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Most people have heard of probiotics, the good bacteria in your gut, but prebiotics are another essential ingredient for gut health. What are prebiotics? Prebiotics are compounds in foods that help feed our gut bacteria. Just like you need food to live and be nourished, your probiotic bacteria cannot survive without enough healthy food. The right whole food prebiotics can help to make your unique microbiome thrive, and the wrong prebiotics can feed harmful bacteria and cause a lot of gas and bloating. Prebiotic foods The best way to get your prebiotics is to eat a wide variety of prebiotic rich foods every day. Different foods contain different prebiotics, so eating a variety of them is the best way to ensure your good bacteria get the nutrition they need. Most fruits and vegetables have varying levels of prebiotics; these are some of our favorites. Root vegetables such as parsnips, rutabaga, celeriac, beets, sweet potatoes, carrots, etc, are some of the best prebiotics you can eat. An easy way to cook them is to chop them coarsely, toss with salt, pepper, and good olive oil, then roast in the oven at 375°F for 40-45 minutes. Delicious and easy.  Onions, leeks, and garlic are some of the most delicious prebiotic foods. Eat them however you like, raw or cooked. For a little extra deliciousness, try roasting the garlic first. Dandelion greens have many benefits, including being a great source of prebiotics. These bitter greens also help to stimulate healthy digestive secretions and support healthy kidney function! Asparagus is a delicious spring vegetable with a ton of prebiotic fiber and a rich source of antioxidants. In Ayurveda, a species of asparagus known as Shatavari is used, meaning one-hundred husbands. Do with that knowledge what you will. Green bananas are rich in resistant starches with powerful prebiotic effects. As it ripens, the amount of resistant starch decreases. Cooked potatoes that have been frozen and then reheated are another great source of resistant starches. Apple peel is especially rich in polyphenols and is one of the best prebiotic foods. They also contain pectin, which helps to hydrate your gut and support a healthy gut lining.  ​ Making pectin-rich homemade applesauce is easy. ​ Slice apples, leaving the peel on. Just cover with water and simmer until the apple peels get very shiny. Strain the apples. Mash or puree until it reaches the desired consistency.  Add cinnamon to taste, if desired. It will stay good in the fridge for about a week. ​ Just two tablespoons of this per day will do wonders for your gut. More, of course, is ok if you love it. Not only are artichokes delicious, but they are rich in prebiotic fibers. In addition, they help support digestion by acting as a bitter agent to stimulate digestive secretions and support gut motility! Seaweed is an excellent source of prebiotics and minerals such as iodine.  Many people, especially pregnant and nursing women, are not getting enough of that crucial mineral. Iodine is essential for a baby's brain development. ​ It makes a great addition to soups and stews and adds a delicious umami flavor. Make sure you know the source of your seaweed because a lot of seaweed currently comes from very polluted waters. We recommend seaweed from Maine or Europe. Mushrooms are rich in a variety of prebiotics. Eat them cooked for the most benefit. They are great additions to stews, stir-fries, and soups. Citrus fruits are rich in prebiotic flavonoids and polyphenols, two of our good bacteria's favorite foods. Eat the fruits, not juice. The fruit contains valuable prebiotic fibers you won't get in the juice. Remember to avoid grapefruit if you take prescription medications. Pomegranates contain polyphenols that help to support a healthy gut microbiome.  ​Eat the actual pomegranate fruit instead of drinking the juice. The fruit contains valuable fibers that will not be in the juice. You can buy frozen pomegranate seeds for an easy snack or for adding to smoothies without the work of cutting them up. Burdock root is rich in prebiotic fibers and an exceptional food for liver and skin health. Beans are a great prebiotic, but they can be hard to digest for many people. Use sprouted beans (like these ) and cook them with some seaweed to make them easier to digest. Oats have lots of prebiotic fibers. Use sprouted oats (like these ) for higher levels of prebiotics and more nutrition. Chia seeds are packed with prebiotic fiber and magnesium, a mineral most people don't get enough of. Use sprouted chia seeds (like these ) for higher levels of prebiotics and more nutrition. Berries are rich in polyphenols that interact with certain gut bacteria and help them multiply. All berries are great, so eat whichever ones you like. Berries have one of the highest prebiotic effects. Kiwis are one of the best prebiotic foods. The fibers and polyphenols are especially excellent at stimulating the growth of your beneficial bacteria. Just two kiwis a day can make a big difference. They are also great for promoting regularity and reducing constipation. The golden ones are especially delicious. Dairy products are rich in lactose, a type of sugar that acts as a prebiotic. Macambo beans are part of the cacao family and are a delicious snack filled with prebiotic fibers and compounds that help support your gut bacteria. They are also a phenomenal brain food! Ethically produced Yacon Syrup is a sweetener packed with prebiotics. It also does not spike blood sugar, making it an excellent choice for those who want to support a healthy gut and not worry about their blood sugar, without the side effects from artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols. Ethically produced Cacao powder tops the chart as our favorite prebiotic food. It's packed with fibers, polyphenols, and a lot more that help nourish and support your gut and good bacteria. Properly produced Cacao is one of the few safe prebiotics for people with SIBO. Child slavery is rampant in the cacao industry. Make sure you know exactly who grows the Cacao that goes into our Cacao products so you can avoid purchasing products made with slavery. This is Valeria, the daughter of Arturo, the farmer who grows the Amaru cacao. While we could not go through all of the foods that are great prebiotics, the best way to ensure you are getting enough of them is to include a wide variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet. Don't forget that frozen fruits and vegetables are as good as fresh. Plus, they last longer and are already prepped and ready to go. Check out our friends at Stahlbush Farms for the most amazing frozen fruits and vegetables. Shoot for at least 4-5 cups of them per day, not only for your gut health but your overall health as well. More is, of course, ok! ​ INULIN AND FOS PREBIOTICS High dose isolated or synthetic inulin and FOS are promoted and sold as prebiotic supplements. They come with unwanted side effects such as gas and bloating. In addition, they can feed harmful bacteria such as Klebsiella. It does not matter if it is synthesized from sugar or if it is said to be from chicory or artichoke; the end product is the same: heavily refined and isolated ingredients. Please do not confuse this with eating chicory root, artichokes, or other foods naturally rich in them. It's much better and safer to get your prebiotics from whole foods, not ingredients whose primary benefit is the increased profit margins for companies because of how cheaply they can be made. How to Choose a Prebiotic Supplement Just as whole foods are the best way to get prebiotics in your diet, whole food prebiotic supplements are the best for prebiotics. Here's what to look for when choosing a good prebiotic: It should be 100% whole food. Many supplements claim to be whole food when they are anything but; check out our blog to learn how to spot fake whole food supplements. It should be traceable back to the farms the food came from. Like farm-to-table is great for food, we should look for the same in our supplements. Check out this blog to learn more about how important it is. It should be properly dried and processed. Many raw materials that go into supplements are often harshly dried and milled, which can result in a significant loss of essential compounds and nutrients. It should be in a significant dosage. Prebiotics are required in pretty high amounts to be effective, so large amounts of pills are needed to get enough, so a powder or liquid would be the best option. Many companies put tiny amounts like fifty or one hundred milligrams, which is not enough to do anything, but is great for marketing. This is a perfect example of a common problem in the supplement industry:   fairy dusting . As always, avoid gummies. Gummies are just relabeled candy, which is not a good way to get your supplements for various reasons. The powders should be free of sweeteners, fillers, and additives. There is no need to add these things to whole food powders. It just makes the products cheaper to make and covers up flavors from poor-quality ingredients. These additives can sometimes add up to over fifty percent of a product, leaving you with very little of the prebiotics you wanted. They should be free of refined or synthetic inulin and FOS. These cheap ingredients are used to bulk up prebiotic powders, but do not have the same benefits as whole food prebiotics. However, they are really inexpensive to make, letting companies offer large containers of prebiotic powders for really cheap. They should be appropriately tested for contaminants and adulterants. Many products and companies use the wrong testing methods or don't test for the right things. Check out our blog to learn more about this growing problem in the supplement industry. How to use Prebiotic supplements Prebiotic powders and liquids can be mixed into foods, smoothies, yogurt, water, or used in cooking and baking. The sky is the limit, get creative! Different prebiotic supplements will be suitable for various applications, so choose ones that fit your lifestyle best. If you are using a high-fiber prebiotic, it's best to start slow, drink plenty of water, and gradually increase the amount you use to avoid the side effects of increasing your fiber too much, too fast. Whole Food Prebiotic supplements We love whole food prebiotic supplements. Here are some of our favorite ones that you can use to help support the little friends in your gut! First up is high polyphenol Cacao powder . To get the full benefits of Cacao as a prebiotic, it must be high in polyphenols so that the gut bacteria can produce good amounts of bioactive metabolites. A lot of cacao powder is of poor quality because of how and where it is grown, or because of bad processing methods, and it will lack the levels of polyphenols needed to get the benefits. Next are whole mushroom powders . These are different than the dual-extracts used to support a healthy immune system. Whole mushrooms (the fruiting body, not the mycelium) contain unique prebiotics. The fruiting body of a mushroom is what you buy at the store and eat. Ensure your mushroom powders are grown on wood, not grain, and freeze-dried. They should be free of mycelium and grains. The only ingredients should be the mushroom fruiting bodies. Mycelium supplements are not legally allowed to be called mushroom supplements. They are also prohibited from using mushroom fruiting bodies on the label to make people think they are mushroom supplements. Unfortunately, these regulations are not enforced, and lots of companies get away with doing it. Australian berry powder is our next prebiotic superstar. Most berry powders come from unknown origins and are processed in such a way that most of their beneficial compounds get damaged or destroyed. Because they are an expensive ingredient, the powders are often diluted with fillers and additives. In addition, adulteration of berry powders with things like black soybean hulls, food coloring, and dyed cellulose is widespread. These adulterants will not be listed on the label. You should look for gently dried berry powders, free of maltodextrin, that are produced by the companies selling them, which can be traced back to the farms where they come from. Very few companies make their berry powders. Most companies buy bulk powders, often with different grades and sources all mixed together, and have their labels slapped on them. This is not what you want. Australian Beet powder is up next. Beets might not be glamorous, but they are brimming with prebiotics. They are also great for a healthy heart and circulation. Beet powder is an easy way to get the benefits of beets without the prep time and work of cooking them. You should look for gently-dried beet powder free of additives and traceable back to the farm it came from. You don't want beet juice powder, you want whole beet powder. Beet juice powder will be missing lots of the prebiotics in whole beet powder. Beets can turn your urine or stools pink. This is not dangerous; it's just your body excreting an excess of certain compounds that were not absorbed. Properly produced and prepared Matcha is a rich source of catechins, a unique polyphenol that your gut bacteria love. Unfortunately, there are a lot of problems with most matcha powder. Most Matcha is a quality control nightmare, from adulterants to poor processing and growing methods. Look for Matcha products made by the company selling it that can be traced back to the farm it comes from. It should be free of additives like rice and sugar. Matcha should be a vibrant green color. It should be stone ground and produced in the traditional manner. We will cover Matcha in great detail in an upcoming blog, as there are a ton of things to know about how to choose high-quality Matcha. There's no reason to settle for second-rate, isolated, poor-quality prebiotics when high-quality whole food prebiotics are readily available. Make your gut bacteria happy by making the switch! Prebiotic Supplement Questions and Support If you have questions about our prebiotics , please email us at info@rooted-nutrition.com , and we will be happy to answer them!

The benefits of Organ Meats Organ meats invoke a strong reaction in most people, from the curious to the horrified and of course, the huge fans. We happen to be among the latter. Lately, they have been experiencing a renaissance because of chefs promoting nose-to-tail eating and how big of a nutritional punch they pack. The Nose-to-tail center We thought this would be a great time to announce the release of our Nose-To-Tail Center . The Nose-To-Tail Center is our way of taking you on a journey of all the different types of organ meats, their benefits, the nutrients they contain, recipes, how regenerative agriculture-produced organ meats can benefit the planet by helping in the fight against climate change, and so much more. Do organ meats contain toxins? There is one big misconception about organ meats that I want to address before we get to the meat of the matter (I can never resist a good pun). We often hear that organ meat, especially liver and kidney, stores toxins, so you should not eat them. This is based on a flawed understanding of how certain things work in the body. The liver actually processes toxins and turns them into compounds that can be eliminated by the body. It does not store them. The kidneys filter and remove waste, but they do not store it. Most of the toxins that are not removed right away get stored in fat cells, not the organs. So ignore those fears about eating organs because they might have stored toxins. Nutrients in organ meats Organ meats are among the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet. I hate to be the one to say it (who am I kidding, I love saying it), but in a battle for nutritional supremacy of kale versus liver, liver wins hands down. It’s not just the amounts of nutrients though; it is the forms they are in and how bioavailable they are versus nutrients in plant foods. Here are a few examples: Heme iron in organ meats is much better absorbed than the non-heme iron found in plant foods. In addition, the absorption of heme iron is not affected by compounds found in many plant foods that can reduce the absorption of non-heme iron, such as tea and dairy. Spleen is by far the richest source of heme iron. Many plant foods contain compounds that bind to minerals and can reduce absorption. Organ meats are incredibly rich in many minerals and do not have any phytates. For example, research has shown that to get an equivalent amount of zinc from plant foods as you would meat, a person would need to get about 35-50 percent more zinc per day. So for every 10 mg of zinc from organ meats, a person would need to eat 13.5 to 15 milligrams of zinc from plant foods to absorb a similar amount. Organ meats contain preformed vitamin A, while plant foods contain carotenoids like beta-carotene, which must be converted into vitamin A. Not everyone’s body is great at making that conversion . Organ meats are rich in many nutrients and compounds that are not really found in other foods, or they are found in such small amounts as to not really be significant. Here are a few examples: Coq10 is an important nutrient that helps with a variety of body functions. Some of it is produced in the body, but as we age, our bodies produce less. Certain medications, like cholesterol-lowering statins, also decrease coq10 levels in the body. Beef Heart is the richest food source of coq10 by far. No plant food even comes close. DAO is an enzyme that helps break down excess histamine in the body. Kidney is the richest food source by far. Digestive enzymes such as lipase, amylase, and protease help to digest fat, proteins, and carbohydrates. Pancreas is by far the richest food source of digestive enzymes. Now no matter how good they are for you, if they don't taste good, you're not going to eat them. In my opinion, heart is the best organ meat for most people to start with. It has a firm texture like steak, a delicious, deeply beefy flavor, and is easy to cook. You can use it in place of beef in fajitas and stir fry. Beef Organ Supplements Now some of you are just not going to eat them or eat them consistently, so properly made capsules are a great choice. These contain all of the same nutrients and beneficial compounds found in fresh organ meat. Good quality organ supplements are low-temperature dried, milled, and pt into capsules. That’s it. Four to six of these equals about one ounce of organ meat. Finding a clean source of properly made organ capsules was not an easy task. Many organ supplements are defatted, heavily processed and refined, or high heat dried, which causes a loss of nutritional value. Others came from questionable sources, including some that used slave labor or were from rainforest land that was clear cut to make room for cattle grazing. Boycotting any products and foods made with Brazilian beef, which includes most collagen products , is one of the simplest and best steps you can take to help protect the Amazon rainforest. These were obviously not acceptable choices, but they were definitely the more profitable options. Knowing where your food comes from is incredibly important, and your supplements should be no different. So when searching for a company to use, we wanted to know exactly where the organs came from. When looking for a company to use, we wanted to make sure that: The farmers and laborers who farmed the animals were well taken care of and paid a fair wage for their work. The animals need by well cared for and independently verified to be humanely raised. They would not be pumped full of hormones and antibiotics. The animals would spend their days outside on the pastures, grazing on a variety of natural grasses, with ample access to fresh water and without the stresses that come from feedlot confinement. The animals needed to be 100% grass-fed and grazed using regenerative agriculture practices. The area the animals grazed on needed to be natural grasslands, and that did not require chopping down important forest lands, such as rainforest, to make room for grazing. The grazing practices needed to improve the local environment, not take away from it. Regenerative agriculture grazing adds nutrients to the soil, protects the grassland, and helps to sequester large amounts of carbon in the soil, which helps to reduce climate change. The animals would be properly rotationally grazed in ways that did not cause large amounts of waste and pollution to end up in the local waterways. The company should make the product themselves from start to finish. This means starting with the raw organs, drying them, milling them, and bottling them all in-house. This vertical integration would ensure the highest quality organ capsules that would meet our farm-to-bottle program standards. The organs would be low-temperature dried, non-defatted, and nothing would be removed except water. This would yield a concentrated whole food supplement, that is more nutrient-dense and foundational health-building than anything else on the market. Lots of companies advertise as being third-party tested, but it's really important to know that this is more of a marketing gimmick than a real measure of quality. Check out our blog  to learn more about this. NXGEN Wholefoods Organ Supplements In our search for the ideal organ supplement, we found a wonderful Australian company, NXGEN Wholefoods . They work directly with their regenerative agriculture family farm partners and manufacture their own raw materials and products. No other organ supplement company can say the same. There are no fillers, binders, or flow agents added. Their farm partners are a farmer-founded and owned cooperative called Obe Organic . Obe Organic raises its animals in the Lake Eyre region of Australia. These farmers regeneratively graze their animals on close to twenty million acres of land, an area almost the size of Nebraska! The Maloney family is one of the Obe Organic farm partners . Each year the Lake Eyre region floods , bringing with it water rich in nutrients that help to feed the grasslands and enrich the soil. Having animals graze the land stimulates the natural way that grasslands grow, as when large groups of wild ruminants used to roam across the land. The animals get an extremely nutrient-rich diet, grazing all year round on over 250 species of seasonal native grasses. They live a relaxed life free of the stressors of modern factory farming. Unlike a lot of cattle farming, the animals are not separated from their mothers and the free-roaming nature of the pastures allows them to live a healthy, active life. They are very well taken care of and are never given antibiotics or synthetic hormones. Together NXGEN Wholefoods and Obe Organic represent what we feel is the perfect partnership of sustainability and ethics. Hopefully, in the future, more supplement companies will follow their example. So, whether you want to cook up some organ meats or take the capsules, there is no excuse not to get these incredible foods in your diet. No other foods can compare to the incredible nourishment that offal supplies. Your body will thank you, and your health will thrive. Organ meat question and support If you have questions about organ meats and beef organ supplements, please email us at   info@rooted-nutrition.com ,   and we will be happy to help! The easiest way to get some incredible nutrition in your day!

