Balancing Your Lifestyle
Brannick Riggs
VP of Essential Oil Education, Chairman of Scientific and Medical Education Committee
As a physician with decades of experience, I have come to realise that health is not a destination, it’ s a journey. Our health changes over the course of our lives with many lessons along the way. What does a change in our bodies mean? Or rather, what is your body telling you? These changes show that our specific needs can inform our ongoing health journey. If you’ re interested in better understanding your health, or maintaining it, maybe supplements are for you.
Modern diets have evolved drastically. In earlier times, we foraged for food, and that food was full of phytonutrients to sustain and supply our bodies with the vital nutrients our cells needed to thrive. However, those phytonutrients weren’ t palatable. So, changes were made.
First, with agriculture, we learned techniques to make food taste better and grow bigger. During that process, nutrients declined. Now, there is less value in eating whole, organic, non-GMO fruits and vegetables since the nutrients have decreased at an alarming rate. Data informs us that our bodies need more nutrients.
Second, we learned to process food by removing elements that didn’ t have an ideal taste. For example, flour comes from wheat, a brown grain. Grinding wheat produces a brown powder with fibre, but to improve taste, the food industry removes the fibre and filters out the bran and wheat germ, resulting in white flour. This“ processing” applies to many foods, changing their nutrient content.
Almost 70 % of Europeans are deficient in iron, vitamin D, zinc, and iodine, which are essential for carrying oxygen to cells, supporting the immune system, and ensuring optimal endocrine function. Over 10 % of the EU population lacks sufficient vitamin B12, resulting in fatigue due to inefficient energy conversion. Between 17 % and 22 % of adolescents have a vitamin B9 deficiency, affecting cognitive function and increasing the risk of birth defects. Additionally, 43 % to 51 % of school-age children lack iodine, crucial for thyroid function, brain and bone development, and overall metabolic regulation. These deficiencies are cause for concern.
But a great diet can help. Eating a broad range of fresh, nutritious whole foods forms the basis of a healthy lifestyle. A dear friend of mine recently said,“ You can’ t out supplement a poor diet,” so it’ s important to consume lots of nutrient-dense food in every meal. Then, proper supplementation can support the vital cofactors missing from the modern-day diet, all of which are vital for our cellular health. Those cofactors include vitamins, minerals, and polyphenols. They support the health of our cells, leading to the health of our organs, which in turn promotes the health of our entire system, culminating in overall wellbeing.
28 | Nutrition & Digestion