| Vitamins, Minerals, EFA's, Glyconutrients: Tools of Optimal Health |
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| Pam Murphy,B.S.,RRT |
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Who am I? I am Pam Murphy,B.S.,RRT. Why did I put this site up? As a lupus patient (now in remission) and healthcare professional for over 25 yrs; I have seen conventional medicine from both sides. I'm not impressed. Though conventional medicine excels in emergency, critical and trauma care, folks with chronic disorders fall thru the cracks. In my journey with lupus there was a turning point when my rheumatologist threw his hands up in frustration and said "I don't know". He was a good doctor; there just aren't good answers for chronic disorders in conventional medicine. I realized at that point if I was to have any quality of life at all, it was going to be up to me to take responsibility for my wellness. My search for wellness led me to nutrition. It was there I got my life back from lupus. In fact, what I learned about nutrition and glyconutrition so amazed me I went back to school and am completing a Masters in Holistic Nutrition. |
I'm concerned. The old adage "you are what you eat" is true. But today advertising which is not entirely as educational as it sometimes purports to be has lulled folks into a false security about the nutritive aspects of processed foods. There is a complacency and a tendency to not give a second thought to what we eat. And what we are eating is killing us. We're so used to convenience and the ability to reach for another drug to solve any problems that crop up: we have stopped thinking about nutrition. So that's why I put this site up. To get folks thinking about nutrition. And not just think about it, but understand the need to be aware of and serious about the quality of nutrition you give your body. Think about it. What do you have if you don't have your health?
HEALTHY CELLS = HEALTHY ORGANS = HEALTHY SYSTEMS = HEALTHY BODY
Health starts at the cell level with quality nutrition.
Illness starts at the cell level with poor nutrition.
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Why do you need to get serious about nutrition?
Let's look at what has happened in the last 50 years with two of the most popular vegetables:
Nutrients in POTATOES have decreased: Nutrients in BROCCOLI have decreased:
Vitamin A 100% Calcium 62%
Calcium 28% Iron 33%
Vitamin C and Iron 57% Vitamin A 55%
Thiamine 18% Thiamine 40%
Riboflavin 50% Riboflavin 42%
This decrease in nutrients has happened in all of our fruits and vegetables. There-in lies the problem! Our produce which is lacking in nutrients to begin with is green harvested! This is why servings on the food pyramid were increased and why it was recommended in the Journal of the American Medical Association (2002) everyone supplement with a quality multi-vitamin.
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Do you realize, given the nutrients it needs, your body has the ability to heal? You've seen this in small ways when you've cut your finger, scraped your knee or broken a bone. The problem is our bodies are having a tough time working normally because our bodies aren't getting the necessary nutrients from our food supply. The average person thinks because they have a full plate of food three meals a day they are well-nourished. We aren't. In fact, we are grossly under-nourished (yes, I said under-nourished) because of:
1.our reliance on pharmaceuticals and "reactive" medical care instead of nutrition
2.the amount of nutrient-poor processed food we eat
3.the nutrient-depleted soil we grow our food in and
4.green-harvesting
Are you aware that even the Journal of the American Medical Association and the United States Department of Agriculture have admitted that today's commercially produced foods no longer have enough nutrients to keep us healthy? This is one of the reasons we are seeing such a rise in auto-immune illnesses, cancer, diabetes and heart disease. It is also a big part of the reason we are seeing typically adult-onset diseases (cancer and diabetes) striking our children.
How nutrient-poor is our food supply? It takes 2 lbs of spinach to get the same amount of Vitamin A which used to be in 1 lb of spinach. All of our produce is this nutrient-poor.
We literally can't eat enough to get the amount of nutrients our bodies need.
This is why the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2002 recommended everyone supplement their diet. It is also the reason the U.S. government recently re-formulated the food pyramid increasing the number of servings.
| Quite frankly, nutrition should be the first discussion your doctor has with you. Our bodies are deficient in nutrients, not antidepressants, antacids, anticholesterol drugs, steroids or the myriad of other pharmaceuticals available to us. In fact, pharmaceuticals deplete the body of the very nutrients it needs to heal itself.