Throughout the world, there is a range of amazing fermented foods that many of us have never heard of. Today, I want to write about an incredible one that has captured my attention for a long time and that I have spent way too much time researching: Tocosh. What is tocosh Peruano? Tocosh is a Peruvian food made by fermenting special varieties of potatoes, especially the Huayro, Iskupuro, and White types. Did you know that Peru has over 4,000 varieties of potatoes? That warms my Irish heart. It starts with locally harvested potatoes, which are placed into a mesh bag typically made of straw or grass. They are then placed in a stream or buried by a spring.  Stones are placed on top to keep them submerged in the water. The flowing water helps to prevent harmful bacteria from developing on the potatoes. They will remain there for anywhere from several months to years.  During this time, natural fermentation starts, and bacterial and yeast cultures develop on the potatoes. The potatoes shrink a lot during this time and develop a strong smell. Once they have fermented for the desired amount of time, they are left to sun dry and then milled into a flour. This flour is used in food, but it has also been used since Incan times as a folk remedy and revered as a gift from the Apus (mountain deities). Probiotics In Tocosh Tocosh's fermentation process creates a number of different beneficial bacteria and yeasts. Which ones and how many will vary depending on the length of fermentation and what ones are occurring in the local environment. Tocosh produced in different areas of Peru will have different bacteria and yeasts because each region has unique bacteria. Tocosh will feature a wide variety of probiotic organisms, which can vary from batch to batch when produced in the same place.  Some species that have been found include : Lactobacillus Sakie Lactobacillus Casei Lactobacillus Farciminis Lactobacillus Brevis Lactobacillus Fermentum Leuconostoc Mesenteroides Various species of the Provetella genus This is a fascinating genus of bacteria with great potential for human health that will hopefully get more research on it in the future.  And many more! The probiotics in properly made Tocosh (as with other fermented foods) retain their colony form and are not isolated from their protective food source. Most probiotics supplements are made with bacteria that have been centrifuged, which breaks up their colony structure, reducing their survivability and effectiveness. Traditional sun-drying of Tocosh helps protect the probiotics' cell walls, which can become damaged with harsh drying methods. We can learn so much from indigenous cultures about the best ways to prepare and preserve food. Tocosh Benefits Tocosh has been used as a remedy by the people of Peru for hundreds of years for a whole host of issues that I cannot list here without getting in trouble with the FDA. The majority of uses are for gastrointestinal, esophageal, stomach, and respiratory health.  Tocosh’s prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics provide an authentic, whole food synbiotic, which helps to nourish the gut and provide a host of benefits.  Many of the benefits come from the unique blend of compounds, called postbiotics, that are created by the bacteria as they ferment the potatoes. Postbiotics are a fascinating area of emerging research. Foods like yogurt, kimchi, and kefir contain postibiotics. Actual whole food probiotic supplements also contain postbiotics. Many companies have taken to adding isolated compounds or parts of dead bacteria to their probiotic supplements and claiming they are postbiotics. They are nowhere close to being as beneficial as whole foods rich in postbiotics. The entire fermented food complex has the benefits. Isolating one compound and claiming it to be as good as a whole food is complete nonsense. You cannot duplicate the complexity of a whole food in a lab. Tocosh Nutrients While potatoes are rich in a variety of nutrients, the fermentation process of making Tocosh increases not just the amount of nutrients present but also their bioavailability. It also makes them easier to digest. This is one of the great things about fermentation. This also happens with things like turning cabbage into sauerkraut and milk into kefir. Tocosh is particularly rich in bioavailable B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B6 (pyridoxine), calcium, essential amino acids, fatty acids, and more! How to use tocosh Tocosh flour can be used in baked goods or cooking, such as stews and soups. The downside is that it has a very strong odor and taste, so most people will probably not want to incorporate it into their food. A better option for most people would be properly made Tocosh capsules. These can be easily integrated into your daily routine.  Dosage: Take one capsule (800 mg) twice daily on an empty stomach or as directed by your healthcare practitioner. For intensive use, take two capsules twice per day with food.  It is best to take a three-week break every three months. Who should not use Tocosh?  Pregnant women and nursing mothers Children under twelve Those with a penicillin allergy. Tocosh flour and capsules should be stored in a cool, dry place away from moisture and direct sunlight. Tocosh has a unique pungent odor similar to some other fermented foods. This is normal and a sign that the bacteria and formula are healthy. To reduce the odor, you can keep it in the fridge if you prefer, but this is not necessary to maintain the product. How to choose a good Tocosh As with other fermented foods, Tocosh must be made right because many things can go wrong during fermentation. If the Tocosh is not made right, it can be contaminated with unwanted bacteria. In addition, if poor quality or improperly stored potatoes are used, they can contain high levels of compounds that can cause significant problems such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.  Ethics are another thing to look at when choosing a Tocosh product. Knowing that the farmers were paid a fair price for the crops and work is essential. Next up is that it is made correctly. To make the product cheaper and more profitable, many companies are producing Tocosh in just ten days using certain acid cocktails. This has resulted in several deaths because it is highly toxic. In addition, it lacks the benefits that come from traditionally fermented Tocosh. It is so incredibly important not to cut corners when making Tocosh, but far too many companies cannot seem to help themselves, and the pursuit of profit comes before anything else. Seleno Health Tocosh Capsules When I discovered that we finally had a supplier for clean Tocosh, I was so excited. Tocosh is something that has so many benefits and not having a clean source of it sucked. We were able to get small amounts of it in the past, and the people using it did well, but there was never enough to offer it to everyone.  Seleno Health Tocosh is made from Huayro, Iskupuro, and White potato varieties and undergoes a sacred fermentation process in Peru’s highlands.  After fermentation, it’s sun-dried and milled into a powder. It is made in the traditional manner so you can experience the magic of the Andes with Tocosh—a sacred remedy for modern wellness.  As with their other products, the farmers are paid a fair wage for their work and support the local communities. We are thrilled to partner with them to bring you this incredible Peruvian food. Tocosh Questions and Support If you have questions about Tocosh, please email us at   info@rooted-nutrition.com,   and we will be happy to answer any questions!

The prostate is a little gland that can cause a lot of problems for men as they age. However, with the proper nutrition and lifestyle changes, you can have a happy and healthy prostate regardless of age. The   three most common prostate issues are : Prostatitis - inflammation of the prostate that is sometimes the result of a bacterial infection Benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) - an enlarged prostate Prostate cancer As men age, the prostate tends to grow larger, which can squeeze the urethra, leading to issues with urination.   Lifestyle changes to support prostate health Thankfully, there are lifestyle changes that can support a happy and healthy prostate. One of the most important things to do to help keep your prostate healthy is to get the recommended screening and checkups  done to check for prostate cancer and other prostate problems. It’s important to discuss any symptoms or issues you may be having with your doctor. Don’t be stubborn; get that prostate checked!  Stress and prostate health Chronically high levels of uncontrolled stress can lead to a worsening of prostate symptoms . It depletes zinc, an essential mineral for prostate health, increases cortisol levels, and reduces testosterone levels, which can increase estrogen levels, and this leads to an increase in prostate size.  It also increases the conversion of testosterone to DHT. One of the best things you can do to keep your prostate healthy is to work on stress reduction. Check out our blog for tips on how you can manage stress. Sleep and Prostate health Getting proper sleep has a significant impact on prostate health. “In a study of over 30,000 male participants in the UK Biobank, DCEG investigators found poor sleep quality to be associated with a 15-20% greater risk of prostate cancer, using accelerometer-based measures of sleep. Click the button below to download our free guide to healthy sleep. Exercise and prostate health Getting the right type and amount of exercise can significantly support prostate health. In more recent studies, she and colleagues have been looking at more doable levels of exercise – walking 30 minutes a day, or three or more hours a week, at a brisk pace (3 mph or faster).  The brisk pace is important:  One study found that men who walked three or more hours a week at a brisk pace after diagnosis had a 57 percent lower risk of having prostate cancer recur than men who walked at a slower pace, for less than three hours a week. Vitamin D and prostate health There is some correlation, not proven causation, between low vitamin D levels and more aggressive forms of prostate cancer. It can’t hurt to have your doctor check your vitamin D level; if it is low, address it. Sunshine and prostate health  Exposing your eyes to sunlight at the correct times during the day is simple and has fantastic benefits for prostate health. At sunrise and sunset, try to get outside and get at least fifteen minutes of sunlight, and you get bonus points for walking barefoot in the grass. Get the morning sunshine before you look at your phone or a screen. Not only will your prostate benefit, but it also helps reset your sleep cycle, improve immune health, and boost your mood. Hydration and prostate health Many men with prostate problems avoid drinking fluids because they feel it makes them have to go to the bathroom. The problem is that this creates a vicious cycle, which creates more urination problems. “Ultimately, drinking fewer fluids to try to avoid the symptoms of BPH doesn’t work and may be counterproductive. For one, it is critically important that you stay hydrated for continued health. This is not just the health of your urinary system, but every bodily function depends on proper hydration. Even mild dehydration has significant physical and psychological consequences. Further, dehydration can make your lower urinary tract symptoms worse. Lack of fluid intake can cause bladder irritation as the urine is more concentrated. The result? You guessed it! An urge to urinate more frequently. It can also cause significant kidney issues that, once again, can create problematic urinary symptoms.” However, avoiding caffeinated beverages is a good idea, as caffeine can irritate the prostate and urinary tract. Caffeine also increases cortisol levels, which can create problems for those with prostate issues. Try swapping your morning coffee for a cup of Amaru Cacao ; your prostate will thank you, and you will still have a great morning pick-me-up! Foods To Eat for prostate health The foods you eat or don’t eat can make a big difference in the health of the prostate. First up is reducing the amount of omega-six in the diet. While we need small amounts of omega-six, nearly everyone gets far too much. This leads to lots of inflammation. Check out our blog  to learn how to reduce levels of omega-six and improve your omega-6/3 ratio. The ratio should be between 3-5:1. Unfortunately, most of the population has a ratio way out of proportion. You can do this at home test  to see your ratio. Correcting this ratio will improve the health of your prostate and the rest of your body. The way out-of-whack omega 6/3 ratio that nearly everyone has is one of the least talked about, biggest health problems we face. It is a massive contributor to so many health issues. Dramatically reducing omega-six consumption is more important than simply increasing the omega-three in our diet.  Next, cut back on junk food. You don’t have to be perfect, but we all know that eating less junk food is good. Replacing ultra-processed foods with nourishing whole foods is essential to building good health.  Many foods can support a healthy prostate. However, it’s not just eating the right foods; timing is also essential. Try to eat a protein-rich breakfast within an hour of waking up. This helps prevent large spikes in cortisol levels. You should avoid having coffee before breakfast. Zinc is essential for prostate health; many people do not get enough bioavailable zinc. Much of the zinc consumed comes fortified in ultra-processed foods, such as cereal, which contains a form of zinc that is very poorly absorbed, zinc oxide. Zinc in most plant foods is poorly absorbed because phytates reduce the absorption. Foods rich in bioavailable zinc include: Grass-fed red meat Wild-caught shellfish, especially oysters Organ meats Especially liver, kidneys, and heart Dry roasted or sprouted pumpkin seeds Dry roasting and sprouting the pumpkin seeds makes the zinc easier to absorb. Remember that pumpkin seeds have quite a bit of omega-six, so if your ratio of omega 6:3 is off, it is best to choose other zinc-rich foods. Lycopene is a carotenoid that has many benefits for prostate health.  Lycopene-rich foods include: Tomatoes Cook them for maximum benefit. Watermelons Papaya Apricots Peaches Cranberries Red Grapes Lycopene is best absorbed with fat, so eat these foods with high polyphenol olive oil or grass-fed dairy products. Berries and pomegranates (eat the actual pomegranates or frozen seeds, not the bottled juice at the store) are colorful fruits with significant prostate health benefits. Eat a cup of these a day for a happy prostate. Probiotic-rich foods like grass-fed kefir, yogurt, and lacto-fermented veggies (especially sauerkraut and kimchi) are a great way to support your urinary system microbiome, which plays a significant role in prostate health. Eat these daily to get the benefits, as it takes time to alter the microbiome. Avocados and eggs are rich in vitamin E, an important prostate health nutrient. Avoid synthetic vitamin E supplements, as they may have some unwanted effects in people with prostate issues. Wild-caught fatty fish are a great way to increase your omega-three levels. Avoid farm-raised fish. Don’t sleep on tinned (buy these in water, not oil) and frozen fish; they are a great way to get the benefits of fish and spend far less. Fresh broccoli sprouts are one of the best foods for supporting prostate health. Avoid the ones at the store because they are often old, grown improperly, and contaminated with bacteria. Grow your own and harvest them on day six when levels of important constituents are at their highest. This company sells an excellent   kit  for growing them at home. Eat an ounce per day. While broccoli and broccoli seeds have some of the beneficial compounds, broccoli sprouts, grown and harvested correctly, have much higher levels of valuable compounds. Matcha tea is rich in several beneficial compounds, including EGCG, which helps support a healthy prostate. Unfortunately, many matcha teas are adulterated with rice (and other things) or are improperly made. Choose matcha tea that comes directly from the farm , not from a middleman, and has a bright, vibrant green color. Matcha should not be brown or dull in color. Good matcha tea is not cheap. You won’t find a big tub of it for twenty dollars. It will come in small containers. The above product retails at $34.99 for eleven ounces, which seems a great deal and is much less expensive than other ceremonial-grade matcha powders. So what’s going on here? Well, if you look at the supplement facts panel, each serving is five grams, which is five thousand milligrams. If you look further down the supplement facts panel, each serving contains one thousand milligrams of matcha green tea. The other four thousand milligrams are brown rice solids. At least they were honest and listed the brown rice solids in the ingredients. This means that eighty percent of the product is brown rice solids, and only twenty percent is matcha. Only 2.2 ounces of the eleven ounces of this product is matcha. It's not as great a deal as it first appears. Many matcha products might appear to be a good deal, but there is usually a reason why they are so inexpensive! Supplements For Prostate Health The right supplements can help to support and nourish your prostate. The key to getting the most benefits from your prostate health supplements (and all other supplements) is to take them daily, at the full dosage, for at least three months. Taking them for just a short period of time, taking too low of a dosage, or skipping lots of days will make them ineffective. The first is a good prostate complex. One issue with many prostate health products is the adulteration of saw palmetto. Due to poor harvests and disease in the plants because of our changing climate, finding properly made saw palmetto extract is difficult, to say the least. Saw palmetto is often adulterated with palm oil, lecithin, fatty acids, carotenoids, and more.  