Why I Don't Depend Solely on Food For My Nutritional Needs
Today's post deals with why food simply isn't as nutritious as it once was. This is one of many reasons why there are so many incidences of cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, insomnia, and difficulty in weight loss. For this reason, I am a fan of supplements in our current atmosphere. Most of the food that we consume today is nothing like what our parents and grandparents were consuming. It's not as nutrient dense, sun charged, or mineral dense. There are many factors that are at play with this that we should run through quickly.
Food is less nutritious for these reasons below:
1.Overworked soils: farm land previously was allowed to rest in between grow seasons. This was so the bacteria and minerals could be allowed to repopulate the soil and adjust things like pH. This is also the reason why crop rotations are used because certain crops rebalance nutrients that are used by other crops. This farming synergy of rotation and rest made sure that the earth could be replenished properly. These practices are less prevalent today and result in nutrient depleted soil, which leads to nutrient depleted food.
2. Pesticides and Herbicides: some pesticides and herbicides contain organic compounds that act as toxins and mineral chelators. A mineral chelator is a compound that can grab nutrients out of the soil and hold them within their structure. One of the possible offenders of nutrient chelation is glyphosate. Glyphosate has the ability to chelate important minerals including calcium, magnesium and zinc. Constant use of this herbicide can deplete soils where its used, typically for GMO wheat, corn, and soy that has been bred to withstand glyphosate exposure.
3. Consumption of Dormant/Unsprouted foods: in a similar manner to glyphosate, dormant seeds and beans can produce similar mineral chelators called phytates. These phytates can also bind the above important minerals in the GI tract. This is a defense mechanism for certain plants to keep from being eaten until they sprout. This is why many foods such as beans and grains are now sprouted to get rid of these phytates. Soaking is also necessary for the same reasons. Neglecting either one of these activities will result in decreased nutrient absorption.
Supplementation is a great way to make up the gap in your nutrient needs. However, there are a couple of things to be aware of with it. The big thing here is also absorption. Here are some things to be aware of with supplement absorption.
1. Some pill formulations are wax coated: this wax coating is supposed to keep moisture away from the pill to enhance shelf life, but it can actually stop absorption. Your body has to work harder to break through this coating, making it harder to extract the nutrients from the pill. It is advisable to avoid wax coated pills.
2. Some supplements are unusable industrial waste: many pill formulations are trash being sold for profit and companies are aware of this. One example I can think of immediately is zinc supplements. There are a non-zero number of zinc supplements whose zinc source is zinc oxide. This form of zinc is completely unusable by your body. The best form is zinc picolinate, followed by zinc citrate and zinc gluconate.
3. Supplement phase matters: the heirarchy of supplements for absorption generally goes liquid > solid powder > solid pill. However, liquid supplements spoil faster that solids do so shelf life can be an issue. Powders can be a great alternative as well as taking solid pill formulations and grinding them into a powder.
4. Building block supplements can be better than whole supplements: One example of this is with the powerful detoxifyer glutathione. Whole glutathione supplements have shown poor nutrient absorption in the GI tract. However, consumption of a building block to glutathione like N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) has correlated to an increase in glutathione production in the liver. Glutathione is a key fighter of cancer cells and oxidative stress.
So what supplement do I actually recommend? Great question. Personally, I love the essentially-U multi-nutrient from Utzy Naturals. This supplement is formulated by a scientist with 40+ peer reviewed papers, including papers in the area of phytochemicals (plant compounds). It's a great mix of antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins so that you can make sure that you're covering the bases that your food can no longer do. Subscribe and get 10% off auto delivery, free shipping on orders over $50, and the peace of mind of a 30 day money back guarantee!! This is an excellent supplement that is sure to meet your ever increasing nutrient needs. Take the steps towards a more complete future body with the Essentially-U multi-nutrient. Get yours here now!
