Whole Food Supplements

What is a Whole Food?

A food is considered whole when it has not been processed, changed, or refined in any way. Whole foods include fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and animal products such as meat and eggs.

In whole foods, there exists a natural balance of the three macromolecules: protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Although essential for our growth and survival, it is the micronutrients that we are more often depleted in since these are often the missing components of foods that have been processed.

Micronutrients: More Than Vitamins and Minerals

Through clean eating and varying our diets, we can attempt to get all the nutrition we need to sustain ourselves in a healthy way. In an ideal world, we would get everything we need and more out of whole foods because they contain all the vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients that nature intended. But we know it is not always possible to get all that we need from food alone, so supplementing with the raw micronutrients and phytonutrients from plants is often necessary.

Phytonutrients are active compounds in plants that have been shown to provide benefit to humans when consumed. Particularly in the area of disease prevention, phytonutrients show special promise for lowering the risk of health problems. We know an orange is not only just vitamin C. Oranges contains bioflavonoids, antioxidants, and organic acids that work in synergy with vitamin C in the flesh of the orange itself. It is no wonder then, that vitamin C in a whole food environment would be good for us to eat. It is what nature intended.

How do I get Enough?

Accessing and eating all the right whole foods may be a challenge. It can be expensive, and our busy schedules get in the way. Supplies can be limited, especially in the winter months as our favorite foods are seasonal. So this is where supplementation comes in.

Multivitamins are best taken with meals for proper assimilation, absorption, and usage of the vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. I suggest choosing a product that provides all of this in two tablets daily-to give your body these important nutrients all day long.

My go-to whole food supplement is Whole Earth and Sea from Natural Factors. Being a Vancouver Island born and raised resident, I value my native local farms and markets. Knowing that the Whole Earth and Sea line of multivitamins are providing phytonutrients from organically and locally BC grown fruits, vegetables, and herbs is important to me. In addition to the 45+ fruits and vegetables that are providing the goodness of their phytonutrients, new sources of vitamins and minerals in this new line from Natural Factors may astound you! Here is a list of where some of these are coming from:

• Vitamin E: from non-GMO sunflower oil
• Vitamin D3: from lichen, a true vegan source
• Selenium: from sprouted garlic
• Vitamin C: from Indian gooseberry
• Lutein: from marigold
• Iodine: from kelp
• Silica: from bamboo

Pure food supplements from Whole Earth and Sea are available for men and women as well as in a 50+ version. The line also includes a Bone Formula, which acts like a multivitamin for the bones, with extra support for bone integrity from the goodness of whole foods.

Getting the Benefits of a Growing Season in a Tablet

The purpose of incorporating whole food supplements into our daily regimen is to provide our body with the foundation it needs to maintain health and prevent illness. Rather than treating a system or a disease, I teach my patients how to raise the bar of their health and promote a healthy and well-fed body.