Another very common adulterant is spent saw palmetto berries. How can saw palmetto be adulterating saw palmetto, you ask? What a great question; I’m so glad you asked. Spent material adulteration is a huge problem in the supplement industry; unfortunately, it is rarely discussed.  What is spent herb adulteration? When companies make herbal extracts, they extract the beneficial compounds from the raw material and sell that extract. After making the extract, there is leftover plant material called spent herb. This spent herb has had its beneficial compounds removed, so it will not have any benefits, but it can still be labeled as that herb. So, companies can claim to be selling saw palmetto or other herbs, but they will be useless. Many saw palmetto and other herbal products are on the market like this. That’s how you can see huge bottles of herbal supplements on Amazon for only a few dollars when a correctly made product would cost much, much more, even though the labels look the same.  This product claims to contain a 10:1 extract (ten pounds of herb are used to make one pound of extract) of saw palmetto, 300 capsules, for only $8.96 on Amazon. It is impossible to sell what is being stated on the label and that number of capsules for that price, as that is less than what the saw palmetto extract raw material itself would cost, let alone manufacturing, testing, and shipping. Check out our blog  to learn why buying supplements (or other ingestible products) on Amazon and other third-party marketplaces is very risky. Click the button below to read more about saw palmetto adulteration and download a report on it from our friends at the American Botanical Council. We spent a long time trying to find a saw palmetto supplement that was not adulterated and contained the full dosage needed in the right ratio. Triquetra Health Saw Palmetto Extract With Pumpkin Seed Oil exceeds US Pharmacopeia Pharmaceutical grade standards, with 320 mg per softgel, 90% fatty acid content, and is a 100% oil extract. Pumpkin Seed Oil is a rich source of essential fatty acids and phytosterols that complement saw palmetto by supporting healthy prostate and urinary function. Their saw palmetto is grown and extracted in central Florida using a clean CO2 extraction process, ensuring it is 100% free of contaminants, additives, irradiation, and unwanted solvents like hexane and acetone. Their saw palmetto extract is the highest quality, with over a 95% composition of active nutrients, and the Pumpkin Seed Oil contributes to potent beta-sitosterol levels.  The berries are transferred from the local farmers to the extraction facility, which is only a few miles away. Most saw palmetto products are now made from saw palmetto grown in southeast Asia, but this is a different species of saw palmetto and does not have the same benefits as the real thing. It is much cheaper to produce. The product was developed in partnership with Valensa in Florida, the leading producer of the world's highest-quality saw palmetto extract. Due to the increased cost of saw palmetto, adulteration problems are widespread and affecting a huge number of products. It's essential to know exactly where your saw palmetto is coming from and who makes it. Just one softgel per day provides the full dosage! Moss Nutrition Prostate Select contains a blend of ingredients that help to support a healthy prostate. It's our favorite prostate support complex. Saw palmetto berry extract Pygeum bark extract Stinging nettle root extract L-glycine L-alanine L-glutamic acid DIM Pumpkin seed extract Meriva curcumin extract Lycopene Zinc as (zinc arginate chelate) Next is concentrated red maca . It contains beneficial compounds not found in other plants. Red maca is higher in these prostate-supportive compounds than other colors of maca. These macamides (and other valuable compounds) help to support healthy prostate function. It is crucial to avoid eating raw maca products, as they can cause significant health problems. Check out our blog to learn more about the  dangers of raw maca  and this article  to learn how to choose a good maca. Fourth is unrefined cod liver oil . It is rich in omega-3 fatty acids in their naturally occurring state, as well as natural vitamins A and D.  Unrefined fish oil is very different from the traditional, heavily refined (molecularly distilled) fish oils, which have had beneficial nutrients stripped from them during the refining process and alter their fatty-acid structures. Check out our   blog   to learn more about this . Fifth is   broccoli sprout capsules . These   Australian organically grown broccoli sprout capsules are made from sprouts harvested on day six of their growth. They are then immediately taken to the manufacturing facility and gently freeze-dried to retain the active myrosinase enzyme and glucoraphanin. They are retained intact by the freeze-drying process, which removes all water from the sprouts using cold drying technology under a vacuum. After being freeze-dried, they are cold-milled into a powder using a cryo mill to prevent heat and friction degradation. Then, the powder is encapsulated. That’s it; nothing is added or removed except the water. When the capsule enters the gut, stomach acids break down the cellulose capsules, creating a reaction between the myrosinase enzyme and the glucoraphanin molecule, producing sulforaphane. Three capsules supply the equivalent of one ounce of fresh broccoli sprouts. These compounds provide antioxidants and support the body’s detoxification pathways.  Sixth is a   whole food probiotic complex . There is a big difference between a whole food probiotic containing proper amounts of prebiotics and postbiotics and a traditional probiotic containing just a few isolated bacteria and a tiny pinch of prebiotics. Check out our  blog  to learn the difference between conventional probiotics and whole-food probiotic supplements. A whole food synbiotic (prebiotic, probiotic, and postbiotic in one) helps to support a healthy microbiome in the urinary tract. Check out our  Prostate Health Pack   for complete support of all aspects of prostate health! Prostate Health Support We know this is a lot of information, so if you have questions, don’t know where to start, or need support, we are always available to help. Drop us an email anytime at info@rooted-nutrition.com , or   book a free call ,   and we will be happy to help you on your health journey! Nourishing your prostate right will help keep it happy and healthy for your whole life!

What if there was a natural, unrefined, whole-food sweetener that supported your health, not just added empty calories? Imagine one that's like nothing else you have ever had. Cacao fruit nectar is the sweetener you've been waiting for. What is cacao fruit nectar? Cacao fruit nectar comes from the fruit pulp of the cacao pod. Chocolate is made from the beans of the cacao pod. Traditionally, it is made by opening the pods and separating the beans from the fruit pulp. The fruit is then pressed to separate the juice from the fibrous part. Then the juice is fermented (via lactofermentation, similar to the way sauerkraut is produced) and concentrated (water is evaporated off) to make an incredible, nourishing nectar. There are modern, more industrial production methods, but these cause loss of nutrients and beneficial compounds. The traditional ways of making it produce a much better nectar, but most companies prefer the newer methods because they are faster and cheaper.  The benefits of cacao Fruit nectar Cacao nectar is way more than just a sweetener, though. It’s a gut-loving tonic packed with minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, and prebiotics. The traditional fermentation process of making cacao nectar means it’s rich in lactic acid producing probiotics (from the lactobacillus genus)! How many other sweeteners have all of these fantastic properties? Having another way to add more good bacteria to your diet is a great thing. Traditionally produced cacao fruit nectar is a whole food sweetener. How does cacao Fruit nectar taste? You might think cacao nectar tastes like chocolate, but it does not. It tastes sweet, but not in the same way as regular sugar. It has some fruity notes, often described as having hints of citrus or tropical fruit. Some people describe it as having a "vegan honey" like taste. This is due to its sweet and somewhat floral qualities. In essence, it offers a refreshing and vibrant flavor. How can you use cacao Fruit nectar? Cacao nectar can be used in a variety of ways, just like you would use honey or maple syrup. You can bake with it, cook with it, and use it in smoothies and drinks. For baking, use ⅔ a cup of cacao nectar for every cup of sugar and reduce the amount of liquid in the recipe by a ¼ cup for every cup of cacao nectar used. It can be used as a one to one replacement for honey, maple syrup, or molasses. You can also take a spoonful daily for gut health and nutrient benefits.  How should Cacao fruit nectar be stored? Cacao nectar should be stored in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight. Cacao Fruit Nectar Recipes With gardening season upon us (get out there and put your hands in some dirt), it’s the perfect time for a refreshing spring beverage. Our first recipe balances the sweetness of cacao nectar with the tartness of lime and a hint of mint. Cacao Fruit Nectar Spritzer: Ingredients: 1-2 tablespoons of cacao nectar (more if you like it sweeter) 1-2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (more or less to taste depending on how sour you like it) 1 cup chilled sparkling water Fresh mint leaves Lime slices (for garnish) Ice cubes Instructions: In a pitcher or large glass, pour the cacao nectar and fresh lime juice.  Stir well to combine the nectar and lime juice.  Pour in the chilled sparkling water. Gently muddle a few fresh mint leaves in the drink to release their flavor.  Add ice cubes to chill the drink.  Garnish with lime slices and a sprig of mint. Serve immediately and enjoy! Optional Variations: Ginger Zing: Add a few thin slices of fresh ginger or a splash of ginger ale for a spicy kick. Berry Boost: Muddle in some fresh berries (strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries) for added flavor and color. Coconut Cream: Add a tablespoon of coconut cream for a richer, creamier texture. It would not be a good article about Cacao without an incredible gluten-free, flourless cacao cake recipe! Flourless Cacao Cake: Ingredients: 8 oz Seleno Health Amaru Cacao Paste 1/2 cup butter 1/3 cup Seleno Health Cacao Nectar (more can be added if you like a sweeter cake; add gradually to avoid making the batter too runny) 5 large eggs, separated 1/4 cup Seleno Health Cacao Powder A pinch of salt. Instructions : Prepare the Pan: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease an 8-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Melt Chocolate and Butter: Melt the cacao paste and butter together in a double boiler, stirring until smooth. Combine Wet Ingredients: Whisk the cacao nectar and egg yolks into the melted chocolate mixture until well combined. Add Cacao Powder: Sift the cacao powder and salt into the wet mixture and fold until combined. Whip Egg Whites: In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold Egg Whites: Gently fold one-third of the whipped egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Then, carefully fold the remaining egg whites in two additions, being mindful not to overmix. Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the edges are set and the center is slightly soft. Cool: Let the cake cool completely in the pan before removing it. Serving: This cake is delicious on its own or with a dusting of cacao powder, fresh berries, or a dollop of whipped cream and vanilla ice cream! So freaking good! Ethical sourcing of cacao fruit nectar As with other cacao products, it’s essential to know precisely where your Cacao comes from to avoid ethical issues such as slavery, child labor, and poor treatment of farmers.  So much cacao production around the world is unethical.  You should look for cacao nectar that can be traced back to the farms it came from. If there are a lot of middlemen involved or it comes from a vast number of farms all mixed together, it can be nearly impossible to know if it was ethically produced. It’s also important to know that the farmers are well paid for their work because everyone deserves to be paid fairly for hard work and live a life of dignity.  Check out our Farm-To-Bottle Project  to learn more about the importance of the traceability of your supplements. Because if Farm-To-Table is great for foods, why shouldn’t we apply that same standard to our supplements? Seleno Health Cacao Fruit Nectar We are excited to partner with Seleno Health to bring another fantastic cacao product to the US. Their cacao nectar is made from native cacao varieties grown by skilled farmers in Chazuta, Peru, a region celebrated for its sustainable practices and rich cacao heritage.  The farmers are paid a fair price for their Cacao, and no forced labor or child slavery is used on the farms.  Each jar captures the magic of sixty-six cacao pods, concentrated into a rich, prebiotic, and probiotic syrup that’s as nourishing as it is delicious . Their Rescue Cacao Program  is doing incredible things for the cacao farmers of Peru.  For over 30 years, farmers of Cacao in Peru have been pulled into an illegal drug trade by cartels needing coca plants to produce cocaine for export into Western markets. This has left Indigenous farmers and their communities devastated and often threatened with bloodshed and violence to comply, plus instilling a disconnect and loss of the traditions, wisdom, and connection with Cacao as a master plant.   In 2012, the Rescue Cacao Program was developed to bring change to the industry. The program helps farmers purchase farming equipment to produce the finest organic Cacao for export. By choosing this Cacao , you help them to reconnect with their ancestral roots of Cacao cultivation and help preserve the culture and history of Cacao in Peru. They also support the Mishollo Agrarian Community in Tocache, Peru, by aiding the liberation from drug cartels and criminal oppression and reconnecting them with their ancestral roots of Cacao cultivation.   We are so proud to be working with them. If all companies operated the way they do, the world would be a much better place! Cacao fruit nectar questions and support If you have questions about cacao nectar, email us at info@rooted-nutrition.com ,  and we would be happy to answer them!

