It may well sound a bit “weird” to head an article with ….and Good Gut Health.
However – the gut is your “second brain” and if it’s upset it can do a lot to make you unwell!
An excellent morning breakfast is good to keep things moving and “regular”….
Our Version of a Healthier Energy Breakfast
We started to use organic porridge and Rice Dream Original Organic milk (non-dairy milk) some while ago..
This is a most excellent replacement for other breakfasts – especially on the colder mornings!
(We started by using gome goat’s yoghurt, some meaningful amount that you would like. Goats yoghurt is kinder to your system than dairy. Less “mucous-y” and easier to digest.)
However it is quite expensive and so we changed to organic porridge from a health food shop.
For two we use: 14 fl oz of rice milk and just under 2 oz porridge. Use the smaller flaked porridge; the large flakes don’t work as well for porridge. Heat to the boil; giving a good stir.
For each person add:
- 1 teaspoon (or as much or as little as you want) linseed – to keep you going
- 1 teaspoon Pumpkin seeds
- 1 teaspoon Sunflower seeds
- 1 teaspoon Pine Nuts
- 1 teaspoon Dried coconut
- 1 teaspoon walnut pieces or any nuts
- Some raisins or currants
Then add:
- ½ banana each
- 1 teaspoon honey
Obviously the seeds carry lots of nutrients and oils, some are just nice to eat!
This breakfast is warming and will keep you going for most of the morning.
VERY Yummy!
Sizzling Minerals, Krill Oil Capsules, Curcumin and Vitamin C from Simply Naturals
Supplements that work! We use these on a regular daily basis and they have been instrumental in staying clear of cold, flu and just staving off the usual winter bugs. We may feel them trying come in on us and feel a little “out of top sorts”, but that seems as far as it goes….usually!
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Sizzling Minerals Details: Here (new window or tab)
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Not all Minerals are Equal
Hello and I hope this finds you well!
A recent clarification of Plant Minerals and Metallic variety was sent in to us and I felt it ought to be passed on! Some of this you may know – some maybe not. (I wonder how many will read and learn!!)
Plant Derived Minerals vs Fortified (Metallic) Minerals
We (Simply Naturals) pride ourselves on providing the ultimate in mineral supplements, all plant derived and in the form which nature provided for us to eat.
We continue to receive enquiries about whether our products are ‘fortified’ – this quite common question provides a good opportunity for us to revisit the basics of what ‘fortified’ relates too when looking at nutritional content.
The word ‘fortified’ on product labels should be an immediate ‘red flag’ as this is a usually a sign that the product/produce starts life with little or no beneficial nutritional value and therefore needs added minerals / vitamins to make the ‘food’ either compliant or saleable.
Breakfast cereals are perhaps the worst offenders.
Some other examples of ‘fortified’ foods include breads/pastas, soya yoghurts & plant-based milks all of which are usually fortified with calcium and/or iron, with Vitamin C being a complimentary additive.
Iron Used in Fortification is Toxic
Firstly, let’s not get too alarmed, but it’s fact that in virtually every instance, the iron used in the fortification process is ferrous iron (Fe2+) denoted as iron sulphate or iron gluconate and it is literally ‘ground up metallic iron’ (it will be magnetic). You can float ‘a flake or two’ of the various iron-fortified breakfast cereals in a bowl of water and ‘tow’ them along the surface using a magnet. (A video to demonstrate this can be found on this link.)
As the human body has difficulty in recognising/digesting this form of iron, there are extreme cases where too much of it can build up and cause chronic fatigue, joint pain, diabetes, irregular heart rhythm, abdominal pain and even in extreme cases liver disease, skin colour changes and heart failure!
However, healthy plant source iron is found in foods such as dark green leafy vegetables (spinach, kale etc.), nuts (cashews), beans & lentils, baked potatoes would be our preferred source, meats such as chicken, turkey & lean beef are also high in food state iron.
Be very mindful too that iron (metallic) supplements also carry such dangers – hence why we see warning on labels relating to how much to consume per day. Shockingly, even our GP’s and other medical practices will recommend such iron supplements; this is usually because the educational process doesn’t differentiate between plant source iron and that which is metallic.
Interestingly, the Vegan Society website also recommends certain ‘fortified’ foods for their readers which leads us to feel that the Vegan / Vegetarian consumer is potentially at greater risk of nutrient deficiency than others if they rely on ‘fortified’ products or inferior supplements as a source of nutritional benefit.
Calcium Used in Fortification
Calcium is one of the common minerals which draws lots of interest; experience has taught us that before we consider supplementing with calcium, we should think more about preventing its loss from our body in the first place.
A diet high in acidic foods (which has been shown to contribute to the leaching of calcium) are sugars and sweets, fizzy drinks (probably the worst offenders), alcohol & coffee, various pharmaceutical drugs – even diary produce can contribute to the ‘stripping’ of calcium from the body. There are certain fruits and vegetables which also exhibit low pH levels which can also be contributing factors.
The calcium used in fortification is usually in form of calcium carbonate (limestone) with some better sources derived from dolomite limestone (calcium magnesium carbonate). Calcium citrate is another common form of supplementary calcium with the better source being coral calcium as this usually contains additional minerals and trace elements.
Calcium supplements work best with magnesium and vitamin D3 & K2 however there are lots of studies which show the dangers of too much supplementary calcium where it can lead to kidney stones and contribute to cardiovascular disease.
All the minerals found in our Sizzling Minerals and other products will be of a plant source (food state) which ensures the body has access to the form of minerals it needs and can naturally discard any excess; the importance of this is that there is no build up or accumulation which is a problem especially with metallic mineral supplements.
I hope that clarifies the points we have been trying to pass on over the last few years!! PLEASE also don’t forget that vitamins do NOT work effectively if minerals are lacking…….(see image above!)
Many thanks for reading!!