by Ian Stewart
Very very Brief indeed!
What follows is a very brief overview on Nutrition and Supplementation to OPTIMISE - BODY | MIND | SPIRIT. As always, don't take our word for it, or anyones, do your own research and Educate yourself - it's your Health (NB: Please take note of our Disclaimer at bottom of this article)
Food is Nutritionally Depleted
In a perfect world, we should be able to obtain all the essential nutrition (vitamins & minerals) we require to thrive from the foods that we eat. But unfortunately this is not the case today. There are many problems with the western diet and food supply including, but not limited to: We are simply eating the wrong foods (processed carbs and seed oils) - and the right foods - we are simply not eating enough of them - but even if we ate more of the right stuff, they are becoming increasingly nutritionally depleted, and contaminated with toxins (see News article: "Why are there Fewer nutrients in Our Foods" & see web link: "Why is Glyphosate sprayed on crops right before harvest?") - the glyphosate (Roundup) phenomenon is astounding - literally sprayed on our food at harvest.
This article barely scratches the surface as to the problems with our food supply, nutrition and toxic exposures. Even though we are faced with these, and many other challenges, we can still seek to optimise our diets by maximising the right foods, and minimising the wrong foods - it all helps. However, we are still faced with a problem of lack of nutrition in the right foods. Therefore we need to supplement our diet, and not only for maintenance of the body, but more importantly to repair the decades of damage our bodies have suffered.
Toxins
We are increasingly being exposed to a myriad of toxins, and the body must deal with these. In a perfect world, one simply avoid toxins, and some can be avoided, certainly in our diet, but unfortunately, by know means all toxins. (see web link: "Why is Glyphosate sprayed on crops right before harvest?" - and search out others) What we can we must do is to firstly absolutely avoid toxins as best we can, and then find ways to help the body to manage and eliminate toxins as they have been and are encountered, to undertake repairs. And this is where the right nutrients from supplementation can really help. (see articles: "Niacin and Cancer - How vitamin B-3 protects and even helps repair your DNA" & "Niacin for Detoxification: A little know Therapeutic ") This first article discusses one aspect as to how Niacin can assist in DNA repairs perhaps from toxic damage, or perhaps from nutritional deficiency. This second article discusses detoxification strategies. Again it is due to the toxins in our environment, that we need to supplement correctly. Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) is another critical and powerful detoxifier and repair agent. (see article: "Smoker's Scurvy:Orthomolecular Preventive Medicine in Cigarette Smoking") Even though this article refers to smoking and the use of Ascorbic Acid, and you may say, "I don't smoke therefore no relevance" - ignore this response, as this article uses smoking as an example of the powerful effects of Ascorbic Acid to detoxify multiple toxins, including the toxins acquired by smoking - the benefits of Ascorbic Acid apply to all toxins.
Supplements & Diet
In trying to make myself feel better, I, like many others, have tried supplements many times over the decades, but without any noticeable benefit. The mistake I made with supplements, which I now well recognise, was that the dose or amount was inadequate; the frequency was wrong and also inadequate; and essential vitamins and minerals were missing. It is as simple as this - missing vitamins/minerals, too low a dose, and too infrequent a dosing period. What further compounded any noticeable benefit from supplementation was that no attempt was made by me to minimise the wrong foods and maximise the right foods as I thought my diet was reasonable, being based on the food pyramid guidelines. How wrong was I. So addition to Optimising doses. amounts and frequencies with the right nutrients, I have also changed my diet to High Fat (real fat, no seed oils) Low Carb (no processed carbs e.g sugar, white flour and other artificial substances now going as food) and as organic as possible.
A good video to watch regarding the performance enhancing benefits of a "High Fat Low Carb" or "Low Carb High Fat" diet is a presentation by Professor Tim Noakes: "The benefits of a Low Carb High Fat (LCHF) diet for Elite Athletes (circa 2014)". This video (one of several) is on the Tim Noakes Video Landing page, and provides an excellent case study.
SPACE energy Supplements
If one has ever looked into vitamin and mineral supplementation then one will see seemingly infinite range of products - where to start? Based on our research, what is necessary is plenty of ALL the essential Vitamins and Minerals in adequate dose and does frequency - give he body more than it could ever need, and let the body heal itself. In a perfect world one would be able to go and get a test and ascertain what nutrients are required, and to what levels, and supplement from there. Unfortunately, this world does not exist, or is not available to us presently.