Amazon is one of, if not the largest, seller of dietary supplements worldwide. While it can be easy to order supplements off Amazon, most people do not realize they are rolling the dice with their health. Is It safe to buy supplements on Amazon? When you go to a store, they usually receive products from a manufacturer or distributor and then sell them to the public. This is how most people picture buying things from an online retailer. Unfortunately, this is often not the case with Amazon. Where do supplements sold on Amazon come from? On Amazon, multiple sellers can send in the same product, such as the manufacturer and various third parties, which are all mixed in the same bin. So, while it may be listed as from the manufacturer, it could be from many places. While this may not seem like a big deal, it's truly a huge problem. Mixed in with those products from the manufacturer could be counterfeit or adulterated products. If you get a counterfeit t-shirt or purse, you might be out a few dollars, but it is not dangerous to your health. When you ingest or put an adulterated or contaminated product on your skin, at best, it will do nothing, and at worst, it could be hazardous if it has a prescription drug or allergen in it. Unfortunately, there is no way to know if it was one of the adulterated products or the right one from the manufacturer. Imagine if we let random people send us products and put them on our website without checking them. That would be insanity, but that’s Amazon. counterfeit supplements on Amazon Here are just a few examples of big supplement companies that recently found counterfeits of their products on Amazon: Ayush Herbs found a counterfeit version of their Carditone . Nutramax found a counterfeit version of their Avmacol . Now Foods found counterfeit versions of eleven supplements, including some that contained the prescription drug Sildenafil (generic for Viagra) . Host Defense found four counterfeit products . Proctor and Gamble found a counterfeit version of their Align probiotic . A man was recently arrested for selling counterfeit Pure Encapsulations L-Glutamine and Nature M.D.Gut Connect 365 products on Amazon . He used cinnamon and sugar to make the powders look similar. This is just a tiny sampling. Most companies do not check their products on Amazon to see if there are counterfeit versions. The surface has only been scratched on this enormous problem, and more testing will reveal countless more examples of counterfeit products sold on the website. Adulterated Supplements On Amazon Amazon also has a huge supplement adulteration problem. For example, these top-selling supplements on Amazon contained prescription drugs. If someone has a heart problem, takes prescription nitrates, and takes one of those products contaminated with Viagra, it could lead to serious health problems, including a heart attack. The FDA purchased and tested twenty-six weight loss and male enhancement products off Amazon and found that 80% were contaminated with prescription drugs . This means eight out of ten people who purchased those products were given prescription drugs without their knowledge, putting their health in extreme danger. Would you buy products at a store with a significant chance of getting a product often adulterated with dangerous ingredients? On December 20th of 2023, the FDA sent a warning letter to Amazon advising them that “MANNERS Energy Boost,” “Round 2,” “WeFun,” “Genergy,” “Big Guys Male Energy Supplement,” “Mens Maximum Energy Supplement,” and “X Max Triple Shot Energy Honey," contained the prescription medications sildenafil or tadalafil. The number of supplements found to contain prescription drugs on Amazon is astounding. It would take a whole book to list them all. Low Potency Supplements on Amazon Another issue is products containing far less than what they claimed on the label or even none of the claimed ingredients. The more expensive the raw material, the more likely it will happen. Here are a few examples of this. Bromelain - 15 of 20 products failed testing. Only six of the twenty samples had at least fifty percent of the amount claimed on the label. Testing was done by Venture Labs . Astaxanthin - 14 of 22 products failed testing. Thirteen of the fourteen failures had less than one milligram of Astaxanthin. Testing was done by Alkemist Labs . Quercetin - 20 of 24 products failed potency testing. Two brands used gelatin capsules when they claimed vegetarian capsules. Testing was done by Eurofins . Coq10 - Out of eight brands, four were improperly labeled to make it appear that they had more coq10 than they did, while three failed potency tests. Testing was done by Eurofins . Berberine (products from Amazon and Walmart) - 18 of 33 brands contained less than forty percent of the claimed amounts on the label. 7 of 33 had less than one percent of claimed label amounts. Testing was done by   Alkemist Labs . Alpha Lipoic Acid - 8 of 13 products had less than ninety percent of label claims. Testing was done by Eurofins . Phosphatidylserine - 36 of 43 brands failed testing, with seventeen containing less than ten percent of label claims. Two were found to be spiked with serine to cheat the test results. Testing was done by Eurofins . Turmeric/Curcumin - 12 out of 25 tested products failed for potency, containing synthetic curcuminoids, heavy metals, or used gelatin caps instead of the claimed veggie caps. Four products contained “fossil fuel derived organic carbon,” a marker for synthetic curcumin. Testing done by Eurofins and the University of Georgia’s Center for Applied Isotope Studies . Resveratrol - 21 out of 30 brands tested were below labeled potency, and 17 contained less than 10% of claimed potency. Testing was done by   Alkemist Labs . The test results with brands and testing methods are too large to post in the article. Email us if you want to see the test results on any of the above categories, and we can send you the data. This is just a tiny sampling of poor-quality products on Amazon. Countless investigations are going on into supplements sold on Amazon. It would not be possible for us to list them all. While many products seem like a good deal, low cost usually means low quality. The True Costs of Selling Supplements On Amazon One of the reasons for all of these adulterated and counterfeit product problems is how much money it costs companies to sell on Amazon. Up to forty-five percent of the listed product price goes to Amazon through various fees, advertising, and shipping charges. This causes brands to cut corners to maintain profits. Amazon forces companies to give them the most favorable selling status (we cannot recommend this article enough if you want to learn how bad Amazon has made things). This means they cannot sell the product for a lower price anywhere else than on Amazon. This practice drives up costs everywhere else. “ Then Amazon hits sellers with fees. Lots of fees: Fees to be listed on Prime (without which, your search result is buried at the bottom of an endless scroll): Fees for Amazon warehouse fulfillment (without which, your search result is buried at the bottom of an endless scroll) And finally, there's payola – the "ads" you have to buy to outcompete the other people who are buying ads to outcompete you. All told, these fees add up to 45% of the price you pay Amazon – sometimes more . Companies just don't have 45% margins, because they exist in competitive markets. If I'm selling a bottle of detergent at a 45% markup, my rival will sell it at 40%, and then I have to drop to 35%, and so on. But everyone has to sell on Amazon, and Amazon takes their 45% cut, which means that all these sellers have to raise prices. And, thanks to MFN, the sellers then have to charge the same price at Walmart, Target, and your local mom-and-pop shop. Amazon's monopoly (control over buyers) gives it a monopsony (control over sellers), which lets it raise prices everywhere, at Amazon and at every other retailer, even as it drives the companies that supply it into bankruptcy. ” When the companies have to give Amazon so much of their profits, they have to cut costs elsewhere, and in nearly all circumstances, it comes out of product quality. Amazon Fake Reviews Another issue that arises is with product reviews. Many people rely on reviews to make decisions on whether to buy a product or not. However, using reviews on Amazon is a terrible idea. There are four main problems with Amazon Reviews. The first is fake reviews. Fake reviews abound on Amazon. In 2020, it was found that nearly forty-two percent of Amazon reviews were fake . The second problem is review jacking. Review jacking is where a company changes the product sold in the listing but leaves up the reviews for the original product, even though the new product is substantially different from the old product. The Bountiful Company, which consists of brands such as Nature’s Bounty, Ester-C, American Health, Sundown, and a lot more (The Bountiful Company and its brands are now owned by Nestle .), was fined 600,000 dollars for using this practice . The third problem is paid positive reviews. Companies often give coupons, refunds, or free products to get people to provide them with a good review. Amazon says this practice is illegal, but companies do it all the time. The sellers even provide detailed instructions on how to evade Amazon’s attempt to stop fake reviews. They can even purchase a service from unscrupulous companies to boost their brand's positive reviews, but they are all fake. We will not link to those companies for obvious reasons. The fourth problem is paid negative reviews. Competitors can pay for a service in which companies post many fake negative reviews about their competition's products, thereby lowering their ratings. We are not going to link to those companies for obvious reasons. If you use reviews on Amazon to guide your purchases, it might be time to rethink that strategy. Product reviews are a problem all over the internet, not just on Amazon; don't rely on them. Improper Storage of Supplements In Amazon WarehouseS Another big issue with buying products of Amazon is temperature control. Supplements and foods generally have a temperature range in which they need to be stored. Most Amazon warehouses lack proper climate controls, despite the company's claims . When supplements are held at a high temperature and humidity, it can cause them to degrade. For example, we keep our warehouse around seventy degrees for this reason. Returned products are another big problem. Imagine you live in Arizona, and it's summertime. You order a probiotic supplement. You pick up your order from an Amazon locker and drive home. You forget about it and leave it in your car for a few days. It gets well over one hundred degrees in that car. People were even baking cookies in their cars this summer . Now you decide you don’t want to take it anymore and send it back to Amazon. That probiotic goes back into inventory and gets sold to someone else, even though the product will be significantly compromised. This storage issue is why we do not resell or restock product returns. Our Personal Consulting Experience With Companies Selling Supplements On Amazon Next up is our personal experience consulting with supplement companies that currently sell on Amazon. Many of you may not be aware, but Rooted Nutrition has an extensive consulting division where we help supplement companies comply with FDA and FTC regulations, quality control, product formulation, raw material sourcing, and anything else related to making a supplement from start to finish. Many of these companies that approach us have zero experience in the supplement industry. All they know is that selling supplements on Amazon is a great way to make money quickly. These companies are coming to us after selling thousands of bottles on Amazon already. When we start to investigate each of these companies that come to us for consulting, we find that they rarely have any quality control program (occasionally, they have a mess of one that covers virtually nothing) in place. Most call contract manufacturers and have them quickly make a product or private label one for them (also called white labeling). Then, they have a batch of it shipped to Amazon and start selling. Well, this is horrifying on so many levels. Companies are required by law (even though the FDA lacks the funds and personnel to enforce all the regulations properly) to have and follow a robust quality control program. You can have all the laws and regulations you want, but they don’t matter if they are not enforced. The FDA admits that they have no way of knowing all of the products on the market, and they inspect less than fifty percent of manufacturers each year. Overseas manufacturers are inspected far less than the already low number of domestic manufacturers. That’s why we laugh when supplement companies claim the industry is well-regulated. Most companies accept whatever their contract manufacturer or raw material suppliers tell them. This is entirely unacceptable. These contract manufacturers don't even know what they are doing half the time and often give the buyers incorrect information. However, these companies looking to make a fast buck on Amazon don't know what they should be doing, so they don't question it. The contract manufacturer gives the buyer's test results, but since they have no experience in the supplement industry, they have no idea whether they are correctly done, using the proper testing methods and testing for the right things. Many of them buy raw materials from Alibaba, which is a cesspool of adulterated and contaminated materials. We recently had a client who got test results on a batch of material with very high levels of coliform, a bacteria from feces. However, the raw material supplier and the contract manufacturer said it was fine. A supplement should never have high coliform levels; it can make people extremely sick. Thankfully, they came to us before the product was manufactured, and we were able to stop it from being sold and get them their money back. Another issue that comes up frequently is dry labbing . In this practice, a company needs test results that show the product is good, and the lab writes whatever it wants on the certificate without testing the product. This is how many companies get around Amazon’s new testing requirements. Altered certificates are another problem. Companies will take a testing certificate from another product or brand and then alter it to make it appear to have been done on their product. This is far more widespread than most people realize. This is just a tiny sampling of the problems in making many of the products you see on Amazon, especially those priced in a way that seems too good to be true. Companies must use cheap raw materials to keep prices down to be competitive on Amazon. Otherwise, their products will appear much more expensive because their competitors use poor-quality materials. While this article focused on Amazon, many of these issues are problematic on other websites that allow third-party sellers, such as eBay and Walmart, but do not get as much press. There is simply no way for companies to properly test and vet the volume of products sold and the sellers who sell them without massive price increases because the cost would be astronomical, which is why it will never happen. Are you willing to roll the dice on your health just for a bit of convenience? Supplement Questions And Support If you have questions about supplements, we are happy to answer them. Feel free to email us at info@rooted-nutrition.com and we will do our best to get you the information you need.

Most people don't think about bone health until something happens, like a broken bone or a test showing bone density issues. However, bones perform many beneficial jobs, not just holding us up. So, let’s give them the nourishment they deserve. According to the NIH, bone is “Made mostly of collagen, bone is living, growing tissue. Collagen is a protein that provides a soft framework, and calcium phosphate is a mineral that adds strength and hardens the framework. This combination of collagen and calcium makes bone strong and flexible enough to withstand stress. More than 99 percent of the body's calcium is contained in the bones and teeth. The remaining 1 percent is found in the blood.” Many people are unaware of just how many vital functions our bones perform. These are just a few of them; Bone marrow makes red and white blood cells, as well as platelets. They store minerals and fatty acids. Bones help to maintain a steady blood pH. Bones release hormones acting on the kidneys, influencing blood sugar regulation and fat deposition. Bones maintain calcium balance. Bones are composed of two main parts. The first is the compact (cortical) bone, the hard outer layer that is dense and durable. It makes up about eighty percent of adult bone mass. The second part is the cancellous (trabecular or spongy) bone. It consists of a network of trabeculae or rod-like structures. It is lighter, less dense, and more flexible than compact bone. Your bones have some pretty incredible things in them. Osteoblasts and osteocytes are responsible for creating bone Osteoclasts, bone-resorbing cells Osteoid is a mix of collagen and other proteins Inorganic mineral salts within the matrix Nerves and blood vessels Bone Marrow Cartilage Membranes, including the endosteum periosteum Osteopenia and osteoporosis are the most commonly known health conditions that affect bones. Osteopenia is when your bones are weaker than average but not so far gone that they break easily. Osteoporosis is a disease that weakens the bones to the point where they fracture or break easily. As osteoporosis gets worse, bones get thinner and more porous. What can you do to support healthy bones? So, what are some factors that contribute to these conditions? While there are others, these are the main factors: Lack of dietary calcium. Smoking The long-term use of certain medications, such as corticosteroids Never stop or change your medication dosage without speaking with your doctor first. Lack of Vitamin D. a Sedentary lifestyle and lack of exercise Decrease in hormone production. Hormones play a huge role in bone health, especially in women. Too much or too little of certain hormones can increase the risk of osteopenia and osteoporosis . Addressing the hormonal portion of bone health is essential to ensuring healthy bone density and flexibility. However, it is far too big a topic to cover in this article. Poor Diet Excessive alcohol consumption. Improving as many of those as possible will help not only your bones but your overall health as well! Exercise and bone health First up on your nourishing bones journey is exercise. Weight-bearing exercises are a great way to support healthy bone density. Osteoporosis Canada has some excellent guides to exercising for healthy bones; click the button below to download them. If you're worried about your bone health, don't skimp on the proper bone-building exercises. A strong bone is a happy bone! Hormones and Bone Health Hormones (such as estrogen) play a big role in bone health, especially for postmenopausal women. Check out our blog to learn more. What foods are good for bone health? Your bones need a variety of nutrients to be at their best. First up is vitamin D. It helps the body to absorb calcium and phosphorus (which is incredibly important for bone health but rarely talked about.). Children who do not get enough vitamin D can develop a painful condition called rickets. There are several different types of vitamin D, but the two most common forms are D2 (ergocalciferol) and D3 (cholecalciferol). D2 is the form found in plant foods such as mushrooms and has a shorter half-life in the body than d3. D3 is the form found in animal foods and the kind your body makes from sunlight. Vitamin D3 appears to be more effective at raising vitamin D levels in the body than vitamin D2 . The best source of vitamin D3 is the sun. Your body produces vitamin D3 from sunlight. UVB radiation from the sun triggers the formation of d3 from a compound in the skin called 7-dehydrocholesterol. Remember that your body will not produce as much in northern elevations or if you are wearing sunscreen. If you want to manage your sun time to help your body get enough vitamin D without sunburn, there are some great phone