You would have to been under a rock to have not heard of “Bullet Proof Coffee” and perhaps you won’t be surprised to know that the inventor has written a book called the “Bullet Proof Diet”.
However when it comes to supplements there may be some holes in the program. One potentially misguided recommendation of the author, who recommends relying on ‘good fats’ such as MCTs in coconut oil and grass-fed butter, may be the recommendation of Krill Oil over Omega-3 Fish Oil supplements. Continue reading →
The title of this blog entry is an obvious question for anyone seeking natural solutions to health challenges. In natural medicine, we often take it is a base assumption that changing diet will have impact on health outcomes. The way in which specific dietary changes will affect body systems, however, is not always clear particularly when there is pathology such as in autoimmune and chronic inflammatory conditions.
One study done in Germany about 10 years looked at Mediterranean diet or extended fasting in patients with FM or RA and found no changes in intestinal microflora or secretory immunoglobulin A (a endogenous inflammatory compound). This may not tell us all that we need to know about these pathologies and their relation to diet, but it gives us some food for thought. Would anyone else like to see a followup study with natural anti-inflammatories or even probiotic supplementation?
One interesting Korean study found that EPA & DHA Omega-3s (fish oil) supplementation in Rheumatoid Arthritis sufferers helped them to lower their dosage of NSAIDS (Non-steroidal anti-inlammatory drugs such as Ibuprofen, etc.). While this is far from a dietary ‘cure’ for RA, it could be of immense benefit because of the myriad health benefits of Omega-3, as well as the decreased load on the liver when NSAID dosage required is lowered.
Another study in the International journal Rheumatology found that a vegetarian diet along with fish oil supplementation could greatly reduce symptoms for RA sufferers. “A diet low in arachidonic acid ameliorates clinical signs of inflammation in patients with RA and augments the beneficial effect of fish oil supplementation” found the researchers.
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.
