A Meal That Heals With Catharine Arnston

Algae can bring your nutrition, energy levels, fat loss, and detoxification to the next level! My interview with Catharine Arnston will get you pumped about spirulina and chlorella.

In this episode, you will learn:

Why algae is a nutritional rockstar
How Catharine Arntson, Founder of ENERGYbits, came across this superfood & used it to help her sister
Research references that suggest algae may increase protection from common diseases
The difference between spirulina & chlorella
How to use ENERGYbits and RECOVERYbits in daily life
How to accelerate recovery from exercise, surgery, hangovers, lack of sleep, heavy metals, etc.
The detoxifying power of chlorophyll
An approach to nutrition that’s easy, fast, & doesn’t taste bad
The weight loss & appetite regulation properties of spirulina
A simple way to get your kids to eat their greens
Chlorella’s effect on cellular health, mitochondria, & gut health
The beauty benefits of algae
What to watch out for when purchasing algae
The purity standards you should have when selecting an algae supplement
The history of algae
How to use algae during intermittent fasting or ketogenic dieting
How to use ENERGYbits & RECOVERYbits as an athlete like the Olympians
How to save money on various supplements by replacing them with algae
The difference between fish oil & algae
The problems with fish oil
The nutritional similarities between spirulina & mother’s milk
The environmental benefits of algae
The potential adverse effects of algae
Catharine Arnston’s Fountain of Youth Secrets
A coupon code to use during checkout on ENERGYbits.com to receive 20% off: HAILEY

Episode Overview

What is Algae?

Algae is a plant that has thousands of different strains. It was the first plant life on earth 3 billion years ago & is one of the most nutrient-dense foods in the world, recognized for its health benefits by organizations such as NASA, the United Nations, & the Carnegie Institute. It has been sold for fifty years in Asia, where it is a multi-billion dollar industry.

Who is Catharine Arnston?

Catharine Arnston started ENERYbits Inc. in 2014 as a result of her younger sister developing breast cancer. In hopes of helping her sister heal, Catharine became dedicated to researching epigenetics– the study of how lifestyle factors affect gene expression and disease. Through her research, she learned about the power of green nutrition and more specifically, algae. She now spends her days introducing algae to everyone she meets. Thankfully, her sister healed from cancer & is still cancer-free 8 years later.

Catharine holds an MBA from Western’s Ivey School of Business & a BA in urban planning from Queen’s University. She’s also a Board Certified Health Counselor from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition/State University of New York (SUNY) and a REIKI master.

About ENERGYbits Inc.

ENERGYbits is on a mission is to make algae easy to understand and use here in the United States. Catharine & her team have been recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine (2015 Entrepreneur of the Year) and seen by over 10 million viewers on Shark Tank.

The two different types of algae that you need to know: spirulina & chlorella.

The two algae strains that are nutritional rockstars are called spirulina & chlorella. Spirulina is blue-green algae, while chlorella is solely green. Unlike seaweed, both of these strains of algae do not contain iodine.

Spirulina boosts energy and mental clarity, while reducing your hunger. It contains a unique, water-based, antioxidant pigment called phycocyanin. This pigment has powerful neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties. Spirulina also is rich in DHA and GLA. GLA is an omega-6 fatty acid, but it behaves in the body similar to omega-3s, protecting your brain and reducing inflammation. The only source that has more GLA than spirulina is breast milk.

Chlorella promotes detoxification and has 2x more chlorophyll than spirulina. It was used to help Hiroshima bomb survivors detoxify from radiation. Chlorella also has gut health benefits. When consumed, only 10% of it gets digested and the rest of it goes through your GI system strengthening your cell walls & improving cellular health.

Overall benefits of algae in the form of spirulina or chlorella…

40 different vitamins and minerals in one serving
100% food-based supplement
Anti-aging benefits
ONE ingredient, no fillers or additives
Great source of iron, which is used by your blood to carry oxygen
Organic & Non-GMO
Jumpstarts nitric oxide production, a molecule that increases oxygen and blood flow to the brain and muscles
Sustainably grown
No impact on glucose or ketones- keeps you in ketosis and/or a fasted state if your a ketogenic dieter or intermittent faster
Helps to restore cellular health, balance blood pH, & reduce inflammation
64% protein

The unique benefits of spirulina (ENERGYbits)

Boosts cognitive performance & focus
Decreases hunger
Increases energy
Improves athletic performance & endurance
Contains phycocyanin – a pigment that reduces oxidative stress and inhibits free radicals
Rich in essential fatty acids such as DHA & GLA

The unique benefits of chlorella (RECOVERYbits)…

Strengthens the immune system
Removes toxins, heavy metals, & lactic acid from your body
Helps speed up recovery from exercise, hangovers, surgery, & injury
Contains 1,000x more chlorophyll than kale & 50x more chlorophyll than wheat grass
Promotes mitochondrial and gut health by strengthening cell walls
Improves digestive health
One of the richest sources of nucleic acids: RNA & DNA

PURITY & how your algae is grown matters!

Algae is primarily grown in Japan, Taiwan, China, and India. Algae from ENERGYbits Inc. is grown organically in Taiwan in purified fresh water tanks, preventing ocean contaminants. Taiwan is the gold standard for quality control and purity compared to other countries. ENERGYbits has the highest global quality control certifications, including ISO-9000 and GMP.

Unlike many other supplement companies, ENERGYbits does NOT use flash heat processing. This method kills the enzymes in algae so that it’s no longer a raw food and alters the nutrient profile.

