Whole Foods as “Supplements”

Supplementing with Capsules?

Supplementation using capsules that you find in the store isn't ideal, if it's compensating for a lack of a nutritious diet. That being said, using them to fill in gaps that your current diet possesses isn't a huge deal, as long as you're using supplements that are actually bioavailable to your body. This means staying away from products ending in -oxide (ex. Magnesium oxide), and opting for supplements that say they are "chelated" or "ionized" (ex. Magnesium glycinate). 

Some within the holistic community prefer to utilize herbs through tinctures or capsules to fill the same need, though doing this does make it a bit harder to know just how much of each nutrient you are getting. In this case, most of the community that I am aware of simply use their powders, tinctures, teas, etc., and assume that it's covering their needs appropriately without knowing the actual mineral content by weight. But as long as you're not extremely deficient as a human, there's nothing wrong with this (in my opinion). I personally use a combination of nutrient dense foods, teas/tinctures, and a supppement or two (especially while breastfeeding and working out).

Animal-based vs Plant-based

Although I think things like beef organs are being highly publicized and sold for large sums of money, mostly to capitalize on our lack of general wellness these days (cue my personal skepticism lol), they actually are extremely nutrient dense.

The Moral Issue

Now, when it comes to animal-based versus plant-based products, I use both, which may be an issue for some on the vegan end of the spiritual spectrum. From my perspective, both plants and animals possess spirit and exist within different states of consciousness. For example, trees and plants communicate when a threat is near; music impacts their energy and growth; plants grow better when you are nicer to them, giving them praise. When you sit with "plant medicine", you can legitimately feel the life in every single thing, so...to each their own when it comes to interpretation about what we are or aren't "supposed" to consume. 🤷🏻‍♀️

And although you could make the claim that animals are "more" sentient than plants simply because they can interact back with us, at that point I feel there's a gray area where hypocrisy could potentially take root, in terms of judgment against those who choose to wild craft plants vs those who wild craft (or steward, not mass produce) animals. Those attempting to completely remove themselves from the life-death cycle of material reality are well meaning, and I have no qualm against that. However, I notice that those individuals tend to harbor more judgment, which isn't actually very "spiritual" at all. And in terms of general health, animal-based products are not to blame for things like heart disease, etc. - and more studies are coming out admitting that negative findings from the past didn't consider other contextual points like eating processed foods, or pan frying in seed oils.

Again, I may be alone in this. But no matter what I'm harvesting, I respect it's role in the circle of life, and honor it as it nourishes my body. ❤️

Nutritional Value

That being said, both plant and animal-based foods serve different roles. Some nutrients are best gained through meat, while others are best gained through plant. For reference, the following are the most bioavailable through various animal products: vitamin B12, high-quality protein, readily absorbed iron (heme iron), zinc, calcium, and vitamin D.

I also think there’s a slight misunderstanding that you can replace certain animal-based products 1:1 with plants (like lentils as a form of protein, or soybeans which need to be processed in order to increase their protein bioavailability rate), and get the same nutrient density. And even outside of general mineral depletion, plants often also contain "blocking" agents, or contain low conversion rates of *certain nutrients*, that lower their absorption further.

For instance, avocados contain a large amount of the Omega-3 ALA. However, our body must convert that to EPA and DHA to be utilized. The conversion rate of the ALA in avocados to these usable forms, is less than 10%. Meaning we actually aren't getting as many omega-3s from avocados as we think. And when it comes to plant-based proteins, most of them (excepting soy) don't possess complete amino acid profiles. However, there are certain nutrients that are close to 100% bioavailable when eaten through fruits, veggies, and plants! 

Some tips I would give are to 1) find out how much of each desired nutrient exists inside of the relevant plant-food by weight, and also to 2) check that plant-food's nutrient conversion rate, so that you’re preparing your food in a way that ensures you're consuming as much of those micros or macros as you can (ex. By cooking vs eating raw), or swapping for a more bioavailable source. 👍🏽

The list below includes only some of the nutrient dense foods that I incorporate into my diet, and I want to note that what works for some (whether that be financially, physically, spiritually, etc.) may not work for others. We still eat fruits and veggies, and use herbs medicinally, so this list is not an end-all-be-all! So make sure you’re continuing to be a conscious consumer, feed your vessel, and be wary of perspectives polarized in either direction. ✨

Whole Food Supplements