Whole food Diets
As part of my consultations I always ask people what, if any, food supplements they take and why. People answer the first part of that question easily enough, but the "why" usually results in an answer something like "well we all should shouldn't we?"
"Let food be your medicine, lest medicine becomes your food". We are literally what we eat, as our body breaks down food from our diet, combined with oxygen and water and then uses these as the building blocks to maintain our health, grow and reproduce. Diet is of course the best way to consume all the nutrients our bodies need. A varied, whole food (i.e. not processed), organic diet is a great aim. As is consuming, on a daily basis, foods that naturally represent all colours of the rainbow.
Diet needs to be varied, to ensure it contains the wide variety of "essential" vitamins, minerals and amino acids that cannot be manufactured by the body. A whole food diet has much higher nutritional value than one based on processed food, which is artificially high in sugar, salt and bad fats. Processed food is also out of balance from nature, where food has the right amount of fibre to offset natural sugars and avoid spiking insulin levels. Organic foods are not polluted by pesticides and ripening agents that, at best, increase the toxic load on our livers, and at worst leave permanent organic pollutants in our systems, damaging our telomeres and ultimately ageing our bodies. "Eating the rainbow" ensures we are consuming a wide variety of polyphenols, natural antioxidants produced by plants to mop-up damaging free-radicals created when they convert sunlight into energy. These antioxidants protect our own cells from aging too fast.
But even if you are eating a whole food diet, there may be times when you do need to supplement your nutrition. There are some common dietary requirements missing in many of us. I recently discovered that about 97% of people are not consuming enough Omega 3 (fish oil), and it's one supplement I was guilty of being deficient in.
Omega 3, the good fats found in oily fish, is suspected as the main reason for apeman's brain tripling in size, and them making more progress, resulting in homosapiens, in a relatively short period of time compared with that of their ancestors over the preceding millions of years. For us today, it is still important. Omega-3 fatty acids are crucial for maintaining optimal health due to their significant roles in brain function, inflammation reduction, and heart health.
Omega-3 fatty acids help reduce inflammation through several mechanisms. They are precursors to certain anti-inflammatory molecules; they can inhibit the production of inflammatory cytokines and enzymes; and alter the cell membrane affecting the signalling pathways involved in inflammation, leading to a reduction in the overall inflammatory response. This makes them beneficial in managing conditions like arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and other chronic inflammatory diseases.
But, how do you know whether you have enough of the right nutrients, and how to fix the problem when you find out you don't? If you have a health-condition, there is a good chance that you are deficient in some nutrients, not least because the body will be working extra hard to get itself back into balance. The problem you have will, in itself, point you to the deficiency. However, there is no better way to know exactly what additional nutrients you need than to get a targeted blood test.
But once you do work out what you need, ensure you buy the right quality supplements, and that they make a difference. If you feel no discernible difference, increase the dosage (ensuring it's a safe level) or change the brand. And if you got tested originally, get retested after a few months to ensure you are back on track, and work out whether you need to continue that supplement or stop.
Suppliers
For Omega-3 oils I have been working with Zinzino, who provide blood tests from an independent laboratory at the start of taking their supplements, then again 4 months later. Their oils are a very high quality, including antioxidant polyphenols, something most Omega-3 oils don't have, and without which the oils degrade fast and don't work effectively. If you feel you need more Omega-3 in your diet and are interested in going this route please get in touch and I can explain more. Or head over to zinzino.com/2015835918 to purchase a Balance Oil + test kit. The model works on a subscription basis to ensure you get fresh oils every two months.
For high quality food supplements I work with the Natural Dispensary. If you would like to benefit from my 15% discount register an account on their website with me as your practitioner, then at checkout enter code MOCA15.
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