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Vitamin E-Sunflower Seeds, Zinc-Blood Pressure, Carob, B12

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WulfWorks Wellness News

Vitamin E-Sunflower Seeds, Zinc-Blood Pressure, Carob, B12

In This Issue: 

    • Sunflower Seeds for Vitamin E
    • Zinc Relieves High Blood Pressure
    • Carob – Hippies Were Right!
    • Get Your B Vitamins
    • Importance of Vitamin B12

You’ll Find More Fascinating Health Posts my Facebook Page –

https://www.facebook.com/HealItAll/ and great recipes in my

Whole Foods Plant-Based, Gluten Free Diet & Recipes Group

Message from Bernadette Wulf

HealItAll WulfWorks NewsletterGreetings!

Happy Spring! I hope you are enjoying the blossoms and flowers, or I suppose the autumn leaves if you are on the other side of the world. April sure seemed to arrive fast in my little corner of the world.

Here’s something that came up recently. Many people still think that meat can be a healthy food, but now we have so much scientific evidence to the contrary. It’s time to put that cultural misconception (and meat industry propaganda) to rest.

Last night I even got into a brief debate with two vegetarians about it. One was a lifelong vegetarian and the other had been vegetarian for several years, yet they STILL had this idea in their minds that eating a little meat might be a good thing in terms of longevity.

Their logic was based on the fact that people in long-lived cultures (like Okinawa, Japan) tend to eat a little meat or fish every day. However, that doesn’t prove that the meat or fish has contributed to their longevity. In fact, science tells us the opposite.

It looks like those cultures had long lives in spite of eating a little meat, rather than because of it. The people who average the longest lives actually don’t eat any meat – the Seventh Day Adventists of Loma Linda, California.

Here is my reply (you might find it helpful too):

Whenever people start debating about meat eating, I head right to Dr. Greger. He has devoted his life to sorting through every scientific study on nutrition in the English language so we can have the real facts (rather than media BS), because he saw how a change in diet healed his grandmother when he was young. 

He has no corporate ties or sponsors. His work is supported by donations, so he is one of the few independent sources of nutrition information out there… and an entertaining guy, too. Check out these very short videos:

It’s true that a very small number of people with nutrient absorption issues apparently need to eat a little meat to stay healthy, but the vast majority of us will live longer and be healthier without it, all other things being equal.

The main problem with eating meat (aside from the cholesterol, high fat, hormones, antibiotics, and acid forming properties – not to mention climate, ocean dead zones, and animal welfare) is that it takes the place of foods with much better nutrient profiles. If you were to replace all meat and fish with leafy greens, vegetables, fruits, beans, seeds, grains, and nuts, you would get a better and more balanced variety of vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, and phytonutrients.

You would also be eliminating the saturated fats and cholesterol that can lead to heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, and other degenerative diseases. Plus, you’d be helping out the planet and a lot of animals at the same time. Makes sense to me.

Of course, it is important to take a good B12 supplement like VeganSafe, whether you are vegetarian or not – but especially important for vegans and vegetarians.

This month we have articles on: a great source of vitamin E, zinc and blood pressure, benefits of carob, B vitamins, and specifically vitamin B12 (it’s really important!).

I would love to hear what you want to read about. Feel free to send your requests, suggestions, questions, or any sort of feedback. I always appreciate hearing from my readers – Please do not reply to this email, but use this link Email Bernadette to contact me.

To your health and happiness!

Bernadette Wulf

HealItAll.com & Plant Based for Life

sunflower seeds for vitamin ESunflower Seeds for Vitamin E

When I started plugging my daily meals into the https://cronometer.com/ program, I soon realized that I wasn’t getting the recommended of level vitamin E very often. Good thing that is easy to remedy!

Sunflower seeds, almonds, and avocados are three top foods containing vitamin E, and I love them all. Just five tablespoons of sunflower seeds will satisfy your daily requirement. Sprinkle them on salads, blend them into “seed milk” for smoothies or golden milk drinks, or just eat them by the handful. I like the GoRaw sprouted and salted ones. Have you tried them? (Make sure they are fresh! Keep refrigerated, because sunflower seeds go rancid quickly.)

Note: Sunflower seeds are low in omega 3 fatty acids. Add one tablespoon raw hemp seeds to 5 tablespoons of sunflower seeds and you will have all the fat you need in a day as well as a good balance of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids.

From NaturalHealth365.com:

Just one serving of sunflower seeds, or about 1 ounce of them dry roasted, contains nearly 40% of your recommended daily intake of vitamin E.  But, you may be wondering, ‘why is vitamin E so important for a healthy body?’

Check out a few of this vitamin’s most notable health benefits:

  • Fights off harmful free radicals.
  • Reduces the risk of heart disease. 
  • Contributes to many physiological and metabolic processes in the body. This includes immune function, cell communication, and gene expression.

Of course, you can also eat almonds, avocado, leafy greens, and other foods high in vitamin E if you don’t want to eat a whole 5 Tbs. of sunflower seeds per day.

Read more about the benefits of vitamin E – https://www.naturalhealth365.com/vitamin-e-health-benefits-2904.html

zinc for high blood pressure - pumpkin seedsZinc Relieves High Blood Pressure

Are you getting enough zinc? Unless you take a supplement or eat a lot of oysters, you are probably deficient. Raw pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds can supply zinc and so can beans and lentils, but many of our soils are so depleted that we can no longer depend on getting enough from plant or animal sources.

Vegetarians may be more likely to have zinc deficiencies, since meat can be a source. Even so, many meat eaters are deficient, because the foods the animals eat also come from zinc deficient soils.

