green is universal

Traditional Whole Foods vs. Supplements Pantry

Posted at 03:15 PM on February 19, 2008 comments (0)

By Nicole Ohebshalom, Radiant Living Wellness

When was the last time your body received real nutrition from eating whole foods for an entire day, week, or month?

If you are like most people, you would have to honestly say it's been a while. Then there are some of you thinking, "Since I use supplements, my body receives all the nutrition it needs." So people come to the belief that they can eat anything and still function optimally. They tuck the concept, you are what you eat, way back into their brains because nothing will ever happen to them. You have your vitamins, right? People then get in the habit of eating pizza in front of the TV instead of preparing healthy meals while consciously enjoying the pleasure of their food. For a person on a pizza type of lifestyle, can a supplement be the right choice for their health? Or is it best to be nursed on more whole nutritious food? For a select few this question is a no brainer. They are clear in where they stand. But for many this is a true daily tug of war. You might be asking yourself, how can I have a healthy lifestyle with ease in this fast paced world?

When a client first comes to see me they are typically taking a box filled with vitamins because they believe the more they take the higher on the healthy scale they are and it's easier for them than eating good food. They are surprised and delighted once they discover that nutritionally filled food is a simple and straightforward choice in their busy lives. Traditional organic food has been around for thousands of years in every culture so why mess with natural science?

What do you get when you eat traditional organic (environmentally friendly) food? Food that comes from fertile soil (nutrient filled!) instead of depleted soil, and animals on the pasture instead of confinement. Good food begins with plants and animals raised in healthy ways on mineral-rich soil; and with meat, eggs, milk products, fish, grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables so that vitamins and minerals in the foods are preserved or enhanced.

Food, particularly unprocessed organic grown, meets the nutrient needs for anyone and it contains other valuable substances that is not present in supplements. I'm not saying there aren't any helpful supplements out there. There certainly are. What is becoming more apparent, however, is supplements will not help much if one does not first address the necessary basics of health and healing.

This fact has never really been questioned or argued. Everyone agrees raw honey is better for you than white sugar or that brown rice is better for you than white rice. Also, meditation and a visit to the spa supports a person's well-being more than happy hour with colleagues. Why should it be any different for supplements?

Calcium is a perfect example to find on the shelves of your local health food store. How does a nutrient dense cheese outweigh a calcium tablet?

When an individual takes a single calcium tablet then it isn't digested properly in the body. Why? Because calcium in tablet form doesn't belong to its naturally designed complex whole form. To absorb calcium in the body it needs to be digested with Vitamin A, Vitamin D, and Phosphorus. When you eat a calcium rich whole food the mentioned nutrients will also be in there... just like nature intended!

I propose that you look in your kitchen and the farmers market as your new medicine cabinet. As Hippocrates said, "Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food." Eat in pleasure and stick with whole traditional organic foods. Below are helpful resources to begin your journey. Once you begin your healthy journey, research supplements for extra support.

Whole Organic Food Support:
The Weston A. Price Foundation
Radiant Living Wellness
Slow Food

Nicole Ohebshalom, RN,CHHC, AADP
Radiant Living Wellness