Nature’s Supplements
It seems that most people are taking some sort of a daily vitamin with added supplements these days. Some are even supplementing their diets with added minerals, fiber and healthy fats. But which ones should they take and how much? What products should they buy? Testing your blood is really the only true way to know and every person is different. Supplements are good when used with common sense, when supported by a healthy diet, and by selecting a quality product but not consuming it in excess. When you visit your grocery store, pharmacy, or health food store, you will see each nutrient separated by category mostly in singular form. Just stroll down any health supplement aisle, and they are all in alphabetical order ranging from vitamin A to Z (zinc). All nutrients are important but only when teamed together, not in singular form. Each is necessary for the body to function. They are only effective when supported by all the other nutrients. In a way, individual nutrients are more like individual musicians, each with different instruments, playing together in an orchestra to achieve that perfect goal of harmony. Playing solo is great, but there is nothing like a full symphony playing together to fill a concert hall with perfect music.
Your body is governed by the same rules that are needed when creating quality music. Perfect biological harmony is what we all seek in achieving optimum health. We get overly focused on individual nutrients playing solo rather than playing with a group of nutrients to raise our quality of health. You could go broke trying to find the right balance, amount, and quality of each supplement made by vitamin companies while filling your garage with vitamin and supplement bottles. Plus you can never be really sure if you achieved the right balance between them all, thereby putting your health at risk. My suggestion? Why not try Mother “Nature’s Supplements” instead!
“Want to survive? Eat things that are alive!”
I can’t think of a better source of quality nutrients packed in such a small natural package as a nut or a seed. It has everything needed for a plant to grow. Put it in soil, add water, give it a little sun, and a living thing emerges. Name a manmade supplement that can do that! We have been harvesting nuts and seeds for at least 10,000 years. Pistachios and almonds are mentioned in biblical times. The Romans gave salted almonds as a gift for weddings which is still in vogue today. They were perfect for storing in the winter for our survival till the spring. Brazil nuts are a great source of selenium while cashews are high in iron. Pine nuts exceed the RDA requirement in manganese, pistachios are high in lutein (eye health), and sunflower seeds are a great source of vitamin E. All are loaded with minerals, multiple vitamins, fiber, healthy fats, phytochemicals, flavonoids, isoflavones, tocotrienols, ellagic acid plus plant sterols.
Many studies point to healthy benefits when eating nuts and seeds. They seem to lower the risk of cardiovascular and heart disease with their healthy fats, fiber, antioxidants, and phytochemicals. Eating nuts promotes satiety, reducing appetite. A study by The Harvard School of Public Health suggested that eating nuts and seeds may lower the risk of Diabetes 2 and blood sugar spikes with their low glycemic index. Their variety of healthy unsaturated fats (75 to 80%) is important in the prevention of cancer.
As you can see, eating nuts and seeds in their natural state is terrific. But when the food industry gets their hands on them, unhealthy they become. What negates all of their health benefits are the added salt, roasting (dry/oil), smoked, blanching and the added spices. Peanut butter goes from being healthy to unhealthy when they add sugar, salt, and partially hydrogenated oils. Flax and chia seeds are two of the best seeds youcan ever take. They are high in omega 3 fats, fiber, protein, calcium, phosphorous, manganese, iron, thiamin, magnesium, copper, and antioxidants. Buy them ground and put them in a zip lock bag in the refrigerator. Storing them at room temperature once opened when ground diminishes the quality of their omega 3 fats, turning them rancid. I personally take 2 tablespoons of ground flax seeds and 1 tablespoon of ground chia seeds every day in my breakfast.
Our entire processed/fast food industry is based on stripping healthy nutrients from our food supply to assure consistency, stability, and profits. Natural nutrients must be removed to avoid spoilage. While this increases the shelf life of the food, it creates a tasteless, sterile and colorless product. Artificial colors are then added with salt and sugar to give the illusion and the taste of real food. What you end up with when eating processed/fast food is high blood pressure (salt), obesity/diabetes (sugar) and a whole host of other unwanted health issues (artificial color and flavors).
Natural nuts and seeds are all packed with a full spectrum of nutrients and do not need to be stacked in alphabetical order in a store when seeking their nutritional value. Both are full of the alphabetic nutrient list plus many others that have not even been discovered yet. They also have that unknown element that creates life that no manmade product will ever have. They are as close to a perfect food as you can get. Name a processed/fast food that can you can add water to and something will grow besides your waist line and your loss of health!
Allergic reactions when eating certain nuts and even seeds seem to be on the rise in recent years. There are many theories why, but until they come up with a definitive answer, please be careful when introducing them into your diet. Some of these reactions can be very serious and caution must be taken. If you are lucky enough that you can consume them safely, by all means please do so. If you think you could be sensitive or allergic to some of these, please be careful and use common sense.