Top 5 Food-Based Supplements for Optimal Health in 2019

Many commercial supplements are not formulated in the correct nutritional ratios (ex: copper to zinc ratio) or have toxic fillers that should be avoided.

Thinking of adding in some healthy routines to your New Year? If supplementing has crossed your mind, I’d like to encourage you to think twice before buying cheap supplements or supplementing blindly. There are many choices on the market and most supplements are not formulated in the correct nutritional ratios (copper to zinc ratio for example) or have toxic fillers like GMO soy and corn that should be avoided. In fact, I’d like to take it a step further and encourage you to supplement not only with organic fruits and veg, but also with food-based supplements that come straight from real food! Below I have created a list of food-based supplements that have amazing health properties.

Beef Liver

Beef liver is one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet. High in vitamin A, B12, heme iron and minerals, beef liver is essentially a food-based multi-vitamin. Organ meats have traditionally been consumed for thousands of years and were deemed more superior than muscle meat, but have fallen out of popularity in modern society. Moreover, ancestral wisdom has passed down the notion that, “like supports [or strengthens] like” and therefore consuming organ meats may actually strengthen your own vital organs, such as the liver. To be more specific, just as the human liver stores important nutrients, beef liver is a complete source of stored essential vitamins and minerals. In light of this, the health properties of beef liver are abundant: great for healthy teeth and gums, skin and hair, energy, mood, metabolism and methylation. You may find creative recipes to cook beef liver, like beef liver meat balls, but FYI organ meats do have a strong flavor. Because of this, it may be easier to consume them in supplement form. Find an organic, grass-fed beef liver supplement here.

Cod Liver Oil

Ask your grandparents about cod liver oil and they will probably tell you how they used to endure (or spit out) tablespoons of this rich, superfood everyday as a child. Why? Because the generations before us understood just how healthy omega 3-rich foods like cod liver oil are for the body. Not only rich with Omega 3’s, this particular fish oil is high in vitamin A and vitamin D, two crucial vitamins that many Americans today are indeed deficient. You can certainly up your intake of wild caught, fatty fish like cod, salmon and sardines, but so many of us have an imbalanced ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 (should be 1:3) that it’s not a bad idea to take cod liver daily just as our grandparents did and reduce unhealthy forms of omega 6, like processed vegetable oils. You can also test your omega 3 to omega 6 ratio level with your functional medicine practitioner. Find cod liver oil here.

Magnesium Oil Spray

Magnesium is an important mineral in which over one-half of the US population is deficient, simply due to the lack of whole foods in our diet and the onset of conventional farming. Since food processing refines out a very large portion of magnesium (along with other essential nutrients), most Americans are not getting the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA). What happens when a deficiency of magnesium occurs? Well, just to name a few complications: susceptibility to heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney stones, cancer, insomnia, PMS, and menstrual cramps. As you can understand, it is very important to consume foods rich with magnesium! The highest source of Mg is Kelp (seaweed). Now, if seaweed is not your idea of a delicious snack you can also find magnesium in pumpkins seeds, wheat bran, almonds, cashews, black strap molasses, spinach, brown rice, brewer’s yeast, buckwheat, English walnuts, cacao, dates, avocado and Brazil nuts! Find an easy to use magnesium oil spray here.

Wholefood Vitamin C

Vitamins C is essential for the healing process and overall immune function. It is also crucial for collagen formation in the skin and is a co-factor for iron absorption. More importantly, it yields antioxidant protection in the body. (Murray, 2005) Because vitamin C is one of the body’s most important antioxidants and the body cannot make it, it is very important to incorporate vitamin C rich foods and/or a supplement to ensure proper levels in the body. Particularly, Vitamin C is high in bioflavonoids, which have been shown to protect vitamin C and preserve its action. They also work together to help protect against inflammation, which is important for reducing stress on the body. (Bauman, 2015) Excellent food sources of vitamin C include rose hip tea, acerola, guavas, red chili peppers, parsley, kale, sweet red and yellow peppers, strawberries, citrus fruits, cantaloupe, spinach, tomato, potatoes, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and collard leaves. (Murray, 2005) Find a great food-based vitamin C supplement here.

Bee Pollen

Bee pollen is a major superfood, due to the fact that it contains almost all nutrients required for humans. It contains roughly 40% protein and the “free” amino acids are highly absorbable by the body. And because bee pollen is so abundant in vitamins (b complex and folic acid), minerals, enzymes and protein, it can easily make up for any type of malnutrition or missing nutrients when added into the diet. Highly antibacterial (think good-bye cold and flu), bee pollen has numerous health properties. In fact, bee pollen has been researched for the following health benefits: fertility, reduction of cholesterol, anti-cancer properties, improving physical performance, wound healing, weight loss/control, allergies and hay fever, cell renewal and skin health, including acne. You can definitely find bee pollen at your local farmer’s market or CSA, which will be the most beneficial for allergies or hay fever, since the pollen is usually sourced locally. You may also find a high-quality, organic bee pollen here.

Take Away

Whether your New Year’s goal is increased energy and focus, weight control, better sleep or a boosted immune system, the above formulations may bring you this and more. But don’t just rely on this article, do your research, look up brands, read reviews and make 2019 the best year yet for your health!

In divine health!

Kristin

*All information, content and material of this blog is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the diagnosis, and/or medical treatment by a qualified physician.

Resources:

“Nourish Your Way to Health & Happiness with Desiccated Beef Liver.” retrieved at https://ancestralsupplements.com/products.html
Mangan, P.D. (2015). Magnesium Deficiency and Sudden Death. http://roguehealthandfitness.com/magnesium-deficiency-sudden-death/ Dowse, G.
(2015). The Leading Food Sources of Magnesium. Retrieved from http://www.naturalhealingtherapy.com.au/the-leading-food- sources-of-magnesium/
“Need more Magnesium? 10 signs to Look For.” Retrieved from http://www.ancient-minerals.com/magnesium-deficiency/need-more/
Bauman, E. (2015). Therapeutic Nutrition Textbook, Part 1. Penngrove, CA: Bauman College.
Murray, M. (2005). The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods. New York, NY: Atria Books.
“The Use of Bee Pollen as a Superfood.” https://www.mercola.com/article/diet/bee_pollen.htm