From NaturalHealth365.com:

If your zinc levels are lower than normal, new reports show you’re at risk for high blood pressure. A recent study published in the American Journal of Physiology – Renal Physiology found that too little zinc could cause your kidneys to reabsorb salt, causing high blood pressure.

[ ] That’s right, a zinc deficiency is a worldwide problem – especially in infants, pregnant women, lactating women and older adults. You may also be at risk if you’re a vegan, vegetarian, alcoholic, on diuretics, have stomach disorders or you’re an endurance athlete.

Aside from high blood pressure, zinc deficiencies can lead to a weak immune system, attention disorders, allergies, thinning hair, white spots on fingernails, diarrhea, hearing loss, vision problems, slow wound healing, and more. If you are noticing any of these symptoms, it might be a great idea to take a zinc supplement.

My favorite is one that was recommended by Anthony William – Good State Ionic Zinc. Since I started taking it a few years ago, I haven’t caught one cold or flu. Before that I was catching at least two or three a year. I don’t take it every day, just once or twice a week – and at least once a day when flu bugs are going around or I feel like my immune system needs a little boost.

https://www.naturalhealth365.com/high-blood-pressure-zinc-2896.html

carob health benefitsCarob – Hippies Were Right!

No, it’s NOT chocolate and it is definitely disappointing as a chocolate substitute, but carob can be delicious on its own. Just don’t expect it to be something it isn’t.

I used to think of carob as a hippie-health-food-imitation-chocolate, but I’ve learned to enjoy it for its own unique flavor. Rather than using it to replace chocolate chips or candy bars, I add toasted carob powder to smoothies, baked goods, and sauces. It is actually really good in combination with raw cacao in a hemp milk hot chocolate or coffee drink.

Carob happens to be one of the best sources of calcium in a plant-based diet (along with collard greens), and that is nothing to sneeze at. We all know how important calcium is for calm nerves, strong bones, and healthy teeth.

Here are some more benefits of carob, from healthline.com:

  1. Low fat
  2. Low sodium
  3. Contains calcium, but no oxalates
  4. High fiber
  5. Gluten free
  6. Relieves diarrhea
  7. Caffine free
  8. Good source of antioxidants
  9. Free of tryamine

[ ] Since carob powder is naturally sweet, there’s no need to add sugar or other sweeteners when using it in your favorite recipes.

If you have pets and worry about them eating chocolate, here’s a fun fact. Carob powder is Fido-friendly. It doesn’t contain high levels of theobromine, a compound that is toxic to dogs and cats in large quantities. Many dog treats are made with carob powder. There’s no need to panic if your dog or cat gets into your stash.

For a long time I almost forgot about carob, but now that I’ve started experimenting with it again I find that I really like it. You might want to give it a try too!

Read More About the Benefits of Carob – https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/carob-powder#nutrition-facts

And There’s More on Carob – https://www.botanical-online.com/english/carob-properties.htm

stress depletes B vitaminsGet Your B Vitamins

Lack of B vitamins can lead to heart disease, vision loss, brain shrinkage, and more. There are two reasons most people are deficient in one or more of the B vitamins.

  1. Refined food diets – especially lack of whole grains, beans, nuts & seeds
  2. Stress, stress, stress!

Stress can take many forms. We all know the emotional stress of working too hard, staying up too late, dealing with difficult people or situations, shocks, grief, etc., but there are also quite a few sources of physical stress that our bodies have to deal with.

Here’s what NaturalHealth365.com has to say about it:

Hypothyroidism, anorexia, alcoholism, celiac disease, Crohn’s disease and certain genetic mutations can all increase susceptibility to B-vitamin deficiencies.

Elderly people are at particular risk for shortages of vitamin B12, due to age-related shortages of the stomach acid required to absorb the nutrient.

In addition, diabetes drugs (such as metformin), birth control pills and proton pump inhibitors (such as omeprazole) can decrease the absorption of B vitamins.

All these forms of stress can use up a lot of B vitamins, or prevent us from absorbing the B vitamins we need. The good news is that it is pretty easy to get all the B vitamins on a whole food plant based diet (aside from B12 – see next article).

However, if you are experiencing any of the stressors listed above, food may not be enough. It can really help to take a good food-based B complex supplement. Always take a complex form rather than individual B vitamins, because they work together.

If you are concerned about deficiencies in your diet, try plugging your foods into the cronometer.com program to see where you need to improve. If you experience a lot of stress, anxiety or depression you may need to take a B vitamin complex supplement. You might be surprised at how much better it makes you feel.

Read More About B Vitamins – https://www.naturalhealth365.com/vitamin-b-heart-health-2858.html

Importance of Vitamin B-12

Here’s a good video about recognizing B-12 deficiencies, but why wait until you are deficient? B-12 supplements are water soluble vitamins, so any excess is simply excreted from your body. That means you don’t have to worry about getting too much. Just take a supplement!

Vitamin B-12 can be stored in your body for up to a week, according to Dr. Greger of Nutrition Facts, so you can take a week’s supply at a time. I take a dropper full of VeganSafe B-12 (the best form available) once or twice a week so I don’t have to worry about it – even though I’ve never tested low. (And BTW test are not always accurate.)

Deficiencies can lead to depression, weakness, digestive disturbances, nerve problems, tingling sensations in the limbs and cognitive problems. Cracking at the corners of the mouth can also be a symptom. Severe deficiencies can cause irreversible nerve damage and pernicious anemia. You really don’t want to let it go that far!

Read about “B-12 Deficiency Symptoms: Everything You Need to Know” here: http://ghc.us/b12-deficiency

Important B-12 Tests:

  • Holo TC Test
  • Methylmalonic Acid (MMA) Urine Test
  • Schilling Test