Good Health is a result of the choices you make every day. Your search for healthy choices has brought you to Jolly well. Our purpose is to help you make better health choices. For us better choices mean those that are sustainable, that co-exist with other species of life, are diverse and inclusive. Our decision to go for vegan capsules is part of the same story.

Most capsules are from animal origin derived from hydrolysis of collagen – Bovine, Fish, or Swine. These gelatine capsules are preferred because the cost of manufacturing is lower.

Jolly well Veg capsules not only provide a vegan alternative but also offers better stability in different ranges of temperature and humidity. So go ahead and make the right choice.#gobeyondgood

Your skincare routine may be failing you.

Anti-aging creams, Facewash, and body products are available in abundance today. However, aging is a phenomenon that happens deeper – at a cellular level. That’s the reason why these products remain merely cosmetic.

Harmful chemicals, pesticides, and pollution release free radicals that damage proteins by a process called oxidation. The visible signs of aging like dull hair, and dry and lifeless skin is a result of this damage. But the harmful effects go much deeper. Free radicals, if unchecked, can lead to neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, heart ailments, and even cancer.

Sounds scary, doesn’t it? The good news is that nutrition from nature in the form of colorful fruits and vegetables provide us with antioxidants that can arrest this damage. Glow Young redefines anti-aging by packing 5 of the most powerful antioxidants from nature into a capsule making sure you can fight aging, naturally.

Several factors influence the effectiveness of a plant-based nutritional supplement. You should be aware of these so you can choose the better brand. Here are some practices our maker, Lactonova, follows to ensure you get a top-quality product.

Our products are hypoallergenic, non-GMO.

Here’s an example. Instead of purchasing pre-diluted Vitamin D, as other companies do, Lactonova performs its own dilution to avoid detrimental ingredients such as preservatives or lactose found in many commercially available dilutions.

In its pure form, Vitamin D is too concentrated to safely blend into a vitamin product. Pure Vitamin D is 40 MILLION International Units (IU) per gram. The Recommended Dietary Allowance for adults is 600-800 IU per day. To ensure proper mixing, it must be made into a dilute powder that flows and does not lose potency. At Lactonova, pure Vitamin D is first blended with pure Vitamin E, and the resultant stable vitamin D is then blended with hypoallergenic cellulose powder. Not only is the final product stable; it is also hypoallergenic and can be mixed homogeneously and at a safe level with other powders. Lactonova utilizes similar processes for other raw materials, such as vitamin K, unlike other manufacturers who purchase commercially available raw materials filled with unacceptable ingredients and preservatives.

Our products are pure and highly bioavailable.

Pure powdered ingredients are difficult to mix because they are either extremely dry, sticky with botanical oils, or attract unwanted moisture. So most manufacturers add magnesium stearate and other agents such as lactose and dextrose. These additives are utilized as flowing agents to ensure maximum productivity of the capsuling and tableting machines. However, they can compromise the bioavailability of the nutrients in the supplement and might cause allergenic problems. There are documented detrimental effects directly attributed to long-chain fatty acids used as flowing agents. Virtually all companies, because of the economic impact, ignore this data. As with most industries, where the bottom line dictates the level of quality, at Lactonova we do not use these flowing agents.

Every manufacturer has two basic options when purchasing raw materials: purchase either truly pure raw materials or purchase raw materials to which substances have been added to facilitate manufacturing.

There are few commercial sources for vitamins B12, D, K, or biotin that are not diluted with substances such as lactose, cornstarch, and preservatives such as BHT. That’s why we developed proprietary methods that allow us to use pure, undiluted sources of these nutrients.

Buying plant-based supplements are always the smarter option, but how do you know you are getting the best? Make sure that the supplements you are taking contain safe quantities of active ingredients and are actually proven to drive results. Here are some things you should look out for (the more boxes you tick, the better is the product):

Does the maker have certifications?

Just because a brand claims to be “organic” doesn’t guarantee its ingredients are such. Your best bet is to look for a certification from a governing body.

Another good one to keep an eye out for: a Non-GMO stamp, meaning the supplement contains zero genetically modified ingredients. Those missing this label could contain pesticides.

Manufacturers need to renew these certifications annually. So if you see these stamps on your brand, take comfort in knowing it’s been evaluated recently.

Are the products of high quality?

Along with symbols showing a product is organic and non-GMO, certain terms denote a quality supplement. Raw foods have not been chemically altered, processed or cooked, which preserves their enzymes and nutrients. Sprouted seeds also contain more nutrients, like fiber, and are low glycemic. If you’re looking for a plant-based protein powder specifically, make sure the product contains branched-chain amino acids that promote lean muscle mass.

