Dr. Weston A. Price (1870-1948) was a dentist whose goal was to discover the factors responsible for good dental health. He was a nutrition pioneer. His worldwide research revealed a direct correlation between beautiful, straight teeth, free from decay (as well as good health and resistance to disease) and traditional diets rich in nutrient dense whole foods and fat-soluble vitamins.

The Weston A. Price Foundation headquartered in Washington D.C. was founded to disseminate Dr. Price’s research and is dedicated to restoring “nutrient dense foods to the American diet through education, research and activism” through accurate nutrition labeling and instruction, organic farming, pasture feeding of livestock, community supported farms, universal access to certified raw milk and the ban of soy-based infant formulas.

Check out their website: www.westonaprice.org and consider joining. Their quarterly magazine is a wealth of information about “real” food.  There are local chapters throughout the country that help you find locally grown meat, eggs, dairy and produce.

B12 deficiency can be a serious health problem and many factors contribute to a deficiency: vegetarian diets, antacids, diabetes medications, iron deficiency, aging and digestive disorders.

This vital nutrient is needed to prevent anemia. It aids folic acid in regulating the formation of red blood cells and helps in the utilization of iron. B12 is required for proper digestion, absorption of foods, the synthesis of protein and the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats. B12 aids in cell formation and cellular longevity. B12 prevents nerve damage and maintains the fatty sheaths that cover and protect nerve endings.

B12 is linked to neurotransmitters that assist memory, learning, mood and sleep patterns allowing a more restful and refreshing sleep.

The most common symptoms of B12 deficiency include fatigue, dizziness, drowsiness, headaches, memory loss, poor concentration, depression, bone loss, neurological damage, nerve damage including tingling in hands and feet and tinnitis. Symptoms of B12 deficiency usually occur long before the deficiency is severe enough to cause dementia or anemia.

Up to 30% of people over the age of 50 may not get enough B12 and it is estimated that more than 50% of all long term vegetarians and vegans are deficient. Even if you’re a meat or mollusk eater you may be deficient because it takes stomach acid to release the B12 from protein and as you get older you produce less of this acid.

One of my daughters is a vegetarian and frequently vegan so this essential nutrient is one supplement I’m particularly passionate and vigilant about. We supplement daily but also have blood tests twice per year.

B12 is not well absorbed orally. Injections or tablets taken sublingually (dissolved under the tongue) are the way to go. We take one Jarrow Formula Methyl B12 1000 mcg for maintenance. Take more to correct a deficiency. Blood levels normalize within 2 weeks but whole body stores take 6 months.

Today I had my first local blueberries. From blueberry salsa to blueberry muffins to just plain blueberries, I’m going to enjoy every minute of our local three week (depending on the heat) season and then another few weeks as local becomes PA and NJ.

I love blueberries not just because they taste good but they are a health packed incredible super food.

Whether it’s an aging brain, a tumor cell, high blood pressure, persistent urinary tract infections or your weight, this food’s for you.

Research from Harvard and East Anglia University has shown blueberries work as a prevention of high blood pressure. Just 1 serving per week reduces your change by 10%.

Research at Texas Woman’s University showed blueberries, which contain polyphenols, “inhibit a critical path leading to obesity at the molecular level” and “inhibit the creation of new fat cells by altering lipid metabolism”.

Research last year from of City of Hope in LA showed blueberry extract appeared to stop cancer cell growth in triple negative breast cancers. More research is underway but based on animal studies, 2 cups a day appear to show promise.

Blueberries contain the same compounds as cranberries (and taste a heck of lot better). A Rutgers study showed these compounds “reduce the ability of E coli (the most common bacteria causing UTI’s) to attach to the mucosal lining.

It’s the anthocyanins, a powerful flavanoid antioxidant, in blueberries and other blue and red fruits and vegetables that make blueberries such a superfood. There is also evidence that these anthocyanins help in fighting brain aging, cognitive decline and Parkinsons (as reported this year at the American Academy of Neurology’s annual meeting) by protecting the brain from oxidative stress.

If all this isn’t reason enough to eat a cup of blueberries daily, try my Blueberry Salsa recipe above under articles.

You really don’t want to know how many supplements I take but Magnesium is the supplement at the top of my list.

It is estimated that at least 68% (and some estimates are as high as 90%) of the US population is deficient in magnesium. Why is this a problem? Magnesium is a critical component in over 350 enzymes so that its deficiency may manifest in all organ systems.

Required for more than 300 biochemical functions, Magnesium supports muscle and nerve function, a steady heartbeat and blood pressure, immunity, bone health, energy production and protein synthesis. Magnesium is more important than calcium, potassium and sodium as it regulates all 3 of them.

Magnesium is necessary for the “spark of life”. The brain and the heart which both produce lots of electrical activity are very sensitive to levels of magnesium.

What are some of the symptoms of magnesium deficiency? Low energy/Fatigue, Headaches/Migraines, PMS, High Blood Pressure, Anxiety, Depression, Difficulty Sleeping, Restless Legs, Chronic or Acute Pain, Osteopororosis, Irregular Heartbeat, Arthritis, ADD and the list goes on…… The bottom line is every cell, all 70 trillion of them, need adequate magnesium to function or they will die.

What depletes magnesium? Modern farming techniques which cause mineral depletion in the soil and food processing so you don’t even get enough magnesium in the food you eat even if you do eat the foods that are supposedly full of magnesium. Excess phosphates (meat, sodas), Alcohol, Caffeine, Sugar, Stress, Excess sodium, Prescription Drugs, Low Thyroid, Diabetes, Chronic Pain, Excess calcium and the list goes on…..

To learn more about Magnesium and what kinds to take, click on Articles above…

Whole Foods are foods that are in an unrefined edible state. This is what we ate for thousands of years. It has only been a 100 years or so since we started consuming highly refined foods. Refined doesn’t mean they’re just missing a few ingredients; refined means they’re missing most minerals, trace minerals, vitamins, oils, fiber and untold numbers of phytochemicals that support full immune function. Without all of the above, complete metabolism doesn’t occur so the body compensates by depleting these precious ingredients from our bones, tissues and nerves. Whole foods support, maintain, build and repair our body while refined foods rob us.

Why Eat Local/Seasonal/Organic Foods? For one, they taste better but more importantly is their greater nutritional energy and value. Chemically grown foods take their toll on our kidneys and liver (the organs that filter chemicals) as well as the environment. We’re barely 4 generations into ingesting chemicals and the results are devastating.  If you cannot afford to buy all organic then first purchase organic fatty foods i.e. meat, dairy, oils, nuts because toxins concentrate in fatty acids in tissues.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) also has a list called The Dirty Dozen – fruits and vegetables that should be organic because of heavy pesticide use. Get your pen out: peaches, apples, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, pears, imported grapes, bell peppers, celery, spinach, lettuce and potatoes.

EWG is a great organization worth supporting. www.ewg.org

Studies including one from the National Institute of Health have demonstrated that children who ate only organic produce had statistically significant lower levels of pesticides in the bodies as those who ate conventionally grown fruits and vegetables.

What better gift can you give your children than the gift of health?