Are you getting the nutrition you need from food alone?
I take just björn collagen every day, but I do believe that we should get most of our nutrients, minerals, and vitamins from our food. The famous quote “let food be thy medicine, and let medicine be thy food,” is often attributed to Hippocrates, who is considered by many to be the father of modern medicine. Hippocrates considered nutrition to be one of the primary tools doctors can use to promote good health, and from his writings you can see that diet and lifestyle regimen were a central theme.
This was one of the reasons I decided to study nutrition and learn to become a chef. I was determined to help my family b their best by providing delicious, healthy, and beautiful food, and was fascinated with the idea of food playing a large role in our happiness and health. But can you get most of the essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals you require from food? The answer is yes, it is possible, but it depends upon your diet.
It isn’t always easy to get all the recommended vitamins and minerals each day. Many of us have a diet that is focused on highly processed, convenient, and fast food. These foods are typically rich in calories, but poor in nutrients like vitamins and minerals.
The reasons why people gravitate towards fast foods are many, but I have found it primarily comes down to three factors:
- Convenience: You don’t have to take the time required to decide what to make, buy the groceries, prepare, cook and clean up.
- Lack of skills or knowledge: Many people have never had the interest in or opportunity to learn how to cook, or an understanding of nutrition.
- Cost: Fast options are often much less expensive than eating healthy—when deciding to buy fresh produce at the supermarket or a highly processed burger and fries at a fast-food chain, the difference in price can be stunning. But this is totally relative to quality—processed foods are generally high in sugars, calories, trans fats and saturated fats, and lack vitamins, minerals or fiber necessary for good health. The catch is that fast foods can actually make us feel good while we’re eating them, releasing neurotransmitters dopamine and oxytocin which induce relaxation, pleasure and enjoyment and promoting this negative behavior.
These factors contribute to the fact that when we indulge in fast foods, we are probably not getting the necessary nutrients from our food alone. I consider myself an 80/20 person, eating a healthy diet 80% of the time and not so healthy 20% of the time, and have found that I need to use supplements to get all the necessary nutrients on a daily basis.
I will be 50 this year (2023) and don’t take any medications. The supplements I use are:
- just björn collagen – for my joint health, skin hydration and gut health
- Omega 3 fish oil – for good cholesterol, muscle activity and cell growth
- Turmeric – for anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties
- Vitamin B complex – for cognitive performance
- Echinacea – for the immune system
When people start thinking more about their health, it can automatically jump start a positive cycle. These thoughts usually begin with a small idea/voice in the back of the mind—"I need/should/want to live a healthier life.” As this feeling grows, the first reaction is almost always the need to exercise—walking, running, swimming, join a gym or whatever is their jam. Once exercising it’s easy to recognize your workout can being nullified by unhealthy food choices and that fast-food dopamine can be replaced by the dopamine and good feelings generated by the workout.
I’ve found that once you begin to think more about what you eat and become more in tune with your body you can more easily realize when something is missing. It might be iron, omega or vitamin D, or collagen, so supplements are another valuable link in the health chain or cycle. This is not a diet or fad, but a new way of living—a lifestyle that people crave because of the wellness and joy they begin to experience.
For me just björn collagen is a very personal story. I was eating well, and I wanted to exercise, but I couldn’t put too much pressure on my joints and ligaments because of old injuries, constant stress on the body from competitive sports, three shoulder surgeries and more. When I got introduced to collagen in 2017, I started the process of healing my body. For me it was the missing link in my perfect cycle. I was able to start exercising again and today I feel and am able to feel like I did 15 years ago! It has helped me so much that I became determined to help others get the same results from using collagen.
We only have one body and one life. I invite you to join me and hope this can help you achieve a healthier, happier life at any age.
