes the FUEL (from the food you eat) and the OXYGEN (from the air you breathe), converting it into the cellular ENERGY that powers your heart, lungs, and muscles. The most recent, scientific research shows that a shortage of a short-lived gas called nitric oxide (NO) will impair this essential, energy production process....

My grandmother immigrated to New York in 1917 from a small farming village in the Ukraine. She died a few years ago at the age of 102 and was very healthy and functional until her late 90’s. While age and the eating habits of the modern United States caught up to her in her later years, we always knew that there was something about her upbringing in rural Ukraine that contributed to her health and vitality.

From the stories she told, I knew that her family was not wealthy but they were always well fed. They had enough money and were able to grow enough food to avoid going hungry. Food was a priority in her Jewish heritage. And for those who are familiar with the term “epigenetics,” this meant that her DNA stock was probably very strong,

Through the years, I have attributed her longevity to many of the common-sense health habits we all know are good to practice:   

She didn’t smoke, but regularly drank small amounts of red wine after an evening meal.  Every morning she drank hot apple cider vinegar and honey.  She preferred home-cooked meals to restaurant dining and she didn’t eat to excess.  She enjoyed taking long walks and stayed lean most of her adult life.  She was faithful about taking nutritional supplements and maintained strong, personal connections to her family and friends.

But I now realize that there were other habits that were a natural necessity among hard-working people living in a harsh environment.  These habits played an even greater role in her ability to stay active, strong and healthy well into her 90’s.  And these habits can dramatically improve your health and performance, too! ...

Chalk another one up for Mother Nature’s infinite wisdom. 

While unprotected sun exposure is still actively discouraged by many health care professionals, scientific researchers continue to document—in rapidly increasing numbers—its many health-enhancing benefits (discussed in a previous post).  Lower blood pressure, a decreased risk of both heart attack and stroke, a heightened sense of well-being, and improved athletic performance, are just a few.  

Many active, health-minded people now understand that getting the appropriate dose of sunlight is critical for optimal health and performance because it fuels the skin’s ability to produce an adequate supply of vitamin D3.  But the positive consequences don’t stop there. It turns out that the skin acts as a storage depot for nitric oxide (NO).  And that sunlight plays a critical role in activating the physiological processes that convert stored forms of NO (from dietary nitrates found in green vegetables and red beets) into the bio-available form of NO that can actually be used by the body.

What’s so special about nitric oxide?  It’s one of the most important health and performance factors in the human body.  This short-lived, gaseous molecule plays a powerful role in promoting cellular communication and blood circulation.   High nitric oxide levels have been consistently linked to: