National Nutrition Month: March 2020
March is National Nutrition Month! We all know proper nutrition is critical to good health, but most of us are still deficient.
Actually, most Americans are nutritionally deficient – and not just a little bit! The most prevalent deficiencies include:1
| Vitamin D | Vitamin E | Magnesium |
| Vitamin A | Vitamin C | Calcium |
| Vitamin K | Choline | Potassium |
| All of the B vitamins | Copper | Iron |
| Phosphorus | Selenium | Sodium |
| Zinc |
That’s quite a list!
How do we fix it?
#1 Eat Healthier
All healthy diets have the same principles.
Eat real food
– Meats
– Healthy fats
– Vegetables
– Fruits
Eat less of it
Most of us eat too much because our bodies are craving nutrition!
Eliminate unhealthy and fake foods
– Processed foods (anything from a box or bag)
– Sugar
– Grains (wheat, corn, …)
– Legumes (beans, soy, peanuts)
– Dairy
Ok, ok, we all “cheat’ with unhealthy or fake foods every now and then. Depending on what it is, it may be ok. I find that the average person can maintain their health and weight if they eat “clean” 80% of the time (so having 1-2 “cheat” meals per week).
However, I also recommend cheating smarter, not harder. I NEVER cheat with franken-foods made with trans-fat (linked to cancer), but I will cheat with organic corn chips and a margarita if we are out with friends.
Here are my quick rules of thumb for healthy eating:
Healthy |
Unhealthy |
| 1 ingredient
(Aka, “apple,” “steak,” and “egg”) |
Multiple ingredients
(Usually unpronounceable) |
| Found in nature
(Turnips come from the ground) |
Not found in nature
(Where do Cheetos come from?) |
| No preservatives
(Real food shouldn’t last forever) |
Preservatives
(How old IS that Twinkie?!) |
| No food additives | Food additives
(Food colorings/dyes are linked with many issues like ADHD and cancer) |
#2 Targeted Supplementation
Based on the average American’s nutritionally deficiencies, we typically recommend:
Multivitamin
B vitamins
Mineral supplement
Fish oil
Vitamin D
You may need additional supplements based on your diet, lifestyle, and health challenges
Not All Supplement Are Created Equal
Concentrated whole foods vs synthetic nutraceuticals
- The sum of the whole is greater than its parts
- Nature created the appropriate synergist ratios for maximum absorption
- There are other things in food that your body needs
Real herbs in appropriate dosages
- Did they use enough herb to get a clinical effect?
- Are they using the right species of plant?
- How was that plant grown? With pesticides in nutrient-depleted soil?
What you pay for is what you get
- Do you really think Walmart’s cheap Echinacea is the same as MediHerb’s?
This seems familiar…
Natural |
Synthetic |
| Real ingredients | Synthetic ingredients |
| Fewer ingredients | Multiple ingredients |
| Found in nature | Made in a lab |
| No or minimal preservatives
(Real food and herbs shouldn’t last forever) |
Preservatives |
| No or minimal food additives | Food additives
(Food colorings/dyes are linked with many issues like ADHD and cancer) |
Standard Process Is Different
Standard Process grows 80% of the plants they use in their nutritional supplements right here on their family-owned, certified organic farm.
They own approximately 1,000 acres of farmland. Currently, 411 acres are organically certified and used to grow ingredients for their supplements.
All of the seeds they use on our farm are untreated and are not genetically modified (non-GMO). They use certified organic seeds when available.
When sourcing ingredients they can’t grow on our farm, they are committed to selecting partners who offer ingredients that have not been genetically engineered. They rigorously evaluate all outside vendors and validate the raw ingredients they supply.
MediHerb Is Different Too
MediHerb is an Australian company. In Australia, herbs are treated like drugs, so they undergo the same testing. And because of this standard, MediHerb can put health claims on the labels in Australia. Since herbal products are basically unregulated in the United States, they must take these health claims off the labels here.
And put simply, not all herbal products are the same.