apps . While it is not known what the exact blood levels of vitamin D should be (I am going to be referring to nanograms to milliliters here), it is generally accepted that 30-60 is a good range . Your doctor can test your vitamin D levels and help you determine what a good number is for you. There is also an at-home test you can do. You can get too much vitamin D, leading to health issues such as hypercalcemia and kidney calcium stones. So don’t overdo it. There are few foods rich in vitamin D; it is one of the hardest nutrients to obtain from your diet. Wild-caught fatty fish like salmon with skin (tuna, sardines, herring, and mackerel) and   tinned wild-caught cod liver . Pastured Egg Yolks Wild Salmon Roe Mushrooms exposed to UV light contain vitamin D2 Next up is vitamin K. It is an essential vitamin for bone health, taking part in the carboxylation of many bone-related proteins, regulating genetic transcription of osteoblastic markers, and regulating bone reabsorption. Vitamin K comes in multiple forms. There are three main ones. K1 is found in plant foods, such as leafy green vegetables. K2 (MK-7) is found in fermented foods such as tempeh and natto. K2 (MK-4) is found in animal products such as grass-fed butter and ghee, wild-caught fish eggs, organ meats, bone marrow, grass-fed raw hard cheeses, and egg yolks. If you are taking blood-thinning medication, talk to your doctor before increasing the amount of vitamin K in your diet. Certain medications, such as cholesterol (statins and bile acid sequestrants) and lubricant laxatives, can lower vitamin K levels, so if you are taking them, make sure to eat extra vitamin K-rich foods. Magnesium is our next crucial bone support nutrient. Magnesium deficiency contributes to osteoporosis directly by acting on crystal formation and on bone cells and indirectly by impacting on the secretion and the activity of parathyroid hormone and by promoting low grade inflammation . Foods rich in magnesium include: Good mineral water, such as Gerolsteiner . Plantains Cooked greens like chard and kale. Bananas Sweet Potatoes Low Heavy Metal Cacao Ensure your cacao is low in heavy metals (lead, cadmium, arsenic, etc.), as many are very high in heavy metals. Avocados Dried Figs Guava Kiwis Raspberries Melons Grass-fed Yogurt Sprouted Chia Seeds Sprouted Pumpkin Seeds Sprouting seeds makes them easier to digest and their nutrients more bioavailable. Blood tests for magnesium are not a reliable way to judge magnesium levels in the body. Many people have normal blood levels of magnesium but low tissue levels. Getting enough magnesium in the diet can be challenging, and a pproximately fifty percent of people do not meet the recommended daily allowance of magnesium . Check out our magnesium blog  to learn all about this essential nutrient. Silica plays an important role in bone health. It helps to support the production of collagen fibers, bone strength, and bone structure . Foods rich in silica include: Good mineral water, such as Gerolsteiner . Cucumbers and pickles with the skin (the skin is where all the silica is) Bananas Green beans Organ Meats Mussels Sweet Potatoes Horsetail Nettles Boron provides a number of bone benefits. It was determined to induce mineralization of osteoblasts by regulating the expression of genes related to tissue mineralization and the actions of key hormones (17β-estradiol [E2], testosterone, and vitamin D) involved in bone growth and turnover . Foods rich in boron include: Prunes Avocados Peaches Grapes Apples Pears Raisins While not well known, manganese plays an important role in bone health. It helps to support bone density and strength . Foods rich in manganese include: Shellfish Pineapple Squash Sweet potatoes Bananas Copper is another essential mineral for bone health. It helps with the formation of collagen, an important part of the structure of a bone. Foods rich in copper include: Grass-fed beef liver Shellfish Shiitake Mushrooms Cacao Zinc is an essential mineral that is required for normal skeletal growth and bone homeostasis. Furthermore, zinc appears to be able to promote bone regeneration . Foods rich in zinc include: Shellfish Organ Meats Red Meat Grass-fed milk and cheese Pumpkin Seeds Zinc supplements can be very hard on the stomach. If you need a zinc supplement, a true whole-food one can make taking zinc a breeze, with no more nausea and upset stomach. Vitamin C is an important nutrient for maintaining bone health. It is essential in the production of collagen in bone matrix. It also scavenges free radicals detrimental to bone health . Foods rich in vitamin C include: Red bell peppers Citrus fruit Berries Kiwi Guava Papaya Mangos Just eat lots of fruit; you got this. If you are going to take a vitamin C supplement, make sure it’s a truly whole food one . To learn more about vitamin C, and meet the vitamin C gang, check out our blog article, All about vitamin C . The Vitamin C Gang Potassium may neutralize acid load and reduce calcium loss from the bone, leading to beneficial effect on bone mineral density. Foods rich in potassium include: Bananas Plantains Sweet Potatoes Squash Avocado Melons Oranges Grass-fed Milk and Yogurt Salmon Phosphorus is essential for healthy bones, yet it rarely gets talked about, which is terrible because of its importance. According to the Mayo Clinic, “ phosphorus is as important as calcium in supporting bone augmentation and maintenance .” Calcium must be bound to phosphorus to be properly absorbed and utilized by the body for bone building. Most calcium supplements, such as carbonate, and citrate forms, lack this essential calcium cofactor. Foods rich in bioavailable phosphorus include: Grass-fed dairy Meat Organ Meats Seafood Bone Marrow Some foods, such as nuts, contain phosphorus; however, the bioavailability is very poor because of nutrient inhibitors, such as high levels of phytic acid. Sprout nuts to improve the bioavailability of the phosphorus in them. Finally, we arrive at calcium - the big name in bone health. We could probably write a whole article just about it. Calcium keeps your bones dense and strong, but it can only do that if you get enough of all the other nutritional pieces mentioned above. Rather than get too deep into the science here, we will give you the basics. We did not want to add another ten pages to this article. You often see articles about calcium, heart attacks, or cardiovascular issues. Without getting too into the weeds about it, this risk comes entirely from crappy calcium supplements (carbonate, citrate, etc., and foods fortified with calcium (beverages like almond, oat, and nut milks, orange juice fortified with calcium, etc.). When you ingest lots of calcium made from chalk, ground-up rocks, etc., it creates a rapid spike in blood calcium, which triggers the body to get rid of it quickly because blood calcium is carefully regulated. Then, this calcium gets deposited into arteries, soft tissues, and other places where it does not belong. So, to avoid the vast majority of calcium's dangerous side, you just need to not eat foods with ground-up rocks added or take certain calcium supplements containing forms of calcium that cause a rapid spike in blood levels, such as carbonate and citrate. These are not good sources of calcium. Just say no to foods and supplements filled with ground-up rocks and chalk. Foods rich in bioavailable calcium include: Grass-fed dairy products Canned wild salmon with the bones Also rich in vitamin D Whole canned wild sardines with the bones Dried Figs Cooked leafy greens such as kale, collards, and mustard greens These are very low in phosphorus, so eating them with some foods rich in phosphorus is best for the most benefit. Bone Health Supplements There are some great supplements for bone health. However, it’s important to take them daily at the full dosage because it can take a year to start seeing the full benefits for bone health. Taking too low of a dosage, taking them inconsistently, or taking them for too short a time will not get you the results you are looking for. As always, talk to your doctor before starting any supplements. Since many people do not get enough vitamin D from food or the sun, vitamin D supplements are often needed to reach optimal levels. Our favorite vitamin D supplement is   Rosita cod liver oil . It differs significantly from heavily refined cod liver oils with synthetic vitamin D added because the natural vitamins are stripped out during the refining process. Besides the sun and vitamin D-rich foods, this is the best way to get your vitamin D. It is the perfect way to ensure your body is getting this vital nutrient in its most bioavailable form. In addition,   Rosita cod liver oil   supplies vitamin A (retinol) and omega-three fatty acids in their natural forms, which have a synergistic effect with vitamin D that you will not get from traditional vitamin D supplements. Remember, in nature, no nutrient exists on its own. We should strive to get our nutrition the best way, from nutrient-rich whole foods. Since most people do not get enough magnesium in their diet, magnesium supplements are often needed. While there are many types of magnesium supplements, a genuinely whole-food magnesium supplement is best. Our favorite one is Triquetra Organic Whole Food Plant Magnesium . It is made of three different organically grown French seaweeds and has been tested for heavy metals and other contaminants. With vitamin K being so important to bone health, many people choose to supplement with it. When choosing a good vitamin K supplement, it’s important to focus on those that push the most to the tissues and bones instead of the mistaken focus on blood levels. Lots of forms of nutrients can increase blood levels, but that does not mean that they have the most beneficial effects. MK-4 concentrates in tissues and organs, so it does not show up as much in blood tests as it is quickly moved and utilized by the body. Research claiming that MK-7 is superior because of higher blood levels is focused on the wrong thing. Instead, the focus should be on health outcomes. Multiple human clinical trials , at 45 milligrams per day, have shown support for healthy bones. Our recommendation is to choose the type of vitamin K2 with proven health benefits, and that is MK-4. This is our recommended supplement   for it. Three capsules per day provide the full dosage. It is best taken one pill three times daily with meals. Seleno Health Concentrated Red Maca is our next bone-health supplement. It helps to support healthy hormones, as well as bone health. One compound in maca is of particular importance, N‐(3‐methoxybenzyl)‐(9Z,12Z,15Z)‐octadecatrienamide (MBOC). It supports the health of the Wnt/B-catenin pathway . This molecular pathway plays a significant role in bone health. Last, but certainly not least, is calcium. When choosing a good calcium supplement, it's crucial to choose one that meets the following criteria. 100% whole food Contains foods are traceable to their farms to ensure they are ethically produced and manufactured. Manufactured and produced in a way that preserves all of the important proteins and cofactors found in the foods. Even if you have the best food source in the world, lousy processing and manufacturing methods will destroy any benefits. Contains the calcium naturally bonded with phosphorus, as it occurs in the whole food, and has adequate amounts of phosphorus for the calcium to be utilized appropriately. Contains adequate amounts of calcium. Does not cause a rapid spike in blood calcium. Free of ground-up rocks and shells. Free of heavy metal contamination. Contains the form of calcium that is identical to what makes up our bones. Do not contain forms of calcium that require high levels of stomach acid to be absorbed while they lower stomach acid. Have research to support its effectiveness in supporting healthy bones. While it was not easy to find calcium supplements that met those criteria, we did manage to find a few that did. They are 100% whole food from regenerative family farms in the Lake Eyre Region of Australia. You can view them here and here . is strontium good for bones? We get asked about strontium a lot, and our answer is always, “Just say no!” The small amounts naturally occurring in food are completely safe and very different from the large amounts sold as supplements. Strontium has been the subject of a great marketing campaign. However, marketing should not be what decides whether something is safe or effective. Strontium is a much larger molecule than calcium. When ingested in large amounts, it replaces calcium in the bones . This is dangerous because bones perform many vital jobs in the body, and replacing significant amounts of calcium with strontium may affect the ability of bones to function correctly. This effect actually tricks bone density tests such as a DEXA scan, leading to bone density scores higher than what they actually are. When bone density tests are adjusted to account for the intake of strontium, there is no improvement in bone density . These false results can remain for up to ten years after stopping the strontium. Strontium can lead to heart and cardiovascular issues because it can cause calcium to be deposited into the wrong places, such as the arteries . Strontium is not your friend. Bone Health Questions And Support We know this is a lot of information, so if you have questions about bone health, email us at   info@rooted-nutrition.com . We will be happy to answer any questions you have!

Menopause is a time of change and transition. Transitions can be good or bad; it all depends on how you handle them. The first step in ensuring it goes well is changing how you view menopause.  Too many women get down on themselves when they begin menopause and think they are not worth anything anymore or that they are not beautiful anymore, and that could not be further from the truth! You are still your fantastic self! That brings us to my next point: loving and treating yourself with kindness. Transitioning to a new stage of life can be stressful, and beating yourself up will not improve things. So remember to treat yourself with compassion, as you would one of your friends or loved ones. This article has a lot of information, which may feel a bit overwhelming. It's certainly okay to take your time and gradually incorporate it into your life. Don't feel like you have to do everything at once. Every step you take will get you closer to your goal of a smooth transition! We are here to support you, so if you need help or have questions, email us at   info@rooted-nutrition.com ,  or schedule a free call . What lifestyle changes can support my body during menopause? Thankfully, there are many lifestyle changes you can make to help support yourself during menopause. The Benefits of sunshine and grounding for menopause Sunshine and grounding have tremendous benefits. The sun sets the mood for the day. So every morning at sunrise, no matter the temperature or the weather, before you look at your phone, turn on the TV, or make your coffee, go outside, embrace the sun or the rain, and put your bare feet on the ground. Spend a few minutes breathing deeply and digging your feet in the soil. Connect with the earth. This connection provides powerful energy that revitalizes a tired mind and lifts the spirit. If it's cold out, wear natural fiber foot coverings without rubber soles. This will keep your feet warm but still give you the benefits. You do not need to buy fancy grounding gadgets. At sunset, it’s time for a walk (without your phone). Feel the setting sun on your face, breathe deeply, and let your body embrace the rhythm of a day slowly coming to an end. Make a note of the trees and do your best to clear your mind, only focusing on being present and in the moment. Stress and Menopause Chronic uncontrolled stress has a powerful effect on hormonal balance. Any steps you can take to reduce your stress are great. When it comes to stress reduction, the more you can do, the better; check out our blog, Stress 101 , to learn how to have a healthy stress response. Social Media And Menopause Spending less time on the phone, social media, and watching the news can make a big difference. These things lead to endocrine system exhaustion because of the constant fear they evoke. They also cause dopamine issues. Gradually stop these things earlier and earlier in the day, and you will feel so much better. Go outside, garden, walk in the woods, read a book, do anything but stare at those screens. Exercise and Menopause Getting your blood pumping is a great way to help support your body during menopause. Strength training is particularly beneficial. It helps to put muscle on, keeping your bones and joints strong. As you replace fat with muscle, it reduces the levels of xenoestrogens (bad estrogens), which can help a lot with easing unwanted menopausal symptoms. It also makes you sweat, which is one of the best ways to support the detoxification process. Strength training also supports the production of mood-improving neurotransmitters such as endorphins, dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin, making you feel amazing and improving your self-confidence. It can also help support healthy blood pressure, which is always g ood. You don’t have to go to the gym to get started. You can go into your backyard, start with smaller rocks, and gradually pick up and put down bigger ones. Get creative, but most importantly, pick things up and put them down! No matter your age, you’re never too young or old to start. Xenoestrogens and Menopause Reducing Xenoestrogen exposure provides excellent benefits. Our bodies are awash in them from our food and the environment. Cleaning and laundry supplies are some of their most significant sources. Use vinegar, lemon, baking soda, unscented Castile and tallow soaps for cleaning, and soap nuts for laundry. Unfortunately, even most “natural products” are loaded with endocrine-disrupting compounds, like synthetic and "natural" fragrances. Essential oils like lavender and tea tree oil may smell nice but can be estrogenic and anti-androgenic. Instead of dryer sheets, use wool balls. When cooking, avoid Teflon and non-stick pans. Instead, use stainless steel, copper, cast iron (unless you have high iron levels), and glass cookware. For storage, use glass containers instead of plastic bags and takeout containers. Avoid microwaving food in plastic containers and bags. Swap your plastic cutting board for a wooden one. Avoid drinking water from plastic bottles, no matter what the companies claim about safety. There are no good plastic water bottles, none. Get yourself a glass  or stainless steel one. Drinking from plastic bottles is a great way to flood your body with xenoestrogens. Over time, replace your clothing with natural fabrics like cotton, linen, wool, hemp, and bamboo, and avoid synthetic materials like polyester, acrylic, nylon, etc. Plastic is not your friend. Get a good wool and cotton mattress, 100% natural fiber blankets, pillows, sheets, etc. Sleeping on outgassing plastic is the last thing your body needs. Replace rugs and furniture with ones made from wood and natural materials. Replace traditional feminine hygiene products with organic, plastic-free cotton versions. It would be costly to try and replace all of this at once. Instead, replace things as the old ones wear out. This next one will be hard to hear, but it’s time to replace all those makeup and body care products with natural ones. They are one of the most significant sources of xenoestrogens in most people's lives. Unfortunately, those ingredients in most body care products get absorbed into your skin and can cause problems over time. Day after day, those things build up in your body, making problems worse over time. Replace your makeup with truly natural, unscented ones (most “natural” makeup and body care products are anything but natural) made from safe ingredients that nourish and build the health of your skin, not mask problems like those from our friends at Toup and Co . For body care, replace traditional products with tallow-based, natural products like those from our friends at Buffalo Gal Grass-Fed Beauty . As with replacing household items, replace your makeup and body care products as you run out of other things to help keep the cost down. Sleep and Menopause Getting enough sleep during menopause can be a considerable