Health Trends & Predictions 🔮

We’ve been approached by a couple of companies this week to consult about health trends and the future of nutrition and wellness. Would you like to take a peek into the now and what’s to come? No crystal ball nor clairvoyance needed.

#1 – Personalized medicine and nutrition. We’re all so used to customizing our license plates, shoes, clothes and the like…and when it comes to health and dietary advice we know there’s no-one-size-fits-all. What works for a celebrity, your best friend, or even cousin may not work for you. We all want to know what we should be eating to best fuel our bodies for performance, heal our guts, and be genetically appropriate to help prevent cardiovascular disease or even improve our memory and brain health. Enter food sensitivity testing and DNA testing to fill a gap in the market that helps figure out the best foods to avoid, and incorporate, for your unique body.

#2 – CBD products. Many of us are interested to see what CBD can do for our pain, our poor sleep, and even to help with anxiety. From gummies to tinctures and pain patches, there’s a lot of research and people experimenting on themselves with these substances to alleviate health issues.

#3 – Herbs & Botanical Medicine. Plants have been used to help our species deal with all sorts of maladies since time immemorial. During the Middle Ages, folk healers were called upon to help people in the community with their health issues. However, sharing generations of herbal knowledge was parti-cu-larly dangerous during this time as a church in power not only had strict roles for women, but also condemned the pagan practice of herbalism. This sent herbalism underground and it nearly died out. Fortunately some pioneers in the 1960’s and 70’s brought this ancient knowledge back into ‘mainstream’ attention. Depending on the plants used, and the knowledge of the herbalist, this can be an effective, low-cost option, and generally one without so many of the dangerous side effects mentioned in pharmaceutal drug ads.

#4 – Plant-based diets and Intuitive Eating. There are many specialty diets floating around these days: keto, gluten-free, low FODMAP, vegan, paleo…and interest in plant-based eating is growing. Whether for health, animal or environmental reasons, many people are looking to incorporate more plant-based meals. Meatless Mondays are a good start, if that’s something of interest to you. Intuitive eating, or mindful eating, really is different than just letting your inner two-year-old run your diet. It’s about paying attention to your thoughts and feelings around your meals and after. How do you feel physically after your meal? How full or stuffed are you and what does that feel like? Part of Intuitive Eating is about slowing down, which creates a little bit of tension in a world that seems to demand that we eat quickly while we do any other number of activities – including driving, working, or watching TV.

#5 – In, out, and all-around Health & Wellness Changes. A typical progression when making healthy changes is starting by changing what one is putting into their bodies – mainly their food and drink. After having spent time reading through ingredients lists on food, the next common change is that people will take a look at their personal care products and/or cosmetics – the ingredients put on the body (which, of course, get absorbed through the body’s largest organ, the skin). The next progression tends to look more at changing the environment closest to one’s individual bubble – such as the home – and then thinking more globally. This could initially look like changing the cleaning products used in the house and adjusting laundry detergents, fragrance sticks and plug-ins, or water quality. Thinking globally, one might start looking the company practices behind their favorite coffee, chocolate, and more to see if they value fair trade practices, organic or sustainable farming practices.

While some of these are certainly not new, they were definitely more fringe ideas back a decade or so ago. Which ones do you think will trend into the future? What are some other changes you anticipate seeing in health and wellness?

The Truth about Organic Foods – Part I

We just wrapped up an interview in North Scottsdale, Arizona on “The Truth about Organic Foods” and thought we’d share a sneak peek of information we covered.

Q: What is the definition of “organic”?

The dictionary definition means: “relating to, or derived from living matter.” This could apply to genetically modified organisms (GMOs) as well as non-GMO foods…and the nebulousness of the nuance is what confuses consumers. It’s important to discuss the semantics involved with words such as ‘conventional’, ‘natural’, and ‘organic’…none of which contain their commonsense meanings.

Conventional should mean traditional, it doesn’t. Organic should refer to a branch of chemistry. it doesn’t. Natural should mean something like “untouched” or pure. It really doesn’t.

Which word is “best?” Organic, surely. But chemically, this word encompasses everything from poison to cure. [Dog poop is organic matter but we don’t want to eat that! ] If only we could trust the word “natural.”

It comes as no surprise in this linguistic crisis that we equate transgenic biological manipulation to selective breeding, but this is obviously a false equivalence.
We ought to be able to call food “food”, but the very terminology has been warped beyond recognition.