So what we have assembled, and will continue to review, is a product range to specifically provide all essential Vitamins and Minerals that the body requires to, not only maintain itself, but to repair damage from the past challenges and thrive. In addition, our supplements range will assist in the removal of toxins. Please note, that not many supplements are required, but all essential Vitamins and Minerals in optimum form and amount are. As stated many times, for effective results, Optimised doses of all essential Vitamins and Minerals need to be taken with appropriate frequency.
Optimised Dosing
Optimised dosing of supplements is key to gain benefits - both in amount and frequency. In the past, this has been referred to as mega dosing, but our opinion, and others, this is misleading. Optimised dosing is a much more accurate representation to be used, as it recognises individual variances, environmental differences, underlying conditions, and so on - and how these variables, and many others, continuously change over time. Mega dosing is term that came about decades ago as result of the Orthomolecular Society (and others) recommending significantly higher doses of Vitamins and Minerals as compared to the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA), oft called Recommended Daily Allowance, as set by the Institute of Medicine, now the of the National Academy of Medicine, USA.
Vitamin Safety
According to news article as published by the Orthomolecular Society, who has pioneered Optimised dosing of Vitamins and Minerals: "NO DEATHS FROM VITAMINS - Supplement Safety Yet Again Confirmed by America's Largest Database" no one has died from Vitamins and Minerals - no one. Think about it... think CRITICALLY.
RDA's
As part of our research, we have spent considerable time trying to ascertain the scientific foundation for the RDA amounts of Vitamins and Minerals, as they are in conflict with the orthomolecular approach, and we do not just go blindly into optimised doses without considering all sides. So it was important to understand the foundation of the RDA guidelines.
It appears that the RDA levels are based on the minimum amount of each nutrient to prevent clinical symptoms of vitamin deficiencies (e.g scurvy from lack of Vitamin C or pellagra from lack of vitamin B3 - Niacin) (see article: "A Critique of Nutritional Recommendations"), not the ideal amount, but the minimum amount. To date, we have not found any scientific evidence as to how these amounts were or are arrived at, other than they appear to be set by consensus of opinion by "experts". In my opinion, scientific fact can never be based on consensus of opinion, even if you consider yourself, or are considered an expert, for this is just a vote Something is either true or it is not. Just because everyone agrees, does not make it true. Additionally, the RDA levels do not take into account any individual variations such as: toxic exposures; pre-existing or underlying conditions; diet etc etc etc, on and on and on. But please research this for yourself, and if you find any robust scientific evidence support RDA levels, please forward it to us as we would love to see it.
Food & Drink
Simply speaking, we recommend a High Fat, Low Carb Diet - real food only - end of story. And alcohol - well we all know it is bad for us, but not many know about beer. The hops in beer is one of the most potent phytoestrogens on the planet - and a depressing sedative. So the manly drink beer is one of the least manly drinks a man can drink. (see paper: "Therapeutic Perspectives of 8-Prenylnaringenin, a Potent Phytoestrogen from Hops"). Such phytoestrogens are serious endocrine disrupters, and really need to be avoided by both men and women. Everyone gets fat drinking beer sooner or later. Certainly not going to Optimise oneself either.
Do your own research
The real solution for Optimisation through supplementation came for us with the discovery of the Orthomolecular Society. After reading through their extensive library of articles and research, one starts to see a pattern and the truth as to what ails us. The Orthomolecular Society is a fantastic resource and is the foundation on which our supplementation regimen is based. Check it out.
Disclaimer
This article (and website) written by us, and referencing many, but not all, pioneering experts in the field of Nutrition & Supplementation, and is our well-informed opinion based on our research in the field of nutrition and supplementation, and subsequent experience of putting into practice what we have learnt - it works for us, and it works for our friends. Please note, our research and experience and therefore recommendations tend to be in disagreement with mainstream governmental guidelines (e.g. Food Pyramid, RDA guidelines). As such, this information is provided for educational purposes only. It is not intended as medical advice. Consult or nutritional or medical health care professional for individual guidance on your specific health problems. And do your own research. Education yourself - it's your Health!