Should you be taking supplements?, Why you should avoid plastic food storage containers, and Wheat Berry Salad with Butternut Squash and Maple Vinaigrette
Hello and welcome to The Nutritionist’s Kitchen newsletter. I’m so glad you’re here!
If you’re not yet a paid subscriber, you can do so here. I’ll be offering new subscriber-only features that you don’t want to miss including access to personalized nutrition recommendations, every recipe and meal plan I post, early bird class discounts, giveaways, and even gifts. Thanks for your support!
That’s $5/month ($2.50 per email) or $50/year ($2.08 per email).
Should you be taking supplements? (and some of my favorite brands)
“Should I be taking a supplement for that?” As a registered dietitian nutritionist, I get asked this question all the time.
Here’s what I say… Ideally, you can meet your nutritional needs with a balanced, whole foods diet although supplementing may be necessary for some.
Supplements have been shown to be therapeutic for the prevention and treatment of some acute and chronic conditions/diseases. Outside of those, supplements are highly recommended for:
Pregnant women
Vegans and some vegetarians
Elderly people (and in some cases anyone over 50 years)
People with specific medical conditions (ie anemia, osteoporosis, etc.)
Anyone that has a restrictive diet for any reason
Why getting nutrients from your food is important…
Eating vitamins and minerals in a whole foods diet has its benefits including a more diverse nutrient profile, additional natural fiber, and increased antioxidants and phytonutrients compared to supplements.
There’s also something called food synergy which is the idea that vitamins and minerals consumed in food are more effectively absorbed and perform better when delivered in combination with other nutrients rather than isolated as a single nutrient in a supplement—and there’s research to back this up!
Also, isolated nutrients can be harmful compared to their food-based counterparts. For example, high doses of supplemented iron (although effective and necessary at times) can cause zinc deficiency at minimum. Some people can even develop liver cirrhosis, liver cancer, or organ failure.
A little more on that… the upper limit for iron is 45 mg/day for healthy adults. One capsule of iron contains 25 mg on average. So, you can easily exceed the recommended daily amount by just taking more capsules than necessary… Versus one oyster that only has 2.3 mg of iron or one cup of chicken that has 1.8 mg of iron, making it quite challenging to exceed the upper limit.
Also, how many times have you taken a supplement until the bottle is empty rather than stop once you’ve tackled your health goal(s) and are back to optimal health? This practice can cause longterm exposure to high levels of isolated nutrients that may wreak havoc on your body.
By focusing on food sources of nutrients whenever possible is a fantastic way to combat many nutrient deficiencies and can rarely be “over done”.
However, this is not to say that supplements aren’t absolutely necessary at times. Remember to always consult with a physician or dietitian first before considering supplementing or treating any health issues to ensure you get personalized advice and recommendations that are appropriate for you.
Some supplement brands I like:
THORNE (one of my favorite prenatal multivitamin brands)
Nordic Naturals (the best fish oil out there)
Why you should avoid plastic food storage containers
I recommend using glass storage containers exclusively for storing food. A combination of glass jars with screw-on lids and glass storage containers with snap-on lids are my favorite. Here and here are a couple of links to the ones I use.
I also like cloth, beeswax products, and stainless steel.
Here’s why… I prefer glass to plastic (or basically anything other than plastic) because plastic storage containers including those made of BPA-free plastics can leach toxic chemicals into your food and may even pose a health risk especially when storing hot foods and liquids.
Plastics are also an environmental concern contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. Did you know that 91% of recyclable plastic is actually not recycled?
However, if you must use plastic for one reason or another, avoid using any with the number 3, 6, or 7 inside the small recycle triangle since these may contain BPA or bisphenol A which is an endocrine (hormone) disrupter.
Research shows that BPA increases the risk for infertility, abnormal puberty, hormone-dependent tumors, breast and prostate cancer, and metabolic disorders such as polycystic ovary syndrome or PCOS.
Recipe from The Nutritionist’s Kitchen by Carly Knowles, MS, RDN, LD, PCD
The Nutritionist's Kitchen: Transform your diet and discover the healing power of whole foods
"The Nutritionist's Kitchen offers a thoughtful, accessible, and mouthwatering answer to a question we've all asked: 'What should I eat?' If you want to cook in a way that's just as nourishing as it is delicious, you need this book!"
Jeanine Donofrio, author of Love and Lemons
Check out my new cookbook here!
Join me for a live virtual cooking class with PCC Community Markets!
Tuesday, November 30, 5:00 - 6:00 pm
Bone Broth 101
Chicken Bone Broth with Lemon and Turmeric
Beef Bone Broth with Mushrooms and Rosemary
When you need some comforting nourishment, look no further than bone broth. As a registered dietitian nutritionist and postpartum doula, cookbook author Carly Knowles is often asked about bone broth — how to make it, why it’s beneficial and its overall efficacy. In this class, she will explain how to make bone broth at home using both stovetop and Instant Pot methods. She’ll demonstrate what to look for when picking out quality bones, and show how to extract the most flavor by making two distinct types of broth: Chicken Bone Broth with Lemon and Turmeric, and Beef Bone Broth with Mushrooms and Rosemary.
This is a demonstration class offered live online via Zoom.
References:
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iron-Consumer/
https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news/ewgs-tips-avoid-bpa-exposure