- Not all herbs contain the same levels of active constituents
- Not all herbs are grown or harvested or dried or stored in the same way
- Not all herb growers’, suppliers’, or manufacturers’ standards are the same
- Not all methods to determine quality are the same
So What Should I Take??
To ensure that you get appropriate daily nutrition, I often recommend:
– Catalyn (multivitamin)
– Cataplex B (or Cataplex G, or both to have a complete B-complex)
– Trace Minerals B12 (minerals and vitamin B12)
– Tuna omega-3 oil (fish oil and vitamin D)
Catalyn
Catalyn was the original multivitamin created by Dr. Royal Lee in 1929. It was supposed to be THE one supplement you needed because even back in the 20’s, he was starting to see nutritional deficiencies due to changes in farming and food processing.
Catalyn contains all of the vitamins and trace minerals known and unknown that the human body needs to function optimally. It’s made from 12 real ingredients: defatted wheat (germ), calcium lactate, organic carrot (root), organic sweet potato, nutritional yeast, bovine adrenal, organic dried pea (vine) juice, organic dried alfalfa (aerial parts) juice, oat flour, sunflower lecithin, organic shiitake mushroom powder, organic reishi mushroom powder.
It even comes gluten-free!
Cataplex B
Cataplex B contains the alcohol-soluble B vitamins: B1, B3, B4, and B6. (You can pair it with Cataplex G for a complete B-complex.) B-vitamins help to improve your muscle tone and nerve conductivity to help with:
– Fatigue
– Anemia
– Depression
– Anxiety
– Sleep apnea
– Blood sugar imbalances
– Carbohydrate metabolism
– Skipped heart beats
– Hypotension (low BP)
– Bundle branch block
White carbs and alcohol depletes your B-vitamins, so if you are not Primal or Paleo and you do drink alcohol, you better be taking some B’s!
(Caution: Cataplex B can raise blood pressure, so Cataplex G should be used instead)
Trace Minerals B12
Trace minerals are used to support enzymatic reactions (you may remember the term “cofactors” from biology). Modern agricultural practices have seriously depleted these trace minerals from the soil. And if they are not in the soil, they cannot be in your food!
Trace Minerals B12 contains a spectrum of trace minerals, including iodine and manganese, which can be helpful for:
– General endocrine weakness
– Low resistance to infections
– Anemia
– Hypothyroidism
Tuna Omega-3 Oil
Tuna Omega-3 oil is a fish oil product that contains DHA and EPA essential fatty acids in the naturally-occuring 5:1 ratio. It’s available as both a perle and chewable (great for kids!).
Omega-3 oils are known to help with supporting:
– Optimal cardiovascular function
– Brain health
– Visual health (eyes)
We have similar products, such as Cod Liver Oil, Calamari Oil, and Olprima EPA, DHA, and EPA/DHA available.
Bonus Products!
Want to optimize your daily nutrition? Consider adding Vitanox or HerbaVital. They are great herbal complexes full of antioxidants.
Vitanox
Vitanox is THE antioxidant formula we offer. It contains rosemary, green tea, turmeric, and grape seed.
Because of its antioxidant properties, it helps with:
– Anti-inflammatory
– Protects against toxins
– Strengthens connective tissue, blood vessels, and capillaries
– Varicose veins
– Edema
– Supports the eyes
– Balances gut flora
– Helps prevent against chronic diseases (like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, macular degeneration, and other age-related diseases)
HerbaVital
HerbaVital is a multi-action support for healthy aging. It contains Japanese knotweed, milk thistle, Korean ginseng, grape seed, and ginkgo leaf. It can help with:
– Cognition and memory
– Cardiovascular disease
– Arthritis
– Alzheimer’s prevention
– Type II Diabetes
– Enhances immune function
– Cancer
– Insulin resistance
– Liver support
– ADHD
– Antioxidant protection
– Promotes vitality and stamina
But as always, your nutritional needs may vary. That’s why I’m offering a FREE 15-minute nutritional consultation!
Call 978-237-5106 to schedule your FREE 15-minute nutritional consultation today!
Resources:
