5 Nutrition Lessons from NANP Conference 2014

I was in Tucson Arizona in April for the annual National Association of Nutrition Professionals Conference. It is such a great opportunity to connect with my fellow nutritionists, learn about cutting edge nutrition topics, and share our passion for the healing power of natural living. I wanted to share 5 lessons I learned at this year’s conference.

1. Food is information for your body. What message do you want to communicate? How about nourishing your cells with vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and energy-boosting foods! Did you know that the origin of the word “recipe” stems from the Latin word “recipere” which means “medical perscription“? I love that! Hippocrates had it right when he said to let medicine be your food and food be your medicine!

2. 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will develop cancer in their lifetime! And cancer diagnoses worldwide are expected to increase by 45% in the next 20 years.  A lifetime of sub-optimal lifestyle drives cells to malfunction and become cancerous.  In fact, our environment contributes to 90-95% of cancer origins! The best cancer prevention involves eating organic, whole foods, plenty of plants, and supplementing with nutrients like CoQ10 and NAC that support healthy mitochondrial function. 

3. Vitamin A is a foundational nutrient that is critical to the health of a developing baby as well as the health of an adult! It functions in epithelial cell growth and repair, vision, immune function, bone growth, regulation of gene expression, and development in utero.  The US population is, as a whole, deficient in vitamin A, thus leading to malnourishment, poor immune system, miscarriage and developmental disorders, anemia, poor vision, and skin conditions such as acne and hyperkeratosis (raised bumps especially on the upper arm). To combat deficiencies, high doses of vitamin A (about 25,000 IU) can be given for short-term and a maintenance dose of 10,000 IU/day.

4. There are trillions of bacteria in our intestines and they live in these “biofilm” communities.  The environment that they live in is composed of lipopolysaccharides and bacterial infections in our gut can be responsible for inner ear infections, periodontal disease, autism, MS, and Parkinson’s.  They may even play a role in exacerbating autoimmune disease, nerve and brain cell inflammation, cardiac disease, fibromyalgia, and others. To get to the root cause of the health condition, the GI dysbiosis (imbalance of microbes) needs to be removed, food allergies need to be removed, detoxification supported, and heal the gut lining and restore the beneficial microbes with probiotics.  Plant-based medicines like garlic, oregano, and bilberry, inhibit the biofilms, support the body’s immune system, and reduce inflammation.

5. Think of your arteries like an ecosystem, a river with slimy algae growing on the riverbed.  The algae represents the endothelial glycocalyx. This layer inside your blood vessels is there to protect your arteries, help your arteries respond to changes in blood pressure, and prevent inflammation.  Disrupting this delicate inner layer of your arteries is a major contributor to cardiovascular disease. The herb hawthorn is a very safe herb that strengthens your arteries and may work by repairing your endothelial glycocalyx.

Tags: artery health, biofilms, , NANP, recipes, vitamin A

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