L’ Art de Vivre
The French phrase L’ Art de Vivre (The Art of Living) sums up all of the core principles of Functional Medicine. In one of my past articles I wrote about the “French Paradox”. This is in regards to a study that compared health and longevity of the French population with the United States Population. They credited the better health and longevity of the French to their consumption of wine. Only one study linking health to wine. However, the paradox is that they forgot to take into consideration the French lifestyle. Most people in France shop daily for fresh vegetables, fruit, fish or other meats. They do not consume nearly as much processed foods and their fast foods are vastly different than those found in the United States. There is also a sense of community in local towns where meals are shared while enjoying the company of friends and family.
I plan on integrating this French phrase in as many articles as possible. It sounds so much better than lifestyle change and functional medicine.
I am receiving a lot of emails on all types of health-related questions. One of the predominant questions is about vitamin supplementation. Why do I need them, what type should I take, is one brand different than the others.
In the 1800s I don’t remember the exact year, there was a Congressional record stating there is a depletion of our soil of nutrients. You can imagine how they’re much more depleted now. We also have to consider the genetically modified foods as well as the toxic chemicals used in farming. Genetically modified foods are not the same in many ways of non-genetically modified foods. Our toxic environment puts increased stress on our metabolisms which require more vitamins and nutrients to rid them from our body. Not to mention the fast-paced stressful life we live it also puts extra demands on our need for supplements.
As a side note, I’ve been investigating genetic testing to add to my functional medical practice. I was speaking to a researcher last week who is in communication with other scientists at MIT and Stanford University. They have found a very alarming issue related to the use of Roundup. Roundup is a commercial name for a weed killer that’s used in farming today. This chemical cause a breakdown in our protein metabolism which leads to serious health consequences. The investigation is around the number of genes that have changed function in producing important proteins that our body requires.
So much for why we need them. Investigation into the types of nutrients that we should be taking has been growing dramatically over the years. Cardiologists are recommending folic acid, fish oil and coenzyme Q 10. Vitamin D and probiotics is recommended by primary care physician.
The basic foundational supplements you should take are a high quality complete multivitamin, vitamin D3, and omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) these are fish oils.
The quality of supplements is a very big issue. Does each tablet contain what’s on the label, can the tablet be broken down, are the nutrients absorbable, are the nutrients in a form that the body can use. Now I don’t expect you to answer any of these questions. All of these issues are not considered and published research with the conclusion that vitamins are not necessary.
The only way you can be assured of the best quality supplements is by taking a professional grade product. One of the main nutraceutical companies I use is Metagenics. If you wish to purchase these supplements, you find them on my website store. If you order them in this way you’ll get a 10% discount on your supplements. My website is robertromanelli.com. You will need to enter the provider code which is, robertromanellidc.
Please keep on sending me questions. I will answer every question I receive and the more common questions I will use for my weekly emails.