The USDA regulates organic certifications and requires that a product be grown and processed using farming methods that keep biodiversity and foster sustainability in terms of soil, resources, and ecological balance. Synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers are prohibited, although certain approved pesticides may be used. Generally, organic foods do not contain bio-engineered genes, are not irradiated, and do not include industrial solvents or synthetic food additives.

Q: We commonly see the term “natural” on food labels. How does this differ from organic foods?

The word “natural” connotes something healthy and non-toxic but is very overused in marketing and not well-regulated. Petroleum is “natural” but that doesn’t mean it’s good for you. Also, the words “natural” and “organic” are not interchangeable terms. You might see “natural” and other such claims as “all natural,” “free-range,” “no antibiotics added” or “hormone-free” on food labels. These terms are not regulated and may or may not be truthful. Only foods that are grown and processed according to USDA organic standards can be labeled as organic.

Q: Is it true that genetically modified foods have lower nutrient content?

Some argue that there is little difference between conventionally raised produce and organic, but we have seen scientific research suggesting the genetically engineered food has less nutrients than organic. Also, it makes common sense to those who understand what is done to the quality of the soil and the plant itself when pesticides and genetic engineering are introduced.

A study published in Environmental Health Perspectives looked at the diets of nearly 4,500 people living in six US cities and assessed organophosphate exposure levels, which are among the most commonly used insecticides on US farms. Those who ate conventionally grown produce were found to have high concentrations of organophosphate metabolites, whereas those who ate organic produce had significantly lower levels.

In this way, when you eat organic what the food doesn’t contain is just as important as what it does. This is especially true when it comes to pesticides. These chemicals have been shown to cause cancer, organ [liver, kidney] and blood diseases. They over-work the immune system and our detoxification systems. Pesticides lodge and accumulate in our tissues and can weaken our immune systems, which makes us more vulnerable to other carcinogens and pathogens.

If you don’t want to be a guinea pig in this dangerous experiment, consider opting out and sticking with what nature has provided us with for thousands of years.

Q: Are there any scientific studies that show that organic foods are better for our health?

Some compelling evidence comes a 4-year study funded by the European Union called the Quality Low Input Food (OLIF) Project. The researchers found that organic food is more nutritious than conventionally-grown produce. The organic produce contained more antioxidants and minerals. Milk from organically-fed cows had more antioxidants too.

A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition, reported higher antioxidant as well as lower cadmium and pesticide residue levels in organically grown produce.

Organic foods are fertilized in ways that support higher levels of certain nutrients and antioxidants. Plants can produce more antioxidants as a response to stress (i.e. pests).  These foods may be higher in nutrients and come with the added bonus of not being pesticide-ridden.

Food grown in healthy soil, with natural fertilizers and without harmful chemicals (and genetic modification), is going to be more nutritious and less toxic than food grown in the opposite type of situation.

The 2015 Dietary Guidelines: What Will They Mean for You?

photo source: http://www.foodinsight.org

For those interested in a whole foods, plant-based diet, the report from the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee is a a near ‘win’. The group acknowledges that half of American adults have one or more preventable diseases – including cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes – due to poor diet and sedentary behaviors.

The committee, consisting of scientists and experts in the field of nutrition and health, is advocating drinking less soda and more water, eating less meat – particularly processed meat, less saturated fats (which naturally happens when focuses on eating more plant-based foods), less refined grains, added sugars, and sodium. At the same time, they are rallying around a health-promoting diet higher in plant-based foods including vegetables, whole grains, legumes, fruits, nuts and seeds.

There are some new, rather surprising bits about ‘de-regulating’ cholesterol, addressing aspects of sustainability and food choices, and the influence of family and community in improving dietary and activity patterns. The committee is focusing on getting the proper foods into the diet, acknowledging that “a healthy dietary pattern has little room for sodium, saturated fat, and added sugars. ”

Let us hope that this scientific report will be preserved as it goes through the political process- which includes consideration on the part of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and The United States Department of Agriculture, lobbying on the part of food companies, meat & dairy industries, and other interests- in order to make the 8th edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans the best, unbiased information being disseminated since its inception 35 years ago.

Regardless of what will end up being on the 2015 Dietary Guidelines, the ‘common sense’ remains the same – eat wholesome, real food & more plants!