Another common method used by chlorella supplement companies consists of tossing the chlorella with glass beads to break the hard cellular wall, but the heat from the glass allows lead to leak into the chlorella. California tested a particular brand of chlorella sold at Whole Foods and found that it had enough lead to require special labeling to notify the consumer. There is naturally a small amount of lead in all plants, but this processing method makes things much worse. Fortunately, ENERGYbits cracks chlorella’s cell walls in a noninvasive way. The chlorella is passed through a sound chamber in which vibrations crack the chlorella.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about ENERGYbits is that they test their chlorella and spirulina with an FDA-approved lab in the United States to prove the purity of their products. They share the 15+ pages of results with all of the practitioners and health care professionals who promote their products. ENERGYbits and RECOVERYbits are verified to be free of BMAA, heavy metals, and radiation.

What’s the best way to get your chlorophyll?

Chlorella AKA RECOVERYbits! Chlorella contains more chlorophyll per gram than any other plant. Chlorophyll is a blood cleanser, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, & detoxifying pigment.

How to use ENERGYbits/RECOVERYbits in daily life…

One serving consists of 30 very small green tablets. For children, it is recommended they take the same amount of tablets as their age in years. Most people (including myself) simply swallow the algae tablets with water, but some people enjoy the REALLY green taste of the RECOVERYbits. Catharine likes to add them as a garnish to salads, eat them with nuts, or use them smoothies.

How long does it take for the benefits to kick in?

Spirulina is absorbed very quickly into the bloodstream, so you will start to notice its effects approximately within 15 minutes of taking it. Chlorella takes about 90 minutes to be absorbed.

Best practices for ENERGYbits & RECOVERYbits…

Workout protocol:
- Take ENERGYbits 15 minutes before a workout or athletic event.
- If you participate in extreme endurance sports (marathons, triathlons, etc.), swallow an additional 15-30 tablets every 1-2 hours of your event if you feel like you need a boost.
- After your workout or athletic event, take 1-2 servings of RECOVERYbits.
Sushi protocol:
- Take RECOVERYbits 90 minutes before and/or after eating high-mercury fish such as Tuna to help detoxify heavy metals.
- Bonus: If eating sushi with brown rice, the chlorella will help detoxify the arsenic found in brown rice.
Hangover protocol:
- Take 1-2 servings of RECOVERYbits after a night of drinking before going to bed.
- If you take RECOVERYbits before drinking, you might not get a buzz, so it’s up to you. 😉
Mitochondria protocol:
- Pair RECOVERYbits with sunlight to jumpstart your body’s ATP production.
- ATP is the currency of energy in your body.
Fasting protocol:
- If you are new to intermittent fasting or are doing a mini fast (24-72 hours) to reset your immune system, you can take RECOVERYbits to relieve hunger and cravings without disrupting the process of autophagy.
- I will be doing a series of podcast episodes on intermittent fasting soon, so be sure to subscribe to the podcast to stay updated!

Spirulina and Chlorella are eco-friendly and sustainable.

Algae requires only one tenth of the water used to grow traditional crops. It contains 100x more protein per acre than cattle ranching and captures carbon dioxide while it’s growing. It also releases oxygen into the air, providing 80% of the oxygen on earth.

Is spirulina and chlorella safe for everyone?

When sourced from a reliable, high purity source, spirulina and chlorella are typically safe for most people. With over 60 years of research documentation, there has never been a single death from eating or supplementing with these strains of algae. Even newborn babies in Japan are fed spirulina if they can’t digest mother’s milk (spirulina’s nurition is almost identical to mother’s milk). However, if you have sensitivity to beta-carotene or chlorella, or get “niacin flush” from vitamin B3, algae is probably not for you.

A small percentage of people notice detox symptoms when they first start taking chlorella, but this is nothing to be feared. It means that your body is getting ready to flush toxins out! Detox symptoms typically last no more than 7-10 days for new Chlorella users.

Before you start any new supplement, always talk to your doctor first.

Disclaimer

Please note that any advice given in this article or podcast episode does not serve as medical advice. Always talk to your doctor before making any dietary or supplement changes.

Catharine Arnston’s beauty secrets…

I had to ask how Catharine has so much energy & looks so vibrant!

She starts her day with lemon water (2 lemons) and high antioxidant Yerba Mate tea. Throughout the day, Catharine loads up on 2 servings of RECOVERYbits and 1 serving of ENERGYbits.

To keep her brain healthy, Arnston snacks on macadamia nuts, which are made up of 95% fat. Research shows that macadamia nuts contain omega-7 fatty acid, which has similar benefits to omega-3 fatty acid. Macadamia nuts and quality sources of dietary fat create a beneficial environment for your brain and hormones, not to mention, they are incredibly satisfying.

Even though she’s a busy entrepreneur, Catharine still makes time to get outside every day, ideally for 1 hour per day. Spending time in nature can be very restorative. We can learn a lot from nature… it has been here longer than we have & it’s still here!

Is it worth the investment?

By using the coupon code HAILEY every time you purchase algae from ENERGYbits.com, you’ll get 20% off. With the discount, one bag is $96.00 & has 33 servings, which breaks down to $2.90 per serving. That’s like buying a cup of coffee or a protein bar, except that you’re getting WAY more nutritional bang for your buck with the algae. The nutrition profile of spirulina and chlorella is better than any food you’ll buy at the grocery store.

What I love the most about taking ENERGYbits and RECOVERYbits: It has replaced many of the other supplements I used to buy separately, which was very expensive. It’s almost like a one-stop-shop. If you are already taking any of the following supplements, you could benefit from switching to algae: multi-vitamin, B complex vitamin (for adrenal health), niacin (pre-sauna or pre-workout), iron, fish or krill oil, coq10, methylcobalamin (b12), amino acids.

Use the coupon code HAILEY for 20% off at ENERGYbits.com.

Studies & Resources

Below, you’ll find additional studies and resources that you might find interesting.