challenge. Thankfully, as you implement many of the suggestions in this guide, it will get easier. Check out our blog, From Sleepless Nights to Peaceful Slumber , for lots of great tips to help you get a good night's rest. Hormonal Testing During Menopause When you start to go through menopause, it's important to get a checkup at your doctor to make sure everything is on the up and up. Here are some tests we recommend talking to your doctor about to see if they are right for you: Pregnenolone Dhea The three types of estrogen Estrone, estradiol, and estriol Progesterone Testosterone Full Thyroid Panel You may need to see an endocrinologist to get this done. Vitamin D B12 Don't skip your yearly checkup, and see the doctor if you are experiencing significant symptoms that are decreasing your quality of life. Hydration and Menopause Dehydration and menopause are not a good mix. If you don't drink enough fluids and get enough electrolytes, your skin will suffer, and symptoms, such as vaginal dryness, will get worse. So drink plenty of water and eat lots of fruit! If you have chlorinated water, get a shower filter that removes chlorine. Chlorine may be great for making water safe to drink, but it is drying to the skin and hair. You will notice after just a few weeks that your hair and skin are softer. Invest in a good water filter to remove contaminants from your drinking water. Consider adding some whole-food electrolytes to at least one glass of water daily to ensure you get enough minerals. You will be amazed at the effect it has on your energy levels and the pep it gives your brain after just one or two days of this. It takes hydration to another level, and it’s not full of all the junk (sweeteners, flavorings, and god knows what else) commonly found in electrolyte powders and drinks. If you prefer to drink bottled water, buy mineral water in a glass bottle from good companies ( not Nestle, f**k them ) such as Gerolsteiner . Foods to support you through menopause Feeding your body deeply nourishing food is so important. Swapping out ultra-processed foods for real foods, will make you feel so much better. One very important category of foods to avoid is vegetable and seed oils. While our bodies do need small amounts of omega-six, linoleic acid, we all get far too much. This leads to a whole host of problems. Check out our blog article, All About Omega's , t o learn more about this and see the list of oils to avoid and which ones to use instead. The first group of foods to eat are those that support your detoxification and methylation pathways. These pathways help the body remove xenoestrogens. These foods are particularly helpful for this and are also deeply nourishing. Pastured egg yolks Wild-caught fatty fish Grass-fed yogurt and kefir Grass-fed organ meat, especially liver, kidney, and bone marrow. Berries Citrus fruits Black garlic Lacto-fermented vegetables Especially beets, kimchi, and sauerkraut Broccoli Sprouts - Don't buy these at the store. Check out our blog on Glutathione to learn why you should grow your own and how. It's very simple! Try to include some of the following nutrient-dense foods in your diet everyday They provide the most potent and bioavailable forms of critical fat-soluble nutrients, vitamins, and essential minerals that are lacking or completely missing in most people's diets. Grass-fed Organ Meats Liver Bone Marrow Heart Sweetbreads If you cannot bring yourself to eat organ meats, properly made organ supplements are a great alternative. Wild Salmon Roe Grass-fed full-fat milk Preferably non-homogenized and not ultra-pasteurized, like from our friends at Kalona Supernatural . Grass-fed raw milk cheeses- available at many supermarkets and health food stores Grass-fed full-fat, unsweetened kefir and yogurt Add fruit or a bit of honey if you want some sweetness Real Bone Broth A cup of real bone broth every night is excellent for the skin. It is rich in collagen, gelatin, and amino acids that deeply nourish the skin, bones, and joints. It also can help with sleep. Pastured Egg Yolks Next is lots and lots of good, nutrient-rich fats. These fats provide valuable compounds that help the skin to hold moisture and give it that plump, supple feeling and glow. So don’t skimp out on them. Grass-fed Butter Grass-fed Ghee Great for high-heat cooking. Grass-fed beef tallow from suet Choose beef tallow made from suet, not regular tallow. Suet-based tallow has higher levels of beneficial fatty acids than regular tallow. Great for high-heat cooking. Pastured egg yolks Olives Good olive oil Most olive oils at the store (even the health food store) are adulterated with vegetable and seed oils. Choose one from this list . Check out the book Extra Virginity if you want to learn more about this. Avocados Nearly all avocado oil is adulterated and rancid, so we recommend avoiding it and sticking to eating avocados. There were a few good brands, but private equity firms recently bought some out, so the quality will probably not hold up much longer. In addition, avocado oil has no nutritional value, so it’s just empty calories. It's important to choose fats packed with essential nutrients. High-quality carbs are essential for energy. Don't avoid them! However, not all carbs are equal. Choose nutrient-rich, slow-burning carbs to give your body energy without the crash. Don’t be afraid of carbs; instead, choose more nutrient-dense whole-food sources of carbs. Fruit, especially berries All fruits are great; the more variety, the better. In the winter, frozen fruit is often more nutritious and affordable than fresh; if you want the most amazing frozen fruit, check out our friends at Shahlbush Farms . Avoid dried fruits and lots of juice. Squashes Butternut, spaghetti, acorn, etc., are all awesome! Sweet Potatoes and Yams Pumpkin Plantains Root Vegetables Beets, carrots, turnips, rutabaga, etc. Just because you did not see a vegetable listed here does not mean it is bad. It's just that a lot of vegetables don't have that many carbs, so we don't count them as a carb source. Protein is essential! Nutritional guidelines recommend that the average woman needs 50-60 grams of protein daily. That's enough to keep people alive but not nearly enough to help you thrive. For your body to function optimally, we recommend getting at least one hundred grams of high-quality protein per day. Without enough protein, you will lose muscle, no matter how much you work out, which is not something you want to do. You will feel so much better when you start getting enough protein. These are our favorite sources of protein: Grass-fed beef, bison, buffo, elk, lamb, mutton, goat, and venison Grass-fed organ meats from those same animals Choose red meat over poultry and pork as much as possible. It is much more nutrient-dense and lower in omega-six fatty acids. Wild caught fatty fish Pastured Eggs Grass-fed raw milk and cheeses Grass-fed Yogurt and Kefir Low-pufa (low omega-six) poultry This can be hard to find as most poultry are fed mostly corn and soy. Your best bet is to contact a farmer near you to find a source. You can also buy it online from places like the awesome people at White Oak Pastures . If you cannot get low pufa chicken, and turkey, eat it without the skin and choose white meat instead of dark meat. Cook it in some butter or tallow to add good fat back in. Low-pufa (low omega-six) pork This can be hard to find as most pigs are fed diets high in grains and omega-six rich foods. Your best bet is to contact a nearby farmer to find a source. You can also buy it online from places like the awesome people at White Oak Pastures . Grass-fed Native Whey Protein Concentrate If you are unable to get enough protein in your diet, a good protein powder can be helpful. Unfortunately, most protein powder is heavily processed, has poor PDCAA value , has most of its nutrients removed, and is full of unwanted additives (sweeteners, thickeners, flavorings, etc.), and we recommend avoiding it. Grass-fed Native whey protein concentrate is the one exception to that rule. It is not a by-product of cheese manufacturing and is minimally processed, retaining nearly the full range of nutrients and compounds in fresh milk. Tempeh is an excellent source of protein for vegans. If you wish to consume your protein from plants, you will need significantly more grams of protein because of the lower PDCAA value and concentration of protein in plants. Therefore, it can be extremely difficult to consume enough protein from plant-based sources without resorting to ultra-processed products, which are best avoided. Eggs are one of the best foods for you. Don't be afraid of them! It's essential to eat throughout the day. Skipping meals is a great way to leave you tired and without the energy to get through the day. Your metabolism can slow if you skip too many meals or fast for too long. It also can lead to that afternoon slump, leaving you reaching for sugar and caffeine. Try to eat high-quality protein, fat, and carbs at each meal. Every snack does not need to be perfectly balanced though. It's ok to just have an apple or a piece of cheese for a snack because that's what you are in the mood for. One of the biggest mistakes that so many women make is skipping breakfast. Not eating correctly in the morning is setting you up for a hard day and no one wants that. Getting up, having coffee, and waiting hours or most of the day to eat wreaks havoc on your hormonal system. I often hear people say, but I feel great, why do I need to eat? What you are feeling is your body running off of stress hormones. So, it might feel good now, but it breaks down your endocrine and ECS systems over time. Eventually, you will stop feeling good; it is only a matter of time. If you only make one change, make it this one. What you notice from this alone will hopefully convince you to make more changes. You might say, “Well, I’m not hungry in the morning.” That is because your body's natural systems have been suppressed through years of doing this, especially the hormone leptin. However, as you become more nourished, you will start to feel hungry again in the morning, and your body will crave that morning meal. This is a good thing; you are supposed to feel hungry in the morning. It is a good sign that your leptin levels are starting to normalize! You want to have a nourishing breakfast, with a big glass of mineral or lemon water, within an hour of waking up and don't have coffee before breakfast. If you must have coffee, please eat breakfast first. It makes a huge difference. When you start the day with just coffee, you cause a much more dramatic and faster rise in cortisol levels than you should have. Try not to have coffee after Noon if possible, you will feel a lot better. Your breakfast should contain at least 30 grams of high-quality protein, some good fats, and long-acting carbs for sustained energy. Here are some examples: One and third cups of grass-fed full-fat greek yogurt with lots of berries and a spoonful of honey Two eggs cooked in grass-fed tallow with four ounces of steak and a bowl of melon One and a quarter cups of grass-fed cottage cheese with lots of peaches and a spoonful of honey Three eggs with a few slices of beef bacon and a big bowl of strawberries Three egg omelet with two ounces of grass-fed raw cheddar and a bowl of mango Tropical Fruit Smoothie - 8 oz grass-fed full-fat kefir, frozen tropical fruit such as papaya, mango, kiwi, guava, and pineapple, and one scoop of grass-fed native whey protein concentrate Three egg omelet with a few ounces of smoked salmon and a bowl of fresh papaya A couple of slices of frittata and an apple Easy to make a big batch, and then you have a quick grab-and-go breakfast on the run. Roasted Salmon with leftover sweet potatoes It does not have to be just traditional breakfast foods; any leftovers from dinner are also great. Eating a good breakfast and replacing ultra-processed foods with nutrient-dense whole foods will make you feel much better! If you don't eat enough, Nona will bonk you with her rolling pin, so don't disappoint her. Supplements to support you through menopause Nourishing whole-food supplements can be a powerful ally to support you through menopause. However, taking them daily at the correct dosage and for the right amount of time is essential. It can take several months to start to feel the full benefits. Taking too low a dose, taking them inconsistently, or taking them for too short a period will not get you the results you are looking for. It would be best if you committed to using them for at least three months so you can see the full benefits. Always talk to your doctor before starting any supplements. First up is our Seleno Health Women's Maca Pack . It helps to nourish and support your hormonal system and a healthy response to stress. Properly made maca   is one of the best foods to support you through menopause. This should be the foundation that you build off. Next is NXGEN Wholefoods Fem Harmony . It is a whole food supplement containing a blend of whole foods that deeply nourishes and supports your hormonal system. Think of it as a multivitamin for your hormonal system. In addition to those, these are some supplements that can be beneficial for specific needs. Triquetra Whole Food Magnesium is a great way to get enough of a mineral that most people are not getting enough of. Magnesium is essential for sleep and relaxation. Unlike traditional forms of magnesium, whole-food magnesium supplements are gentle on the stomach and GI tract.  B vitamins help to support a healthy stress response. Rather than take synthetic ones, we recommend an actual whole food b complex.   Nutriplex Formulas Bfood  contains a blend of whole foods that will leave you feeling nourished without the side effects that synthetic ones often have. Unfortunately, too many b-complex supplements (and many others) claim to be whole food when they are anything but. Check out this   blog  to learn more about fake whole food supplements.  NXGEN Wholefoods Grass-fed Placenta is the whole food supplement your skin has been waiting for. It contains a wide variety of nutrients and compounds that support healthy skin. It is the ultimate skin food. If your skin feels lacking, this is for you. NXGEN Wholefoods Bull Testicle is a whole food supplement for those who want to support a healthy libido. Testicle is rich in zinc, as well as a number of important compounds and nutrients that support a healthy libido. NXGEN Wholefoods Grass-fed Kidney is a whole-food supplement for those who need additional support for healthy methylation and detoxification pathways. It also supports healthy thyroid function. It is rich in bioavailable minerals such as selenium, vitamins B12 and folate, and many other vital compounds. It is one of the richest food sources of DAO, which supports healthy histamine levels. Menopause Help And Support We know this is a lot of information, so if you have questions about menopause or need support, email us at   info@rooted-nutrition.com ,  or schedule a free call . We will be happy to answer any questions you have!

I know perimenopause is a scary word for a lot of women, but I promise it does not have to be as bad as you think it will be. What is Perimenopause? Perimenopause is a time of transition in your life. Transitions can be good or bad; it all depends on how you handle them. The first step in ensuring it goes well is changing how we view perimenopause.  Too many women get down on themselves when they begin perimenopause and think they are not worth anything anymore or that they are not beautiful anymore, and that could not be further from the truth! You are still your fantastic self! That brings us to my next point: loving and treating yourself with kindness. It can be stressful, and beating yourself up will not improve things. So remember to treat yourself like you would treat one of your friends or loved ones. What lifestyle changes can help you have a smooth transition through perimenopause? Stress and Perimenopause It is very important to develop and practice good stress management, which is incredibly important. As you move through perimenopause, your adrenal glands must start working harder. If you don’t have a handle on stress, it won’t be a smooth transition because your adrenal glands will be too stressed to do their job well. High levels of chronic stress, too much caffeine, and not enough good food cause something most people don’t even know that they have, the Endocannabinoid System (ECS), to break down. As it breaks down, the stress response worsens, and it breaks down more, creating a vicious cycle. The ECS greatly affects hormonal balance , so ignoring it is not an option. Supporting and nourishing your ECS system will impact not just your hormones but the rest of your body as well. Check out our blog,   Stress 101 , to learn many great ways to help get stress under control. Relationships and Perimenopause Relationships can be a significant source of stress. It is important to develop good communication with your significant other and share your feelings and concerns. This is a great book if you need help with this. Bottling up feelings until you feel like you will explode is never a good idea. Better communication will lead to a more positive relationship and ensure a more supportive and caring relationship, which will reduce stress and make your life a whole lot better. Checkups and Perimenopause If you have not visited the doctor in a while, now is a great time to get a check-up. Many things can change inside your body during this time, so make that appointment and get some blood work. Getting your thyroid checked during this time is also good, as changing hormones can affect thyroid function. Get vitamin D tested as well, and if it is low, address it. Low vitamin D can lead to many negative things, and it is easy to fix, so don’t skip it. Sunshine and Perimenopause Getting sunshine at the right time is very important for balancing hormones.  