NOURISH TO FLOURISH…
“We need to … reflect on ‘our daily bread,’ given to us each day, and think about our relationship, not only with food, but with each other, with creation, and with the Creator.”– Wayne Groot, Living Ecological Justice.
The people living in the Longevity Hotspots practice the art of eating whatever’s fresh and in season. They love the juiciness of a ripe apricot, the crunch of a cucumber, the richness of spices. Theirs is mostly an organic, plant-based diet and their tables are richly coloured with produce in reds, yellows, oranges, purples, and dark greens. Other foods may contain added fermentation that deliciously enriches nutrient content. As a result, they eat more whole, nutrient-dense foods.
These food choices are mostly the very same ones available to us in our supermarkets! But, sadly they do not measure up nutritionally to those superfoods that are bursting with the vitamins, minerals, and enzymes that give us our vital life force. They affect how we feel, how much energy we have, how well we sleep, work and play.
In a perfect world, we should not have to take supplements but, In the world most of us inhabit, I believe we often have to. This might seem inconsistent with the fact that we promote that we should always try to eat, fresh, natural, nutrient dense food. After all, our ancestors weren’t popping pills to stay healthy, so why should we? Our modern environment is profoundly different than that of our ancestors. In fact, a fundamental tenet of the ancestral health movement is the recognition that we are “mismatched” with our current environment in numerous ways, and it is that mismatch that is responsible for the modern disease epidemic.
Examples include:
- A decline in soil diversity and quality (and consequent decline in nutrient density of foods).
- A decrease in diversity of plant species consumed.
- An increase in exposure to food and environmental toxins.
- Overuse of antibiotics, birth control and other medications (damaging the gut and liver).
- An increase in chronic stress.
- A decrease in sleep quality and duration.
- A reduced connection with nature and less time spent outdoors.
- A move away from the tight-knit social groups that were the norm for humans until very recently (and the resulting effect on our nervous system).
- An increase in the number of hours we spend sitting.
We encourage you to obtain as many nutrients from fresh food as possible. Humans are adapted to getting nutrients from food, and foods contain many cofactors and enzymes required to absorb those nutrients. However, there are certain nutrients that are difficult to obtain even in the context of a healthy diet (such as vitamin D and magnesium), and supplementing with them indefinitely may be necessary. Especially, in relation to factors like, the colour of skin and even where we live. We call this “maintenance supplementation”. Other nutrients that may fall into this category, depending on your diet and health needs, include vitamin A, vitamin K2, selenium, iodine and vitamin C. Vitamin A is only available in significant amounts in organ meats and fish liver oils. While it’s certainly possible (and desirable) to eat organ meats, many people have a strong aversion to them. That makes cod liver oil — a food-based supplement — the next best choice.
The point I am trying to make here is that good nutrition which is a primary building block of life for us has become a tricky business to navigate given the many factors we have to consider in order to have and maintain a nutrient rich diet. It is with this reason in mind the Ignite team is working hard to bring you research, products, services and technologies that can help you be in the driver’s seat of your life by understanding nutrition and making the best choices for you and your family. If you would like to learn more about Nutrition you can access information through our Ignite Life Community website.