Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Washago's Health and Wellness Fair: Talking about Vitamins vs. Wholefoods


Thank you to all the vendors who participated in the Wellness Fair in Washago last week!
It’s always a privilege to share our knowledge with others!  Although we did not get the turn out we had expected due to poor weather I always believe those who are meant to be there will be there!

I had the opportunity to share my beliefs on supplementation.  Most of our population takes some sort of supplements and although I whole heartily agree with My Pough who spoke on weight lifting and who believes that supplements are not necessary so long as you consume a balanced diet. Most people do not consume a balanced diet, and as a result they often turn to isolated vitamin and mineral supplementation. 
The concern I have as a professional Nutritionist and Professor of Nutrition is, we know from a scientific standpoint, the body does not recognize or utilize isolated vitamins and minerals.  And in many documented cases in dozens of peer reviewed clinical publishing’s isolated vitamins and minerals can be downright dangerous!  We touched on a couple of the findings including how calcium does in many cases increase the risk for heart attacks and stroke by increasing calcifications of the arteries, and how isolated beta carotene in a large study showed to increase a smokers risk for cancer by up to 28% (by becoming a pro-oxidant).

The research is very clear on the subject of health and disease prevention when it comes to whole foods!  There is not a single research publication I am aware of that disputes the fact that the more fruits and veggies you consume, the lower your risk for almost any disease.  Particularly the big ones like cardiovascular disease, inflammatory conditions and cancer!  Bottom line the more fruits and vegetables you consume the more you reduce your risk for disease.
So if the solution is so simple why are we a population of ever growing health care expenses due to largely preventable (with higher fruit and vegetable consumption) diseases?  The problem itself is multi-factorial.  For one, the quality of our fruits and vegetables is poor at best. Most of our produce is grown with heavy amounts of toxic chemicals and in nutrient deficient soil. It’s picked premature (not ripe) and transported long distances to super markets where we purchase these nutrient deficient foods for our consumption.  Secondly we don’t consume the recommended 10-13 servings of fruits and vegetables daily.  This is the amount required by many cancer associations to prevent cancer!! Thirdly, the fruits and vegetables we do consume are mostly of the processed and even more nutrient deficient kinds such as fruit juices, French fries and canned options. The bottom line is health promotion is truly found in fruits and vegetables, however as a result of the above considerations (this is just the tip of the iceberg) we do need supplementation!

Now we know we are not eating enough fruits and vegetables, we know isolated vitamins and minerals are NOT scientifically proven to be beneficial to our health and we know statistically many preventable diseases are on the rise.  I tell you it really breaks my heart to know that if we continue as we have, my children’s generation is expected to have a shorter life expectancy than my generation!   I also know that the Canadian Cancer Society estimates 1 in 3 people will experience cancer first hand in their lifetime and they anticipate that by 2020 that statistic will increase to 1 in 2!  I am the mother of four children the last thing I ever want is to have them go through the devastation of a cancer diagnosis and the perils of dealing with the disease.  I see cancer most days in clinic and its devastating and in many cases entirely preventable!

I believe our solution to all of this comes from the company I work with called Juice Plus. Juice Plus is fruits and vegetables in a capsule!  That’s it, our produce is free from chemicals (herbicides, pesticides and fungicides) and picked at the peak of ripeness.  Juice Plus is the most thoroughly researched and clinically proven health line in the world with 31 published clinical studies on our products. Many companies use borrowed studies on ingredients in their products. Juice Plus has published studies on their products!
Some of the results from the clinical research shows that Juice Plus

-          17 studies that show Juice Plus+®delivers key antioxidants and other phytonutrients that are absorbed by the body.
-          11 clinical studies showing Juice Plus+ reduces oxidative stress.
-          2 clinical publications that show Juice Plus+ reduces markers of systematic inflammation.
-          4 clinical studies showing Juice Plus+ supports a healthy immune system.
-          2 clinical studies showing Juice Plus+ helps protect DNA.
-          7 clinical studies showing Juice Plus+ supports cardiovascular wellness.
-          Additional studies show Juice Plus+ improves skin health, reduces periodontal disease markers, and is effective as part of nutritional oncology protocol and more!

The bottom line is our diets and food are not of great quality and we are becoming more and more unwell as a result.  We need a solution and we do need supplementation, but we need to supplement with what our diets are lacking, whole foods, nutrition, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytonutrients from fruits and vegetables. Juice Plus is that solution and we have the science to back it up!
Find out how your children are free at: http://www.childrenshealthstudy.com/
Learn how you can grow your own organic food at: https://nutrinity.towergarden.ca/
Yours in Good Health
Alisa Herriman RNCP ROHP CHCP
Health Educator, Juice Plus Canada
705-484-0726

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