"One of the biggest tragedies of human civilization is the precedents of chemical therapy over nutrition. It's a substitution of artificial therapy over nature, of poisons over food, in which we are feeding people poisons trying to correct the reactions of starvation." ---Dr Royal Lee, January 12,1951
Sadly, we still haven't learned.
It's startling to realize in the sixteen years my lupus was active (and I was struggling to stay off disability) not one physician ever inquired about or made any suggestions as to my nutritional intake. Every cell in your body is made from the food you put in. Good nutrition is what makes the body work. Want to know just how important food is? The World Health Organization (W.H.O.) says 70% of all diseases start with a deficiency of antioxidants. It goes even further in stating 70% of all cancer could be prevented by proper nutrition. Our immune system given the right nutrition can stop cancer in it's tracks! In fact, a properly working immune system does that every day.
According to R.K. Murray PhD - Editor, Harper's Biochemistry (a medical textbook), "All diseases are manifestations of abnormalities of molecules, chemical processes or reactions." All disease starts at the cell level with abnormal communication caused by a lack of the proper nutrients. Optimal nutrition gives your cells and immune system the nutrients utilized in biological communication. By giving your body optimal nutrition you are optimizing it's ability to heal. In fact, right now on the internet there are at least a half million studies and clinical trials documented concerning how the body can heal itself when given the necessary nutrients. |
| Take a look at these study conclusions: |
| A Harvard study of more than 87,000 female nurses ages 34 to 59 that found a 41% reduction in heart disease risk among those who took vitamin E supplements for at least two years.
A study of almost 40,000 male health professionals ages 40 to 75 that found a 37% lower risk of heart disease among those who took daily vitamin E supplements of at least 100 IU for more than two years.
A National Institute of Aging study of 11,000 elderly people found that those who used vitamins C and E supplements had a 53% reduction in mortality from heart disease and a 42% reduction in death from all causes, compared with non-users. | A Vanderbilt University study concluded lifestyle modifications in conjunction with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, nutraceutical supplements, optimal nutrition and drug therapy will prevent and treat hypertension and its sequelae while addressing global cardiovascular risk, vascular biology, endothelial dysfunction and overall vascular health.
A study from the King Edward VII Hospital in London stated: Physicians are frequently confronted with patients complaining of fatigue, tiredness and low energy levels. In the absence of underlying disease, these symptoms could be caused by a lack of vitamins and minerals. |
Certainly Hippocrates was right when he said:
" Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food".
By making sure what you eat has a full complement of necessary micronutrients (i.e. eating a varied diet of whole foods) and supplementing with quality supplements, you give your immune system the tools it needs to work properly and yourself the best chance at staying healthy. Good nutrition optimizes your body's ability to heal itself. Your body needs, vitamins, minerals, essential fats and glyconutrients. For instance, in addition to eating whole foods, I supplement with an excellent vitamin, an Omega-3 product, a superior antioxidant product and also a patented glyconutrient powder.
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| Click on the links below for more information! You will learn more about vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids. |
ABOUT GLYCONUTRIENTS
In addition to vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and essential fatty acids; there is another NEW category of nutrient validated by thousands of medical and scientific journal articles. Have you heard about glyconutrients? Glyconutrients are plant saccarhides necessary for health, which we aren't getting enough of from our current food supply. They've been in the media! Lots of medical study going on with these nutrients. Many drug companies are designing pharmaceuticals based on glyconutrients. But your best bet will always be to get them naturally. There are eight known necessary glyconutrients. I highly recommend you supplement your diet with a glyconutrition supplement. |
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Dietary supplements are designed to improve nutrition rather than to treat disease. However, scientific research has established a connection between nutrition and many disease conditions. The information of this Website is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of physicians or health care practitioners. It is also not intended to diagnose or prescribe treatment for any illness or disorder.
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