Exposing your eyes to sunlight at the correct times during the day is simple and has fantastic benefits. Try to get outside without your phone at sunrise and get at least fifteen minutes of daylight. While you are out there, walk around barefoot (grounding). Get morning sunshine before you look at your phone or a screen. After dinner, take a walk without your phone. This will also help to reset your sleep cycle, improve immune health, and boost your mood. Screen time and perimenopause This next one will be hard to hear, but it’s time to put down the phone and spend less time on social media and the news. Looking at social media, picking up your phone, and putting your phone down over and over constantly activates your fight-or-flight response. Our bodies have not evolved to handle this type of stress, which has huge adverse effects on your ECS and hormonal system. So, less phone time and more being present and in the moment. Sleep and perimenopause Getting high-quality sleep is crucial for having happy hormones and keeping stress down. Check out our blog,   From Sleepless Nights to Peaceful Slumber , for lots of great tips to help you get a good night's rest. Self-care and Perimenopause Next up is self-care. Women take on so much responsibility that they often forget to care for themselves. What self-care looks like is going to be different for each person. For some people, it might be reading a book; for others, it might be time for friends, gardening, making sourdough bread, hanging out with your chickens, or listening to murder mystery podcasts. Not gonna lie; y'all are making us nervous with the amount of these you listen to. It does not matter what it is; what matters is that you take some time each day to do something or you. That does not make you a selfish or bad person. If you don’t take care of yourself, you won’t be able to care for others. You need to make time for yourself! Caffeine and Perimenopause You will hate me for saying this the most, but you must accept that you cannot live on coffee. There, I said it. Does this mean you can never have an iced coffee? Of course not. So many women have a coffee in the morning, skip breakfast, and don’t eat until much later. This is one of the worst things you can do for your hormones and health. You also should not be having three or more coffees a day. I know; it’s how you get through the day. However, you are setting yourself up for a tough time by "surviving" on coffee. Think of caffeine as a negative stressor, and it’s best to reduce those as much as possible. Instead of an afternoon coffee, try a handful of Macambo beans , which will give you a pick-me-up (and lots of non-bloating prebiotic fiber and skin-nourishing omega-nine) while nourishing your ECS system without the downsides of lots of caffeine. Hydration and Perimenopause In the same vein as cutting back on the coffee, there is the need to drink enough water. The amount of women who get headaches and feel awful because they don’t drink enough water is very high. So, swap some of that coffee for water. Add flavor to your water, like herbs, fruit, and fruity teabags like rooibos, to make it more exciting. Spindthrift   makes some excellent flavored bubbly water for those who love seltzer. There’s even a cool water bottle  that can help to remind you to drink water. What foods can help keep you healthy during perimenopause? It should go without saying, but you need to eat food every day and eat enough of it. Please don't skip meals or starve yourself to lose three pounds. You need three square meals a day (plus snacks if desired). Your body needs enough food and nourishment to function properly. Coffee is not a food group! You get hangry when you don’t eat enough. Don’t be mad at me; someone had to tell you, and your significant other was afraid to, so they asked me to do it. You must eat a good breakfast! DO NOT SKIP IT! You should try to eat breakfast within an hour of waking up. It should contain at least thirty grams of protein and some carbs. Doing this will help you feel so much better. Never have coffee or caffeine before breakfast. Here are some great breakfast ideas: Three eggs with three ounces of steak and a side of fruit. Three egg omelets with two ounces of wild smoked salmon and a side of fruit. Three egg omelets with 2 ounces of raw cheddar cheese and some fruit. Two pieces of sourdough bread topped with raw cheddar, avocado, and two eggs on each slice of toast. Three eggs with two slices of beef bacon and a side of fruit. Avocado egg boats Eggs on top of sweet potato hash Egg muffins are easy to make ahead of time for a quick grab-and-go breakfast. Grab a few, along with an apple, and you can be nourished on the go! Ingredients: Base: 12 eggs, salt, and pepper to taste Mix in options: ¼ cup grass-fed beef bacon ¼ cup grass-fed ground beef ¼ cup grass-fed ground beef sausage ¼ cup shredded cheese ¼ cup zucchini ¼ cup roasted sweet potato or squash Mix and match to your liking Preheat oven to 350 Grease muffin tins with butter Whisk together eggs, salt, and pepper Add egg mixture halfway up into each muffin tin. Sprinkle in mix-ins that you like Bake for 15-20 minutes until set Let them cool, then serve or store them in the fridge.  It should last about four days in the fridge. Not everyone likes eggs, so here are some non-egg breakfast ideas. Five ounces of steak or ground beef cooked in ghee with a fruit bowl One and ⅓ cups of full-fat Greek yogurt with some fruit mixed in. If desired, a bit of honey can be added for sweetness. If you are having trouble meeting your protein goals throughout the day, add a scoop of native whey protein   to increase the protein. Two slices of sourdough bread topped with avocado and six ounces of wild smoked salmon. Smoothie with full-fat plain kefir, frozen berries, and a scoop of native whey protein Don’t sleep on protein-rich leftovers, either. There is nothing wrong with eating foods that are not traditionally considered breakfast foods. What you eat has a significant impact on hormones. Fat, protein, and carbohydrates are all important to becoming fully nourished, and you should have some of them in each meal. Unless you have a medical need for a low-carbohydrate diet, eating enough carbohydrates is important; they are not evil. Some of our favorite carbs are: Fruit All fruits are great carb sources. Choose whole fruits over juice as much as possible. Don’t forget frozen fruit. It’s easy to keep in the freezer to make quick smoothies and use in recipes. Our friends at Stahlbush Farms  produce great frozen fruit. Squashes Zucchini Root vegetables Carrots, beets, turnips, etc Sweet potatoes and yams Lacto-fermented vegetables Avocados It's also an excellent fat source. Good sweeteners are maple syrup, local honey, molasses, and coconut sugar. Even though they are natural, it does not mean you should have tons of them each day. Just a bit here and there to make your life a little tastier. Avoid all the fake sweeteners, including stevia, monk fruit, and sugar alcohols like xylitol and erythritol. Grass-fed full-fat milk, plain yogurt, and plain kefir Add some fruit if you would like some sweetness. Dairy is also a good protein and fat source. Next up is fat. Despite years of propaganda telling us to avoid fat, it’s an essential nutrient and should be a part of your diet. The right fats can provide a real boost to your health, while the wrong ones can cause a lot of problems. Here are our favorite fats: Grass-fed butter Grass-fed ghee Great for high-heat cooking. Grass-fed beef tallow Great for high-heat cooking. Ethically produced cacao butter Olives and high polyphenol olive oil Best for finishing on foods. Be careful with which olive oil you buy because the vast majority of olive oil (even at health food stores) is adulterated with other oils. Look for olive oils that come from a single estate. Ethical coconut oil Avoid vegetable and seed oils, fake butter spreads, and margarine. They are terrible for you as they cause your omega 6:3 ratio to go way out of whack, which can cause significant hormonal problems. Check out our blog, All About Omegas , to learn more about it. While I know many of you would love to live on carbs, you also need protein! Protein is essential for lots of things, like building healthy muscles and helping you feel satiated. We recommend shooting for at least one hundred grams of protein daily, not just to meet your protein needs but because the right protein-rich foods are also highly nutrient-dense. Here are our favorite proteins: Grass-fed red meat Beef, venison, lamb, mutton, elk, buffalo, bison, etc. Choose collagen-rich cuts like brisket, short ribs, flank, oxtail, and ground beef. Collagen helps keep your skin in tip-top shape. Wild-caught fish and shellfish These are the best sources of essential fatty acids, EPA and DHA (omega-three). Flax, hemp, and chia do not have these, despite the marketing of them. They contain alpha-linolenic acid, which is not the same thing.  If you don’t consume enough fish each week, taking a whole-food omega-three supplement may be a good idea. Check out our blog, All About Omegas Part Two , to learn more about it. Canned salmon and sardines with the bones are rich in collagen. Pastured eggs They are also an excellent fat source. Grass-fed cheeses It is also an excellent fat source Real beef bone broth Bone broth is an excellent source of protein and collagen. Unfortunately, much of the bone broth sold in stores is not real bone broth. A cup a day is great for your skin. Bone Broth Recipe: Ingredients: 2 lbs beef bones One gallon of water 2 TBSP apple cider vinegar Instructions If you are using raw bones, especially beef bones, roasting them in the oven first improves their flavor. Place them in a roasting pan and roast for 30 minutes at 350°F. Place the bones in a large stock pot or the Instant Pot. Pour cool filtered water and the vinegar over the bones. Let sit for 20-30 minutes in the cool water. The acid helps make the nutrients in the bones more available. Simmer all day on low heat. Strain and let it cool. Freeze in single-serving glass jars. This is a sample daily menu of how to nourish yourself well! Whole Food Supplements For Perimenopause The right whole-food supplements can help make the transition easier and help you feel your best. The key to getting the most benefits is to take the right type, form, and amount of them daily and consistently. It takes time to balance things out. Taking less than the full dosage or skipping lots of days will not give you the results you are looking for. It can take at least three months to start to see more than just symptom relief, such as nourishing your ECS. When you begin to feel better, it’s essential to keep using them so that the benefits can continue to grow.  The first whole-food supplement is maca. Maca is an incredible plant that nourishes the ECS far more deeply than just about any other food. However, the benefits of maca can only be realized if it is   made properly   and taken consistently. For example, you should never take raw maca . We recommend using an activated women’s maca blend  to nourish   and concentrated red maca for balance. Next up is a whole-food multivitamin  for your hormonal system. It contains a blend of whole foods that help to supply the nutrients your hormonal system needs, including zinc and b vitamins, to help you function at your best. Next up is magnesium . Most women do not get enough magnesium in their diet. Magnesium plays many key roles in the body, and not getting enough magnesium can lead to many issues, including issues that affect the hormonal system. We recommend taking two whole-food magnesium capsules at bedtime. Unlike many magnesium supplements,   they are easy on the digestive tract. Not only will it help support healthy sleep, but also a healthy stress response. Our Women's ECS Support And Balance Pack contains all four of these important supplements to help you feel nourished and supported. Perimenopause support This is a lot of information, so start slowly and ease your way into it. Start with the area you feel will have the most positive impact on your life. We are here for you if you need support or don’t know where to start. Email us at   info@rooted-nutrition.com , or book a free call , and we will help you have a smooth and happy transition into the next stage of your life!

My lovely wife Liz likes to say, “My husband has gotten a lot of women pregnant.” Being a part of the journey, from thinking about having a baby to seeing the smiles on their faces when they tell me that they are pregnant, along with the pictures of fat, happy babies, are some of the most rewarding parts of what I do. The best foods for conception How you eat can be a powerful tool in your quest for a visit from the stork. Keep in mind that it is best to eat in a deeply nourishing way for at least three to six months before conception to build up healthy stores of nutrients in the body and help ensure a healthy pregnancy. We all know eating fruits and veggies is important. You don't need another article explaining the benefits. With that being said, fruits are particularly important. Try to get several servings of fruit per day, not juice, especially focusing on colorful fruits such as berries, pineapple, papaya, guava, mangos, and melons. When it comes to eating for conception, fat is king. Nothing contributes more. Not just any fats, though, the right ones. The right fats are full of fat-soluble vitamins and cofactors that are essential to getting the body ready to support a baby. Here is a list of these wonderful fats: Pastured Eggs Grass-fed Animal Fats Ghee Butter Tallow Grass-Fed, full-fat dairy products Wild-caught fish, fish roe , and shellfish Bone Marrow Avocados Olives Grass-fed Organ Meats , especially liver. The higher the percentage of your diet that these fats make up, the better! While the right fats can heal and help, the wrong fats can have a huge negative impact. One of the issues with our modern diet is the massive amount of inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids we consume. Reducing consumption of omega-6 fats is one of the best things you can do for your health. Avoid these fats: Vegetable oils Canola oil Soybean oil Safflower oil Sunflower oil Grapeseed oil Fake butter spreads Yes, even the ones from the health food store are not good Avoid processed foods that contain these oils Yes, butter really is better. Next up is protein. High-quality protein is essential for building healthy bodies. The average person needs at least sixty grams of protein per day; those are who active will need a bit more. Keep in mind that if that protein comes from plant sources, you will need to eat significantly more to get the equivalent amount of animal protein. This is because most plant proteins have a lower PDCAA value. PDCAA is a basic measure of how well utilized a protein is by the body. In addition, plant proteins tend to be lacking in essential nutrients like zinc and b-12, so those will need to be made up elsewhere in the diet. Here are some good sources of protein: Grass-Fed Beef Grass-Fed Lamb Pastured Eggs Wild-Caught Fish and Shellfish Real Bone Broth Grass-Fed, Full-Fat Dairy Products Remember to leave the fat on the meats, as these are important sources of nutrients. There are some foods that are leaps and bounds above others for supporting conception. The incredible edible egg is first up on our list. Pastured eggs are a rich source of so many nutrients like vitamin E, inositol, b12, selenium, choline, DHA, and much more. Eating just two eggs a day can provide your body with a host of benefits. Make sure to get good pastured eggs from your local farmer if possible. The yolks should be a deep orange color. Check out eatwild.com to find a farmer near you. Grass-Fed organ meats are the most nutrient-dense foods available. These foods provide important vitamins and compounds either not found or only found in small amounts in other foods. In the past, we tended to eat more of them, but now people tend to shy away from them because our tastes have changed. If people went back to eating them, it would greatly improve the health of everyone. Fortunately, these meats are starting to make a comeback, and some wonderful cookbooks and recipe guides are out there. For those of you who are thinking, no way, I am not going to eat them; then good organ meat capsules are the way to go. These capsules are freeze-dried to preserve all the nutrients and have the same nutritional value as fresh organs. So no excuses not to get them in your diet. Grass-fed liver is a treasure trove of goodness. Rich in choline, vitamin A folate, b-12, zinc, iron, and so much more. Many women have low iron levels, which can make it hard to pregnant. Eating liver is a great way to reverse low iron levels without the side effects of traditional iron supplements. If you are having trouble getting enough iron, check out our article, all about iron . It is nourishing, energizing, and builds health like no other food. It is one food that too many people don’t include in their diet. Here is the perfect recipe to turn a liver hater (or those who have never tried it) into a liver lover! If you still say no way, then liver capsules are the right way to go. Wild-caught fish eggs are another amazing food rich in a cornucopia of valuable fat-soluble nutrients. Ancient cultures prized them for their ability to nourish and support a healthy pregnancy and build strong, happy children. Check out our blog article, all about fish eggs , to learn more about them. For those of you that say nope, I cannot eat those, fish egg capsules are a good way to get these nutrient-dense superstars into your diet. Many of you already enjoy them on sushi, so it should not be as stretch to add some to your diet. Grass-fed full-fat dairy products are incredibly nourishing. Foods like yogurt, kefir, and aged cheeses are nutrient-dense foods that make it easy to nourish your body. These foods are rich in nutrients like calcium, phosphorus, b12, omega-3 fatty acids (found in grass-fed, not grain-fed dairy products), protein, and much more. While dairy products have gotten a bad rap (some of it deserved, some not), grass-fed dairy products provide a rich, important source of nutrients that will help you on your quest to get a visit from the stork. Lacto-fermented foods are rich sources of good bacteria that help keep your gut and immune system healthy. The bacteria in your gut are essential to so many body functions. They can have a huge impact on your nutritional status. Eating Lacto-fermented foods like pickles, yogurt, and kefir are great ways to get those good bacteria into your gut. Maca and Conception Maca is a root vegetable grown high in the mountains of Peru. In Peru, Maca represents the divine feminine and is a sacred food. Maca is a plant like no other. Unfortunately, much of the maca sold in the United States is adulterated or improperly processed and dried, depriving many of the true benefits of this incredible plant. Properly dried maca contains many nutrients, such as iron, potassium, copper, and b6, as well as compounds like macamides that help support a healthy reproductive system. Maca also supports healthy adrenal function and a healthy response to stress. Keep in mind you should never eat raw maca . To learn more about Maca, check out our Maca center . If I had to recommend only one food, it would be Maca . Blood sugar and conception Making sure to keep your blood sugar stable throughout the day is essential. These are some simple steps you can take to help with this. Eat a big breakfast. Eating a good breakfast can help to start your day off right and help keep you on the right track. A good breakfast example would be two eggs cooked in grass-fed butter with avocado and strawberries or grass-fed yogurt with berries and walnuts. Eat throughout the day. Make sure not to skip meals and have snacks between them. Make sure each meal and snack has some good fat and protein. One of the best snacks is pemmican. Pemmican was food used by Native Americans to help keep them sustained over long periods of hunting and foraging. Here is a great recipe for it, or you can buy it already made. Have a cup of bone broth before bed. The amino acids and protein will help you to have a great night's sleep. It has been said a thousand times, but it needs to be said again that it is very important to reduce refined grains and sugars in the diet. It is not that you can never have a cookie, but people eat way too much of them. So have that cake on special occasions, but reach for good dark chocolate instead of cakes and doughnuts daily. Raw cacao is a great substitute for sugary desserts (make sure to always choose cacao that is low in heavy metals). It is rich in nutrients like magnesium and potassium and loaded with antioxidants. Check out some wonderfully delicious healthy dessert recipes , and get more chocolate in your life! Swap out grains and flours for more nutrient-dense foods, such as meat, fruit, and grass-fed dairy products. Caffeine and conception Limit caffeine intake. Large amounts of caffeine can have a negative effect on fertility. Limit yourself to one or two cups of coffee a day. Keep in mind a cup is 8 oz, not a carafe! Never have caffeine before breakfast; it causes your body to run on stress hormones all day. Consider trying Cacao instead. It has less caffeine than coffee, lots of wonderful antioxidants, and is rich in compounds that support relaxation and a healthy response to stress. Alcohol and conception Reduce alcohol intake. While a glass of wine is ok, drinking a lot of alcohol can have detrimental effects on fertility. Try not to have more than one drink per day. Exercise and conception Get active. Exercise can be one of the best things you can do to help with fertility. There are a number of great exercises, especially yoga , but whatever exercise you can do is great, even if it is just taking a walk each day. However, there is some research that high-intensity exercise can negatively impact fertility. So switch to more gentle ones if possible. Check out this great pamphlet on exercising for conception. Stress and conception Last but certainly not least is practicing good stress reduction. Reducing stress and anxiety levels is so important. There are a number of things you can do on this front. Check out our blog article, stress 101 , for helpful tips. We hope that this article gave you some valuable information for your journey. Don’t forget to see the rest of our pregnancy center for more great information on everything from healthy eating during pregnancy to choosing a good prenatal vitamin ! Conception questions and support If you have questions about conception nutrition, please email us at info@rooted-nutrition.com , and we will be happy to help!