Finally, check the ingredients label. Make sure that all the food sources included in the supplement are, in fact, from plants and real foods.

Does the product have artificial stuff?

There are phrases that suggest a product’s contents aren’t so high quality. And they could potentially even harm your health. Avoid anything flavored with artificial ingredients or containing artificial colors. You can also say no to “all-natural” products, as that could mean it’s still grown with pesticides. Also, extracts, such as Stevia extract versus whole Stevia leaf as a sweetener, means you should pass, because extracts go through chemical processing. You’ll also want to avoid hydrogenated oils because they can increase inflammation and could possibly increase your LDL cholesterol. Others to avoid: magnesium stearate (which may prevent nutrient absorption and impair your immune system) and titanium dioxide (it can also affect your immunity).

How Are the Plants Grown?

Make sure the plants used are grown using sustainable practices. Organic and wildcrafted sources are best. If the farms follow best practices like testing the soil for nutrient richness and pH, alternating the variety of plants grown, using organic fertilizers and pesticides, then the nutritional value of the raw materials will be higher.

How Are the Plants Processed?

As soon as plants are harvested, they begin to degrade. Heat, humidity, and time are all enemies of fragile plant nutrients. Supplement companies who are serious about your health will do all they can to protect the plant and keep these valuable nutrients, cofactors, and co-nutrients in the final product. Proper drying, milling, and concentrating techniques that lock in these compounds should be in place. Without these rigorous protocols, your supplements will not provide their maximum possible benefit.

Whoever tells you supplementation is not important is probably correct. But did they try to understand your lifestyle before making that statement? You don’t need supplements only if you tick the following boxes:

• You eat 5-9 servings each (approximately 400 grams) of fruits and vegetables daily.
• You are fairly active, moving at least for 90-120 minutes a day, including 30-40 minutes of vigorous exercise.
• You have very little stress (consider urban traveling in India also as daily stress)
• You breathe clean air free of pollution, gases, and dust.
• You consume organically grown foods that are not genetically modified and are free of pesticides.
• You avoid packaged or ready to eat foods (packed with preservatives, artificial flavoring and coloring agents, and other ‘permitted’ chemicals).
• You are not exposed to radiation from electronic and mobile devices.
• You have tested yourself and know that you don’t have any nutritional deficiency.

How many did you tick?

If you want to be the best version of yourself, you need to close the nutritional gap created by today’s convenient lifestyle. Choosing plant-based supplements will help you get the benefits of phytonutrients that help improve immunity and energy levels, and optimize your overall health and quality of life.

If you have taken the effort to read this article, you are probably an achiever who doesn’t settle for good, always striving to be your best. Or you are someone who competes with yourself to be better. Or you consider your body as a temple, looking for ways to improve your performance and realise your dreams. I am like you too.

I am an entrepreneur, and a health freak. More specifically, I am a serious runner and cyclist.  I am not satisfied with the status quo and always want to improve my performance.  I have this ‘keeda’ inside me to outdo myself. So, I try to be in great shape physically and mentally.

If someone asks me what is the difference between good and great performance, I would say “The Right Nutrition”. I wouldn’t have said this a year ago.

I am a sceptic. Like many of my peers, I thought home-cooked food was healthy, period. To improve my nutrition, all I had to do was to maximise the intake of home-cooked food, and avoid eating out. 

But I was wrong.

It’s not a given that home-cooked food is nutritious. Let me explain. At home, we are accustomed to a daily diet that our families have followed traditionally. We seldom question the ‘nutritious-ness’ of that food. Add to it the ‘masala’ of food myths, and we get a set of wrong beliefs about “The Right Nutrition”. I suffered the same problem. Until I met a doctor who lived and advocated a whole-food, plant-based lifestyle.

I met her for health reasons – I had high BP and I was overweight. A close friend who knew about my aversion to medicines advised me to meet her because she had cured people of chronic conditions by making changes in nutrition.

In just two hours of conversation with her I was convinced that many of my beliefs about good nutrition were wrong. I followed her advice and within 3 months, I saw a huge improvement in my energy, stamina and performance.

Today, after just 6 months, my cholesterol levels have normalised, sluggish liver has become active, and most importantly I feel much younger. How do I know that?

After 8 years of running dozens of marathons, I had plateaued. I couldn’t improve my performance despite my best efforts. After switching to a plant-based lifestyle I am running at my fastest. My 14-hour work days have become a breeze. I wake up fresh and energetic in the morning, and the energy levels last till I hit the bed. I am now feeling healthy beyond good. Just last week, I did a 100km bicycle ride and enjoyed it.

I think The Right Nutrition completed the missing piece of the jigsaw puzzle and helped me Go Beyond Good.