Okay, I am finally getting to this. For those of you who know me you know this is one huge passion for me. Health and Wellness. I am addicted to feeling good!
Soon, I am going to focus on Immune Boosters for this winter season for all of you in cold climates. If you aren't in a cold climate and prone to being sick more this time of year you will still benefit as the health of your immune system affects many things from low energy to cancer, yeast infections, to auto immune issues. Besides I may eventually delve into each these topics on their own as well.
Okay, so what are functional foods and why am I so FREAKED out about them? Functional Foods are foods that may provide medical or health benefits beyond basic nutrition because of the presence of active plant compounds such as phytochemicals. Basically, what I am saying is their are certain foods that have more healing properties than others.
Lets think about a beautiful red juicy apple for a second. And then think about a processed fish stick. You know the kind that you can buy from the freezer section at your local grocery store. Which do you think possesses more health benefits? The apple of course! The apple is amazing. Scientist are now up to finding over 12,000 phytochemical compounds in 1 single apple. Just a couple of years ago it was 10,000 so their is possibly many more.
What are phytochemcials. Phytochemicals are simply active plant compounds that certain plants produce to protect themselves against fungi, bacteria, and viruses. They are not necessary nutrients in the human diet, but they do provide an array of protection against diseases. One example is lycopene in tomatoes that have been proven to reduce prostrate cancer, flavanoids in fruits and so on. Phytochemicals can take on antioxidant, hormonal, stimulation of enzymatic, interference with DNA replication (thus preventing the spread of cancer), anti-bacterial, and physical action "power."
They are found in wholefoods and this is what I predominately move in and teach now. You see at the start of my health awareness journey I was mostly into standard vitamins, minerals, and herbs. Herbs are great. But, I am beginning to realize that synthetic vitamins and minerals aren't as great as we are led to believe. At one time I was comforted by the possibility that I could just eat the way I wanted to since my handful of vitamins would protect me into old age.
Boy, was I wrong. Let me give you a an example. Visualize, if you will, 2 Vitamin C pills. On the back of the bottle it says their are 1,000 mg (or 1 g) in both of those capsules. Now visualize that red juicy apple again. Their is only about 5 mg of vit. C in that apple. Which do you think is better at boosting the immune system?
It's the apple, because it has all those thousands of phyonutrients that man made synthetic vitamin c supplement don't have. Our body is organic and works best with organic nutrients. It automatically recognizes them and absorbs them more readily. All those plant based compounds work in synergy.
Vit. C supplements have never been shown to cure scurvy. Yet Captain James Cook who lived in the 1700's used sauerkraut and limes to cure and prevent scurvy. At a time when other captains were dropping men like flies to scurvy, Captain Cook kept his crew healthy with vit. C rich foods, exercise and sunlight on the open deck. Why would a lime or sauerkraut with much smaller amounts of vitamin C be much more effective against this disease than a synthetic high dose of vitamin C? It goes back to the thousands of phytonutrients that work in synergy to make it a powerhouse medicinal food. And also in the body's ability to instantly recognize it and put it to full use.
So, this is why I am going to take you into the world of whole foods and what they can do for you verses isolated nutrient compounds. I hope you will get as excited about this as I am and begin to realize that health or disease is a personal choice and mostly in your hands. And food is definitely medicine. Just as a car runs better by putting fuel in it and doing periodic oil changes so our body was designed to run more efficiently on good fuel (wholefoods and pure water) and oil changes (cleansing) from time to time.
God wants you to be in good health. It is a blessing as laid throughout scripture. And He gives guidelines for health. Paul even said above all things he wishes that we are in good health. When we keep our health up we are better able to function in every area of our life physical, spiritual, and emotional.
So it is with a lot of joy that I will be empowering you with the knowledge of what creates health in us!
Yours in Health,
Larissa
www.larissak.wordpress.com/
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3 comments:
There are mixed opinions about health supplements, I'm also taking them through GNC & get benifitted, so Ifavor them.
Yes, their are. I don't go off opinions or even always research. I go mostly off of results. Also tried and proven methods through ages of history especially in time frames where civilizations of peoples health far out weighed everyone elses including their own kind who have westernized.
Most people will definitely notice improvement with most supplements they take especially if they aren't used to taking anything or a healthy way of eating. But, long term use of synthetic, manufactured vitamins can actually cause some chemical imbalances. We aren't synthetic. We are organic. And I am convinced that nothing can replace what nature has to offer. It is perfect. But, I am glad your supplements are working for you.
What I am mostly getting at is not nessacarily results of oh, I feel better. I am talking about true health, healing, detox, and vitality. I have never been on a multi vitamin mineral that has healed anything in me. Maybe boosted my energy a bit and maid me potty a dark orange, but not true healing from things like constant headaches, to severe low blood sugar imbalances, too much body acid, acne, and others.
I am looking for the best. Not medicoricy.
But, again, taking something of benefit is one step in the right direction. And we all start at different levels. I too have only taken pill vitamins and minerals in the past. When I noticed some healing within days of trying a whole food drink and ph drops years ago though, I knew I couldn't go back. :)
Also, wanted to say that I feel their are certain vitamins and minerals that are better than others if you are going to reach more for the synthetic kind. What I would look into would be nano sized or angstrom sized vit/min. They are much smaller mimicking plant sized nutrients so the body will recognize it better. I do occassionally take a synthetic if I feel I am paticularily low in something...like B vitamins ect. But, some say not to really stay on them for more than 2 weeks or extended amounts of time as it again, can disrupt body chemistry.
If you find something that works...stick with it! :)
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