Breastfeeding is one of the most intimate and incredible moments for a mother. It helps to create a bond that will last forever. Nothing nourishes and builds the health of a baby like breastmilk. Tips for lactation Sometimes there can be some bumps on the road of breastfeeding. From clogged ducts and cracked nipples to rusty pipe syndrome, all kinds of issues can arise. We have some simple solutions to help you with all of these. Please keep in mind that if you are having any health issues relating to breastfeeding, you should always consult your Midwife or Doctor. For some women, producing enough milk can be hard. I want to take a moment to say something to all the moms out there struggling with this: You are not a bad mom or a failure. Needing to supplement with or completely feed with formula does not make you a bad mom. Everything will be ok, do not beat yourself up. You are a wonderful mom doing what is best for your baby! best breastfeeding foods to eat Fortunately, there are many foods that can help with breast milk production. One thing to keep in mind when nursing is that you need to take in more calories and nutrients than you normally would. When it comes to producing enough breastmilk, fat is king, especially saturated fat. These foods are not only nutrient-rich but provide a rich source of calories needed to ensure healthy milk production. Increasing the amounts of fats in your diet will go a long way to helping you produce more milk. Here are some of the best sources of those fats. Whenever possible, choose grass-fed meats. Low-Pufa Eggs Grass-Fed Butter Grass-Fed Beef Tallow Grass-Fed Ghee Grass-Fed Bone marrow Full-fat coconut milk (the kind in the cans, not the fake milk kind), oil, and cream Fatty cuts of beef like ribeye Eat the fat, don’t cut it off Grass-Fed Organ Meats - Especially liver Full-fat, grass-fed dairy products like milk, cheese, and yogurt Avocados Olives Wild-caught fatty fish, fish roe, and shellfish Eat the skin on fish like salmon Here is a great list of low-mercury fish to choose from. Wild Salmon Roe is an especially beneficial food for breastfeeding. Sometimes the simplest foods have the most benefits. Organ meats are another group of incredible foods to support healthy milk production. These foods are rich in minerals and fat-soluble nutrients, many of which are not found at all or only in very small amounts in other foods. Heart, liver, kidneys, sweetbreads, etc., provide a way to supercharge your health and your babies. There are some great cookbooks out there with wonderful recipes to make it easy and delicious to include in your diet, like this one . For those of you who want the benefits of organ meats but are never going to eat them, you can get them in pill form. If they are properly made from grass-fed cows and non-defatted, they are a perfect way to get these incredible foods in your diet. You can see them here . food that breastfeeding mothers should avoid There are a number of foods that can reduce milk production. It is best to avoid these foods: Sage Mints such as peppermint and spearmint. Oregano Carbonated beverages Caffeine Large amounts of parsley Thyme Cabbage Vegetable oils and fake butter spreads herbs to help breast milk production There are a variety of herbs and herbal teas that can help with milk production. These include: Moringa Moringa is our favorite herb for supporting healthy milk production. In addition, it is incredibly nutrient-rich, which helps to enrich the breastmilk and replace lots of nutrients that a mom loses while breastfeeding. Check out our blog, All About Moringa , to learn more about this incredible plant. Fennel Drinking fennel tea can also help to reduce gassiness and fussing in babies. Fenugreek Avoid fenugreek if you are taking thyroid medication. Nettle Leaf Oatstraw Red Raspberry Goats Rue When making these teas, steep them for at least ten minutes, covered, before drinking. Make it a bit stronger than you would a normal tea, and sweeten it with barley malt to give it some extra milk-making bang. Nettle tea is also rich in minerals such as calcium and silica! how do you unclog milk ducts? Clogged milk ducts are no fun at all. Clogged ducts can result from a number of factors, such as too much pressure from a bra, feedings that are not frequent enough, and latching and sucking issues, among others. If there are latching and sucking issues, seeing a lactation consultant can help. There are a few simple steps you can take to help prevent clogs and get rid of them when they happen. The first is to make sure that your bra is not too tight. Here is a great article on fitting a bra while nursing. The second thing is to make sure you are drinking lots of water. If you are dehydrated, you will be more prone to clogged ducts. The next thing to do is eat lots of egg yolks. Egg yolks are a rich source of phospholipids, which help to keep clogs from forming. If you are not able to eat a lot of eggs, special phospholipid capsules are a great source of these beneficial compounds. Sometimes special massages can help to remove clogs. Here is a great video on how to do that. In addition, warm heat from a moist heating pad or submerging the breast in warm water can also help, followed by a massage. If clogs persist and become very painful, make sure to call your midwife or doctor. Brown Breast Milk Rusty pipe syndrome is when breast milk looks discolored, similar to the color of the water coming out of a rusty pipe, which happens when old blood mixes with breastmilk. It generally happens to new moms and can be in one or both breasts. It is usually the result of the enlarging of the breasts that happens with the large growth that occurs when the body prepares to begin milk production. Sometimes a bit of blood is left in the tissues, which is what is coming out. It is not dangerous and usually resolves itself in a couple of days to a week. You can continue to breastfeed safely. If it lasts longer than a week, you should speak with your midwife or doctor. Breastfeeding and mastitis Mastitis is the inflammation of breast tissue and sometimes involves infection. These are some great tips from the Mayo Clinic on preventing mastitis: Avoid prolonged overfilling of your breast with milk before breastfeeding. Trying to ensure that your infant latches on correctly — which can be difficult when your breast is engorged. Expressing a small amount of milk by hand before breastfeeding might help. Massaging the breast while breastfeeding or pumping from the affected area down toward the nipple. Make sure your breast drains completely during breastfeeding. If you have trouble emptying a portion of your breast, apply warm and moist heat to the breast before breastfeeding or pumping milk. Breastfeeding on the affected side first, when your infant is hungrier and sucking more strongly. Varying your breastfeeding positions. Avoid prolonged overfilling of your breast with milk before breastfeeding. Apply cool compresses or ice packs to your breast after breastfeeding. Wear a supportive bra Rest as much as possible If your symptoms continue or get worse, make sure to call your midwife or doctor. Breastfeeding Nipple Relief Another issue that frequently happens with breastfeeding is cracked, chapped, and sore nipples. This can be caused by a number of issues, from the pulling and rubbing of the nipple during breastfeeding to fungal (yeast) infections. There are a number of things you can do to help prevent and soothe nipple issues. The first thing is to keep the area moisturized really well. Unrefined Emu Oil works great when applied at least three times daily. It is safe and non-toxic if ingested by the baby and is petroleum-free, unlike most nipple creams. Other helpful tips: Apply some of your own breastmilk to the area. Your breastmilk contains antibacterial and other properties that can help soothe and protect the area. Warm compresses should be applied several times per day Saltwater soaking. After breastfeeding, place the breast in a bowl of warm water saline solution. After soaking for 5-10 minutes, pat dry. Residual salt can be removed with a warm towel. After this, apply the cream or breastmilk. Gel or lanolin pads can be helpful, but do not use them if there is a yeast infection. Whenever possible, keep the nipples exposed to air between feedings. If the pain gets worse or you suspect that you have an infection, make sure to speak with your Midwife or Doctor. We hope this article gave you some valuable information and helps make breastfeeding a little easier for you. Don’t forget to check out the rest of our pregnancy center for more great information on everything from healthy eating during pregnancy to choosing a good prenatal vitamin ! Breastfeeding questions and support If you have questions about breastfeeding, please email us at info@rooted-nutrition.com , and we will be happy to help!

Welcome to part three of all about cholesterol. If you have not read parts one and two , we recommend starting there. When we left off, we discussed the questions you should be asking instead of just saying, “How do I lower my cholesterol?" In part two , we discussed the questions "Are there blood tests that can be helpful?" and "How do I know if I have plaque buildup in my arteries?" In part three, we will be discussing "How do I keep my arteries healthy?" Lifestyle changes for healthy arteries Thankfully, you can make many lifestyle changes to help keep your arteries healthy. Smoking and arterial health The first is to stop smoking (yes, vaping is still smoking). Smoking is the number one cause of atherosclerosis. There is no more significant step you can take to improve your health than to quit smoking. The same goes for smoking the ganja. Occasionally, having a joint is no big deal, but smoking marijuana every day is quite bad for your lungs and arteries . How about having an edible or tincture instead? Inhaling smoke of any kind is quite bad for you. Exercise and arterial health Next up is that old classic exercise. That’s right, it’s time to get your butt moving. Regular aerobic exercise is the best for cardiovascular health. In addition, it can help to lower the amount of fat in your blood, reduce your blood pressure, and help with weight loss. It is best to start slowly with brisk walking, running, swimming, and bicycling. Shoot for 30-40 minutes 4-5 days per week. Cold exposure and arterial health Third on our list is cold exposure. You will hate me for this one at first, but it is beneficial in improving circulation and blood flow. Over time, you might enjoy it. The cold exposure process is like exercise for your blood vessels - via vasoconstriction and vasodilation. It also promotes increased intolerance to stress, improves immune function, improves synapse function, and reduces inflammation and pain. Start with hold and cold shower contrasts for 30 seconds at a time. Then, gradually increase the times between contrasting temperatures. Over time, you will notice that it will get easier and easier as your body adapts and gets stronger. Your ability to withstand the cold will improve significantly in just a few days. The human body is incredible. The more we push it, the stronger it gets! If you have a heart condition, speak with your doctor before starting cold exposure. Stress and arterial health Our next stop is stress reduction. Chronic high levels of stress have a very damaging effect on your arterial health. According to the Cleveland Clinic : “Stress increases the plaque rate, and it can accumulate in the arteries . It makes platelets sticky and prone to forming clots that can block arteries. Stress can also cause arteries to constrict, starving the heart of nourishing blood and triggering chest pain or a heart attack .” Having a dog is a great stress reliever. Adopt one from a shelter today and make both of your lives better! Plus you get more exercise and sunshine when you go for walks together! Getting stress under control is a huge key to keeping your arteries clean and healthy. Check out our blog article, Stress 101 , to learn all about keeping your stress under control. Sleep and arterial health Next up is sleep. When you sleep, your body repairs itself, reduces inflammation, and performs a whole host of essential functions. Having a healthy sleep is crucial for your arterial health. Short and interrupted sleep duration increases the buildup of arteriosclerosis throughout the body. One thing that helps a lot is blue-light-blocking glasses. Blocking blue light helps with your body's melatonin production. It is especially beneficial to wear these at night. Another important thing you can do to improve melatonin production is to get sunlight on your face during sunrise and sunset. Check out this link for other great tips to improve your sleep hygiene. Blood Pressure and arterial health Another important step is to get your blood pressure under control. Uncontrolled blood pressure can lead to : Heart attack Heart failure Kidney disease Stroke Cognitive decline And much more High blood pressure adds force to arterial walls, which, over time, damages the blood vessels and increases plaque buildup. Changes in diet, quitting smoking, stress reduction , and exercise are the best ways to get your blood pressure under control. Some people have underlying health issues which may require medication. If you have high blood pressure, you should talk to your doctor right away because leaving high blood pressure untreated is a recipe for serious health problems. Blood sugar and arterial health Next is to get your blood sugar and fasting insulin numbers in the proper range. Diabetes and chronically high blood sugar levels increase inflammation and slow blood flow, which dramatically increases atherosclerosis . As with blood pressure, changes in diet, stress reduction , and exercise are the best ways to get your blood sugar and fasting insulin levels under control. Are you starting to notice a trend? Hydration And arterial health It's vital to drink lots of water for healthy circulation. There are some very adverse effects of not drinking enough water on your cardiovascular system. It can : Impair vascular function Impair blood pressure function Reduce endothelial function Increase sympathetic nervous system activity worsen orthostatic tolerance So get hydrated. If you have trouble remembering to drink enough water, this water bottle helps to remind you to drink enough. If you don’t like the taste of water, try mineral water, such as Gerolsteiner , or check out these great ways to liven up your water game: Foods for arterial health Last but certainly not least is your diet. Second only to smoking, what you eat and drink has a massive impact on your arterial health. One of the things I want to emphasize is the importance of eating a whole-food diet. It’s not whether you are keto, paleo, carnivore, vegan, vegetarian, or anything else. The key is that you should be eating real food. All of the fake foods companies try to sell us, even those labeled “heart-healthy,” exist to increase profits, not to make you healthy. Your foods should consist of real ingredients that you can recognize. Many plant beverages contain inflammatory seed oils, lots of sugar, and added forms of calcium such as carbonate, citrate, di, and tricalcium phosphate, which can increase plaque buildup in your arteries. Choose those without all of the additives. Besides the obvious things like cutting down on sugar, processed foods, refined flour, and junk food, there are several dietary steps you can take to help keep your arteries healthy. The most important step you can take in your diet to keep your arteries healthy is greatly reducing your intake of omega-6 fatty acid, linoleic acid. This is not easy because it is in so many foods. The ideal ratio of omega-six to omega-three is between 3-5:1. Unfortunately, in the United States, it is very common to have a ratio of 50-100:1. This creates many health problems, especially for your cardiovascular system. So, how can you improve your ratio? The first is to eliminate vegetable and seed oils. In terms of keeping your arteries healthy, these are by far the worst foods you can eat. Think of them as concentrated inflammation and oxidative stress in a bottle. Here is a list of vegetable and seed oils: Sunflower oil Grapeseed oil Safflower oil Canola oil Rapeseed oil Soybean oil Corn oil Cottonseed oil Peanut oil Sesame oil Fake butter spreads- Yes, even the ones from the health food store. Margarine Shortening While palm oil may not be rich in omega-six, it is the worst food from an environmental standpoint, and massive amounts of slavery are involved in its production, so we recommend avoiding it. They are found in many processed foods like chips, cookies, and crackers. Read the ingredients carefully to ensure no seed oils are present. Check out this article to learn more ways to reduce omega-six in your diet, find substitutes for vegetable oils, and improve your omega-six to omega-three intake. The USDA calls these horrible oils nutritious. Shame on them. Here are some foods with particular benefits for your arterial health. While we put them in various categories, many can fit in multiple places. These are foods that may support healthy blood flow and circulation: Cayenne and other spicy peppers Ginger Turmeric Beets Support healthy nitric oxide production Don’t forget they can make your urine turn pink. Cooked spinach Avoid raw spinach as it is very high in oxalates. These are foods that may help to support healthy platelets. If you take blood-thinning medications or medicine to reduce platelet stickiness, please talk to your doctor before consuming lots of these. Garlic Onions Shallots Leeks Wild-caught seafood Cherries Berries Cucumbers Zucchini Mushrooms Good quality Ceylon cinnamon Not all types of cinnamon have the same benefits. Natto Fresh pineapple cores Foods that help to reduce oxidative stress: Berries Especially blueberries In the winter, good frozen berries have more nutrition than fresh ones. Pomegranates Not the juice, fresh or frozen. Red and purple grapes with the seeds Make sure to eat the seeds. Citrus fruits - Not the juice. Eat the actual fruit. Avoid grapefruits if you take medication. Low heavy metal, high flavonol cacao Good olive oil Most olive oil is adulterated with vegetable and seed oils or has very low levels of polyphenols. If your olive oil has a very mild taste, it will not have a lot of polyphenols. Tomatoes Watermelon Orange squashes Matcha green tea Often, green tea has contaminants such as heavy metals, gasoline, and pesticide residues, so be very careful of the source. Asparagus Other helpful foods: Pastured eggs Grass-fed liver and kidney G ood-quality capsules are a great option for those who do not like organ meats. Wild-caught fish eggs G ood-quality capsules are a great option for those who do not like fish eggs. Artichokes Probiotic rich foods such as kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir, etc. Foods with particular nutrients that support healthy arteries: Wild-caught seafood Omega Fatty acids Grass-fed butte r and organ meats like liver, bone marrow, and heart These are rich in vitamin K2 (as Mk4) and many other compounds that help to keep your arteries healthy. Avocados Sprouted macadamia nuts Make sure your nuts are very fresh. Do not buy from bulk bins! Low heavy metal, high flavonol cacao Magnesium, polyphenols Bananas Potassium Grass-fed Meat Taurine, carnitine, zinc, b12, cysteine, and a host of other nutrients Ethically sourced cacao nourishes the body and uplifts the mind. What do I do if my arteries need some extra support? The first step you should take is to have a conversation with your doctor about a treatment plan. Often, it is a good idea to see a cardiologist for a more in-depth workup if you have plaque buildup. In addition to the lifestyle changes listed above (you need to do them, don’t mess around with plaque in your arteries, especially quitting smoking, exercise, and eliminating vegetable and seed oils), we recommend focusing on getting these particular foods in you as much as you can, as they can help support healthy arteries. Low heavy metal, high flavonol cacao is our favorite food to support healthy arteries. Cacao is rich in polyphenols that help promote healthy arteries and circulation. It is also one of the richest food sources of magnesium, an important nutrient for a healthy cardiovascular system. Cacao can be very high in heavy metals, so knowing that the source is clean and contamination-free is very important. Cacao is also rich in many compounds that help to support relaxation, calm, and a healthy stress response. We recommend at least one serving per day of high-polyphenol cacao. Pomegranates Pomegranates We recommend getting the frozen seeds and eating them as is or throwing them in smoothies. Shoot for about 4 oz per day. Wild-caught seafood Getting enough omega-three is extremely important for arterial health. Shoot for at least one 4 oz serving of low mercury wild-caught seafood per day. Natto Natto helps support healthy blood flow, circulation, and platelets. It is also rich in nattokinase, which supports healthy fibrin levels. Shoot for at least one tablespoon, 1-2 times per day, between meals. Eat at least an hour apart from food. If you take blood-thinning medication, talk to your doctor before consuming natto. Fresh pineapple cores The cores of pineapple are rich in an enzyme complex called bromelain. The bromelain helps to support healthy platelets. You can blend the cores into a smoothie. Shoot for one core per day in between meals, at least an hour apart from food. If you take blood-thinning medication, talk to your doctor before consuming many pineapple cores. Good Olive Oil Good olive oil helps to support healthy fibrinogen levels. Ensure it is of excellent quality because most olive oil is adulterated with seed oils and is low in polyphenols. Shoot for at least one tablespoon per day. Eat this oil off the spoon, drizzled on food or salads, not cooked for the most benefit. Pastured Eggs Egg yolks are rich in phosphatidylcholine . This compound supports healthy cholesterol metabolism, cell membrane structure, and arterial health. Berries Berries have protective effects on arterial health. Shoot for four ounces per day of fresh or frozen berries. It's time to head to part four . Cholesterol questions and support We know this is a lot of information, so if you have questions, don’t know where to start, or need support, we are always available to help. Drop us an email anytime at info@rooted-nutrition.com ,   and we will be happy to help you on your health journey!