I have several beliefs about what and how we put food in our mouths to nourish ourselves.
First – ask yourself “Am I living to eat or eating to live”. And I mean LIVE! Live in a way to support a vibrant, deep down health.
The first way I believe to support this is to eat organic as much as is possible for you. At a minimum eat organic eggs, dairy, meat and soy. The non-organic versions of these products are grown with loads of antibiotics and hormones. Research has shown that the wide use of antibiotics in farming contribute to all the multiple drug resistant bacteria these days. MRSA, a penicillin resistant Staph, is not only common in hospitals it’s showing up in gyms and day cares. Antibiotics contaminate the waste water released as a byproduct of farming, which eventually find their way into our water. Ingesting foods laden with hormones are especially bad for women. Ever wonder why some women’s breasts get lumpy when they drink milk (even in your daily latte?) I believe there is a correlation between ovarian cysts, fibroids, breast lumps, etc. Organic eggs and milk are fairly easy to find in most grocery stores. If you can’t find organic meats and other items, ask your store to stock it. The more of us who request organic foods the more the grocery stores will get on the bandwagon.
Probiotics. Can’t say enough about how good probiotics are for you. The easiest way to get them is in yogurt (organic of course.) Look for “live active cultures” in the ingredient list. They are what makes yogurt yogurt (and not some gelatin based dairy product.) You’ll be providing your body with calcium as well!
In fact start reading the ingredient lists of all the packaged food products you buy. Don’t know what an ingredient is? Do a google or wikipedia search. I bet you’ll be surprised at what you actually are putting in your mouth.
Second - take a high quality multi-vitamin and optimizing supplements.
Not all vitamins are created equally. A good rule of thumb is that you get what you pay for! The brands you find in the grocery store, pharmacies and big-box stores are generally very low quality.
Why should you take vitamins, even if you eat organic and oh so healthy? Sadly, because of the chemicals used nowadays in farming, the soil our food is grown on is incredibly less nutrient dense than 40 years ago. In addition, the chemicals sprayed on crops actually prevent the crops from absorbing the nutrients that are in the soil. And to top it off once those chemicals are in our bodies we don’t fully absorb the nutrients from the food we eat.
Confused about what brand of vitamins to take? Choose vitamins held to a higher standard
GMP. All vitamins must adhere to the FDA’s GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice.) You want to choose a brand that has gone the extra step and follows the more stringent GPM for pharmaceuticals. This regulates virtually every aspect of manufacturing, including facility design and maintenance, raw material specification and control, supplier validation, product design and testing, and more.
NSF Certified for Sport. This is another voluntary testing for purity of product. The NSF tested vitamins are suitable for world-class athletes. Professional and Olympic athletes must ensure their supplements include no banned substances and so should you.
Free from animal testing.
Optimal levels and non-synthetic, easily synthesized. You want your body to be able get the correct amounts not just the minimum levels. And you want your body to be able to absorb those ingredients and be able to actually use them. STAY TUNED FOR PART II: PRAY