My previous post was full of information regarding the importance of Vitamin C.
When looking to increase your Vitamin C intake, consider the following foods:
Foods High in Vitamin C Camu Camu powder- 1 teaspoon=720mg Chili peppers- 1/2 cup=107.8mg Red bell pepper -1 cup=190mg Kiwi – 2 fruits = 137.2mg Broccoli – 1 cup= 132mg Cauliflower -1 cup=127.7mg
Other excellent sources of Vitamin C are cabbage, sprouts, parsley, strawberries, citrus fruits and rose hips.
When you supplement your diet because you are deficient, you are generally more successful in the long run if whole foods are eaten rather than separate nutrients in a pill.
Vitamins within plants are organized into extremely subtle and complex patterns consisting of many other nutrients and these patterns can not be duplicated outside of nature. In addition, the life force in whole foods is absent in synthetic vitamins.
I realize that many people believe that a supplement from a bottle is the best way to increase their intake of a certain vitamin or mineral. I do believe that there is a place for bottled supplements and sometimes there are no other options.
Whenever possible, I look to my diet to increase the vitamins and minerals that my body needs.
Below are some suggestions to help increase the amount of vitamins and minerals in your diet.
Alternatives to Supplementation
If you would like alternatives to commercial supplements for prevention of illness and disease, consider the following concentrated sources of nutrition:
Eat unprocessed, unsprayed, organically grown food. If you are not already buying organic foods, start with your next shopping trip by choosing 1 or 2 items that you will consistently buy organic. Every week or two, add another item. This way you are eliminating foods that cause disease and replacing them with foods that benefit your health. You will notice the health benefits slowly but that’s okay. You are doing what you can and you are creating a habit. If you live in my area (Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada), and would like access to organic foods, please send me a message and I will gladly add you to my biweekly email list. Otherwise, search for local organic growers in your area or perhaps a buying group.
Use herbs, such as parsley, alfalfa, nettles, Siberian Ginseng and Gota Kola to build resistance to disease. You can add the fresh plants in your salads, you can use the dried herbs for teas or use a tincture and put a few drops in water.
Gather wild foods, such as dandelion greens and roots, pigweed, lamb’s-quarter, fiddleheads, burdock and watercress. You could dry them for consumption during the winter. There are plenty of books available at your local library to help you identify wild foods that are safe for consumption. Perhaps there is a Naturalist’s Group in your area that you would like to join.
Use sea vegetables, the highest plant source of minerals. Our body absorbs these minerals easier than from supplements. Read a past post to learn more and try this recipe.
Drink green juice, especially from wheat or barley grass. Green juice is high in chlorophyll. In colour therapy, green is sometimes referred to as the ‘master colour’, which benefits all conditions. Green is used for both strengthening and reducing.
Take micro-algae, such as spirulina, wild blue-green and chlorella. (If you live in the US, use these links; spirulina, wild blue-green, chlorella These micro-algae contain more chlorophyll than any other foods . In addition, they contain the highest sources of protein, beta-carotene and nucleic acids of any animal or plant food. (reference Healing with Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford)
Eat sprouts. This is an easy way to get a variety of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids any time of year.
Drink fresh vegetable juices. Juicing is easy on the digestion and is absorbed immediately by the blood. This enables the body to make good use of all of the vital nutrients.
Carefully read this list and choose one thing that you can do today to keep you on the track of having a healthy, strong body. Please share with me in the comment section what you will do.
Thanks for reading!
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