When taken into the human body, isolated and synthetic vitamins have little or no value, some having a potential to actually harm the health.

Research is showing that natural whole foods contain many additional nutrition substances which all work together. The body uses all these in very complex interactions, many requiring other substances for the body to recognize and utilize them.

When given this wide variety of nutrient substances, our body is able to function at it's best on a daily basis and it's immunity system is able to prevent most harmful circumstances encountered and repair itself when it is overwhelmed.

• Vitamins

• Minerals

• Trace minerals

• Enzymes

• Probiotics

• Amino Acids

• Flavonoids

• Carotenoids

• Coenzymes

• Covitamins

• Plus many more most have never heard of or are yet to be discovered

While it is possible for scientist to duplicate in the lab, all the chemicals found in an apple, they are not able to create a living apple, in the lab that is. Like wise they cannot produce a living vitamin or other nutrition substance.

When isolated vitamins or supplements are used, they at most do little and at worst deplete the other substances which have already been ingested causing further deficiencies.

Something many don't realise is, if you see vitamin content measured in milligrams or IU's, the vitamins are isolated or synthesized and then added to the supplement. You also see enriched processed foods which manufacturers so graciously decided to add these mostly synthetic vitamins, whether they are actually desired or not.

The irony, in a nutritious supplement, you will not see individual vitamin content, you will only see a list of fruits, vegetables, greens, seeds, sprouts, probiotics (beneficial bacteria) and plant based minerals on the label.

Most supplements also contain minerals which as you saw above are required for optimal health. It is fairly easy to understand that the body has to have these minerals in a form that it can use. We know that iron is needed, but putting a chunk of the metal in you mouth is not very pleasant and it doesn't really help much.

Minerals are found in three states:

1. Metallic (Inorganic) This is basically ground up rock. Not water soluble and the body only absorbs about 8%.

2. Chelated – this is complicated – basically the minerals are “firmly attached” or coated by an amino acid. When seen on supplements, this is a industrialized chemical process which is usually not effective. The idea is to make the mineral water soluble thereby it is able to be adsorbed easier. The increase of effectiveness is generally not considered to be very good except by manufacturers of supplements.

3. Hydrophilic – These are minerals which have entered a living plant thru the root system. These are water soluble and are about 200 to 2000 times smaller, allowing the body to absorb almost 100%.

It is easy to see that again live whole food based nutrition is most efficient and effective.

This brings up the question of is there a need for nutritional supplement in the first place. A large group of people apparently think so. The multivitamin industry sells billions of dollars with the amount growing every year.

It is not very surprising considering the condition of our current food supply and the busy lifestyles we lead. The food is getting less and less nutritious and we have less time to enjoy it. You can learn more about the quality of our food supply here.

Another consideration of mine especially since I am approaching 50, I want to make sure I give my body everything it needs so I don't end up taking handfuls of prescription drugs to regulate everything. I have never seen a prescription drug that doesn't cause some really scary side effects and end up causing you to take another drug to regulate the problem the first one caused.

Another one that is not usually thought of and is a little out of favor in today's “global warming” fears, a lot of the best nutrient substances are not found or available everywhere. Most of us cannot get all that is needed in the back yard. The only option is to get it shipped to us.

The ultimate answer is to eat as the largest part of your diet as much live certified organic or grown with organic principles whole fruit, berries, greens, vegetables, sprouts and nuts that you can. Supplement with the absolute best live whole food based nutritional product you can find.

For the best supplement, Ideally you will find a company which grows a large portion of the ingredients themselves on organic farms. Any ingredients they bring in from other sources,They should test for ripeness and synthetic chemicals before accepting.

They should harvest these ingredients at their peak (nutritional value is always highest at a peak ripeness) and immediately convert whole into a juice.

The juice should then be dried with a system which takes only 30 seconds and never gets above 100 F with the average temp being about 65 F. (experts range the temp that nutrients start to break down from 115 to 120F)

The ingredients should include:

30 Antioxidant Rich Fruits & Berries:

Purple Grape*, Raspberry*, Noni Fruit, Mangosteen, Wolfberry-Goji, Acai Berry, Black Currant, Blackberry*, Blueberry*, Pomegranate, Bilberry, Whole Purple Grape, Elderberry, Cranberry, Strawberry*, Acerola Cherry, Pear, Orange, Watermelon*, Papaya, Banana, Lemon, Grapefruit, Peach, Prune, Cherry*, Plum*, Pineapple and Hawthorn Berry in a base of Apple.

30 Power Greens & Vegetables:

Barley Grass juice powder*, Alfalfa Leaf juice powder*, Wheat Grass Juice powder*, Carrot*, Oat Grass juice powder*, Dunaliella, Kelp, Spinach*, Sweet Potato*, Beet*, Dulse, Klamath Lake Algae*, Chlorella, Spirulina, Broccoli*, Kale, Tomato*, Squash, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Bell Pepper, Parsley, Cucumber, Brussels Sprout, Onion, Celery, Garlic, Cayenne, Asparagus and Ginger.

11 Nutrient Dense Seeds, Nuts & Sprouts:

Flax Seed, Oat Bran, Brown Rice Fiber Complex, Almond Seed*, Sunflower Seed, Wheat Sprout*, Quinoa Sprout*, Amaranth Sprout*, Pumpkin Seed, Chia Seed and Sesame Seed.

72+ Fulvic Minerals and 9+ Active Plant-Based Enzymes:

Amylase, Cellulase, Protease, Lactase, Lipase, Maltase, Bromelain, Sucrase, Ionic Fulvic Mineral Extract Powder, Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), Aloe Vera Leaf Extract and Yucca.

22 Resilient Living Probiotic:

Beneficial bacteria are an integral part of life without which we would not exist. We have been destroying them with antibiotics and antibacterials at our peril. Each strain usually resides in a different area of the body and preforms it's own beneficial job.

Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Lactobacillus sporogenes, Lactococcus Lactis, Lactococcus cremoris, Lactobacillus delbrueckii, Lactobacillus defir, Leuconostoc cremoris, Lactobacillus caucasicus, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacilus salivarius, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Lactobacillus helveticus, Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus brevis, Bifidobacterium infantis, Bifidobacterium lactis, Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium breve and Streptococcus Thermophilus.

Other Ingredients:

Natural Mixed Berry flavor, Guar Gum and Stevia.

*Certified Organic

If you can find a nutritional product which meets these standards and is available at a reasonable price, you will have a product which provides you great value.

Here's to your great health - It's a lot better than the alternative.

The Feast