When I think of ‘food medicine’ (and the arbitrary distinction between what is ‘food’ and ‘medicine’ in the West, as opposed to in the East) I often think of Moringa. You may know of it because of its reputation as a high source of vitamins and minerals. In fact the freeze-dried biodynamic Medicatrix Moringa has as much Calcium gram for gram as many Calcium isolated supplements such as Calcium Carbonate! Yet it is in a whole plant form and arguably more beneficial, if only because of the broad range of phytonutrients a whole plant can offer.
The video below drives home an important aspect of the plant – its role in alleviating hunger and other afflictions in Africa and other parts of the world. While the West suffers from diseases of excess, mother Africa still struggles with the fundamentals of survival. Moringa may be part of the solution for both. Watch the video if you get the chance and support our friends at Trees of Life. Tell them the food movement sent you!
The health food business is undoubtedly rooted in the idea of a plant-based diet. While dietary fads come and go; the general consensus that industrialized society (in the convenience era) is missing out on needed botanical nutrition seems to remain constant. On this, it seems, even vegans and paleo-caveman-diet folks can agree. The world of super food plants is just too expansive, and remarkably beneficial, not to make these nutritional storehouses more widely available.
It should be no surprise, then, that we see the most top-notch companies in the industry ramping up their offerings of completely plant-based products. Nordic Naturals unveiled a nice line extension of vegan/vegetarian products at Natural Products Expo East, including the Vitamin D3 Vegan, GLA liquid, Algae Omega, and Baby DHA Vegetarian. The top-selling Omega 3 company is built upon their vertically-integrated fish oil operations (being one of the first and most thoroughly ‘green’ companies in the category) but their purely vegetarian products are sure to command the respect of the discerning consumer.
Foods like Jem’s Almond Butters which incorporate super foods, also add a ‘gourmet’ aspect to the realm of the raw foods consumers (in their many forms). I also enjoyed the Artisana nut butters unveiled at NPEE which went even further with Goji Milk Thistle botanical foods, Phytoplankton sea nutrition and other nutritional taste treat The more we can incorporate these botanical foods into our food products, they more benefit these products will provide to our bodies. After all, isn’t a better strategy to entice ourselves with a good-tasting healing diet than to pound ourselves into submission with handfuls of pills?
Pills I say to you that your days are numbered. As more and more we all look to plants as a source of not just healing, but daily nourishment, the more we will be able to promote and preserve good health in all of us.
Another product not just for vegans and vegetarians (though wildly popular with that group as well) is Green Foods Company’s True Vitality. This is seriously one of the best values in plant-based protein shakes, actually offering 1000 mg of plant-based DHA per serving. At around $30, this is a seriously good value for every home.
The company brought cereal grasses to forefront in the marketplace, making truly digestible green food products a reality. True Vitality is an amazing extension of that offering 8 billion of active probiotics per serving, as well as the impressive botanical goodnes It also comes in Chocolate, Vanilla and Unflavored.
