Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Americans commonly reach for orange juice with breakfast in the morning. But just how healthy are these fruit juices? Science recommends eating the actual fruit or turning to superfood powders instead.
We’ve heard that they are very beneficial to our health and that we should include them in our daily diet for overall wellness. This is certainly true, but we really want to understand why that is. Clearly, we know that superfoods have a common value to them.
Invite Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Amanda Williams, MPH.
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Over 2500 years ago, Hippocrates, who is the Greek physician also known as the father of medicine, had a really amazing statement and that was, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”
Now, we fast forward to current day and we have to think to ourselves, how is it that we went so off the rails when it comes to recognizing that nutrition is part of health? It is alarming when you see the lack of nutritional understanding and nutritional planning when it comes to traditional physicians and those in healthcare in general. It really is quite a shame that they had it right 2500 years ago and then you see where we’re at now, with all of the different chronic disease states, we’re still not able to connect those dots.
Hippocrates, for the most part, has been largely neglected, along with that philosophy and understanding of the importance of nutrition. When you look at the way we practice medicine now in the traditional sense, it’s much more about drugs than it is foods. Food as thy medicine has really kind of gone out the window. You don’t have to look too hard or too far to figure out why this trend continues. When we recognize that throughout the United States and technically throughout the world, nutrition in medical education is incredibly lacking.
Today, I want to talk about the lack of understanding when it comes to nutrition. When we talk about nutrition, we’re not talking about putting someone on a low-salt diet or a low-sugar diet. It’s just the basic wherewithal of what is it that nutrition is and why is it that we have pulled so far away from understanding that.
The importance of the Mediterranean diet and superfoods
Most people have heard the saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” That’s not a far fetched thought. We understand that our foods can either make us or break us, which is why I continuously talk about the Mediterranean diet.
We know that if we go back in time to Hippocrates and we’re thinking about foods, we know that those foods that were incorporated into his philosophy of health were from that Mediterranean region. There is a large body of research data that suggests that the Mediterranean diet is by far superior to any other form of diet out there. It’s been shown time and time again to have all of these different health-promoting effects across the spectrum.
Mediterranean Diet Shown Time After Time To Be The Best – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 243
We need to go back to the basics and look at things like superfoods. These are going to be foods that really, across the spectrum, are giving you a really good, abundant amount of key nutrients including vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, protein, healthy fats and the right blend of carbohydrates. There’s not one single food out there that can offer every aspect of full nutrition, but it’s when you adhere altogether to that Mediterranean diet, this is where you gain all of that benefit.
We realize that all of these different foods, like berries, fatty fish, green leafy vegetables, nuts and olive oil, are all a really great way to “superfood up” your diet. Yogurt, for example, is a really wonderful way to balance your homeostasis within the gut microbiome. Cruciferous vegetables, including brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower, really can heighten our body’s ability to function properly. If you’re not hearing this from your physician, it’s probably because they’re not trained in that.
Tune into the full podcast episode to learn more about why many doctors do not know enough about nutrition and why the Mediterranean diet is so important.
Right now, everyone is having a difficult time accessing particular foods, especially immune-boosting fruits and vegetables. Superfoods are a great alternative to provide your body the vitamins, minerals and overall nutrients it needs to work optimally.
The term ‘healthy aging’ is meant literally to optimize the years of healthy living by protecting ourselves from damage and avoiding common concerns associated with aging. Luckily, ample research suggests that antioxidants can provide protective effects.
Phytonutrients are often disguised, healthy pigments that span the colors of the rainbow. Though these healthy pigments translate into nutrients, there are certain foods that contain far more nutrients than our everyday foods. We call these superfoods. They may pack more Vitamin C than lemons, or more carotenoids than carrots. Despite research and more awareness, the average American still only consumes 1-2 servings of vegetables daily, which leaves them way behind the current dietary recommendations of 5-9 daily servings. One way to catch up with your servings of vegetables and fruits are with superfood blends. Superfoods are nature-packed nuggets of antioxidants and detoxifiers. These super-packed fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices are found all around the world, but the good news is that you don’t have to travel to get them.
InVite® Health has found a way to preserve these boluses of super nutrients through freeze-drying, which preserve freshness and nutrients without the sugars and carbohydrates. Gathering and cultivating these non-GMO superfoods is done with utmost scrutiny and inspection for purity and potency. We have created several unique superfood blends, each with a great taste and unique purpose, including support of the heart, brain, immunity, detox, circulation, vision, digestion, and energy. Because of their potency, InVite® Health superfoods are regarded as pharmaceutical-grade supplements.
The pigments of berries such as black raspberry, acerola, cranberry, strawberry, acai, goji, blueberry, bilberry, and black currant may help support the health of the brain, skin, cardiovascular system, and vision. Reds Hx® supplies six probiotic strains for healthy digestion and regularity. The inclusion of ORAC® blend and Grape Seed supports antioxidant-cellular protecting activity.*
Grape Seed extract provides your body with flavonoids called Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins, or OPCs, which have been known to have health properties that support the immune system, the skin, in the intestines, arteries and heart, when faced with challenges. Grape Seed Extract has also been shown to be protective in mediating inflammatory pathways, thereby improving circulation and reducing puffiness.†
Reds Hx® is a vegetable fruit supplement that contains a balanced supply of food-based antioxidants such as Astaxanthin and FloraGLO®-brand Lutein for the eyes. Another ingredient called Polygonum Cuspidatum, or knotweed plant, supplies the body with 10mg of Reservatrol per serving, which is a helpful antioxidant sometimes sourced from red wine. It is renowned for its role in artery and circulatory health, as well as its ability to alter the SIRT1 gene expression. Resveratrol protects cells and organs over the long term, even for future generations. Lycopene, Vitamins C and E, Riboflavin, Fiber, and a powerful probiotic blend round out the mixture of potent antioxidants, vitamins and minerals in Reds Hx®.†
• Non-GMO Dietary Supplement
• Made following cGMP (current Good Manufacturing Practices)
• Freeze-dried and spray dried to protect the integrity of it’s many valuable nutrients
• Great alternative for children to provide missing servings of fruit and vegetables
• Convenient powder formula easily mixed into your favorite beverages or foods