By: Dr. Keith Kantor
Food is not what it once was and it is nearly impossible to get the recommended nutrients and ratios for optimal health through food alone. The food is being grown so fast the soil is unable to sustain adequate vitamins and minerals, as it should to provide for the crops. Unless you are growing your own foods in your back yard, you are probably not getting enough nutrition out of your foods.
Food scientist test foods for vitamin and mineral content and in some cases it is less than half the amount of nutrition as it was 50-75 years ago. The mass production of foods has depleted our farming soil so much that the food is not as dense in nutrients.
Supplementing with a high quality super food shake can act like an insurance policy for obtaining daily nutrient recommendations. A high quality super food shake is non-GMO and organic. If the blend contains protein it should be from a low allergy source like rice and pea protein that has no added chemicals or additives. A shake with protein added in can help reduce hunger and ensure that protein needs are met with a high quality amino acid and digestive enzyme profile. So many patients complain about bloating and gas after they have a shake, but with a high quality blend of digestive enzymes and hypoallergenic protein it should not be an issue.
Super foods are defined as foods that have additional health benefits aside of providing carbohydrates, protein and fats. Super foods can decrease your risk for certain diseases including cancer, heart disease and diabetes. A high quality super food shake will have extracts from several different plants including cruciferous vegetables, anti-inflammatory herbs, and dark colored fruit extracts.
One of the most overlooked ingredients on a supplement label is an artificial chemical including no calorie sweeteners such as aspartame or sucralose and even colored dyes like Red #4. A high quality super food shake should only be sweetened naturally with stevia extract and the color of the shake should come from natural plant sources like beets or berry extracts. Artificial dyes and sweeteners are dangerous for overall health and increase risk for disease.
Conclusion
Consider supplementing with a super food shake if you are worried about not getting in the right amounts of protein, vitamins and minerals. This type of shake is optimal for active people, athletes, those following a restricted calorie diet, or those preventing or managing disease. One excellent Super Food I’ve found is NatraTech Super Food. They will send you samples of both their chocolate and berry flavors for just $1.99 to help cover the cost of shipping and handling.