What is it about our culture that keeps us from doing what we know to be right? We all know, even if it is subconsciously, that the way we live, eat, drink and sleep is not adequate. Maybe part of the problem is all of the misinformation and the confusion over what will truly make a difference in our health and wellbeing. One report will come out and demonize eggs and then over the next few years, an updated report will come out and tell us all that "No, eggs are good!" Our population has never been so sick, nor so overweight, starving for real nutrition. As a practitioner, I see so many people who are truly ill and suffering and yet, not sick enough for the medical field to find anything of consequence "wrong" with them.
How do we take back our health?
One of the most important things I convey to my patients is that if you do not have the raw materials within our bodies, we cannot heal, nor even handle the day to day nutrient demands. By eating the Standard American Diet (SAD), we are perpetuating a vicious cyle of inflammation and depletion. The food pyramid suggests that we eat 9-11 servings of pasta, bread and grains and yet this is the very thing that fuels a rise in insulin, thus storing our rise in blood sugar as fat, increasing inflammation, and for men, converting testosterone into estrogen. We wonder why the incidents of diabetes is skyrocketing and our infertility rate is at 40%.
The most important thing we can do to help our patients is to consume better quality foods. If you can't potentially raise it or grow it, you probably shouldn't eat it! If a food has a particular health claim on the box, then they have probably "tweaked" the nutrients within and it is most likely not a particularly healthful food. One of the biggest misconceptions is vitamins content. When you look at a label, you will see nutrients and their quantities listed. These are typically isolated vitamins that have been manufactured in a laboratory, instead of what most people think, not just what the food contained naturally. When it says "fortified" you can guarantee this is a nutrient that was made in a lab. This may not sound so terrible at first thought, but a vitamin is not a single isolated piece, but a whole molecule complete with its own mineral, cofactors and sometimes enzymes. When you injest an isolated piece of a nutrient, you are missing the majority of the puzzle. This only feeds the deficiencies that we already have going on within us.
The best thing we can do is eat real food and supplement with Whole Food Supplements!
It turns out that Grandma was right! We do best when we eat the way nature intended for us to eat. The majority of our calories should be coming from healthy fats from pasture raised animal sources, cod liver oil, eggs, butter and yes, this even includes the dreaded organ meats! For those of us who detest the taste of organ meats, there are so many ways to disguise the taste within a dish but still get the healthful benefits of them. For more information on Cod Liver Oil you can check out this great explanation through the Weston A Price Foundation.
Our favorite company for providing whole food supplements is Standard Process. It is very unlikely, even eating a well balanced diet that we will get all of the nutrients that we require. So, the next best thing would be supplements formulated from whole food. The reason I love Standard Process so much is because they have a 1000 acre organic garden in which they grow their raw materials. They harvest the crops, use the crops to formulate specific healing complexes and cold process the nutrients so they do not kill the components within. One other benefit to the company is their use of organ meats within their formulations. Research has shown that particular organ meats are higher in certain vitamins and minerals which can actually help to provide nutrition to an organ that needs healing in a patient.
"So, what do I do now?"
Although there can be a lot to know to make the right choices for your health, getting started is easy and even small changes can have a huge impact on the way you feel and your overall health. Deciding on what changes to make begins with a nutritional consultation and examination. This will allow me to evaluate your particular needs and formulate a plan that is manageable so you can get on the road to feeling and living better. I truly look forward to helping you on your journey back to wellness.