The Power of B Vitamins

B vitamins have been toted as the cure all for low energy - but today we'll talk about how exactly they can help with fatigue and how important they are for your body. One misunderstanding is that they in and of themselves provide the body with energy. How it really works is the body used nutrients from carbohydrates, protein and fat for fuel, but B vitamins help your body utilize those nutrients as fuel. We need them for energy production, supporting our nervous system, maintaining healthy skin and hair and making red blood cells amongst other functions.

Maintaining necessary levels of all 9 B vitamins can easily happen through a whole foods diet or in addition to a high quality B Complex supplement taken daily. Most of these vitamins can't be stored by the body so they must be consumed on a daily basis to properly be utilized. 

The most commonly discussed B vitamin deficiency is for B12 - especially amongst the vegetarian and vegan community. The reason for this is B12 can only be found in animal sources such as dairy, organ meats, eggs, meat and in nutritional yeast. Many non-dairy milks, meat substitutes and breakfast cereals have been fortified with B12, but it's still debated whether these are absorbed as efficiently as from animal sources. Also, fortified foods tend to be highly processed so it's better to choose whole food options first, or rely on a whole foods based supplement.

Those with celiac or Crohn's Disease may also struggle to retain B vitamins as their conditions interfere with food absorption. A B12 deficiency can show up gradually over time, and have a range of symptoms such as fatigue, anemia, light sensitivity, numbness or tingling in the hands or feet and difficulty thinking or memory loss. Drugs such as antibiotics, oral contraceptives, heavy alcohol or caffeine consumption can inhibit absorption of certain B vitamins as well. 

The B vitamin group consists of the following:

B1 (Thiamine), B2 (Riboflavin), B3 (Niacin), B5 (Panthothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine), B7 (Biotin), B9 (Folate) and B12.

To cover all of your bases, it's recommended you aim to eat food sources of these vitamins throughout your day. Try to choose organic beef or chicken for the best sources of these vitamins. Here are foods recommended to increase your B vitamin levels and start having more energy:

• Vegetables such as asparagus, peas, dark leafy greens and Brussel sprouts
• Fermented foods such as tempeh, mushrooms and miso 
• Sea vegetables such as dulse, kombu and nori
• Fruits - especially citrus, currants, bananas
• Whole grains such as millet, wild rice, brown rice, wheat germ, brewer's yeast and quinoa
• Nuts and Seeds - unsalted and raw
• Legumes such as lentils, black beans and navy beans 

If you're seeing the signs of B vitamin deficiency, be sure that you are covering your grounds with nutrition first. Many times we believe we are consuming more of a variety than we really are, and the key to improving these symptoms could be in our very own kitchen. If you know you need the added insurance of a supplement, we carry three options from both Standard Process and Innate Response Formulas can help you get on the track to feeling better. 

Being With the Breath

Being in the present moment is as simple as noticing your breath. Much of the time, the mind is wandering, worrying or mulling over past or future experiences. Or chasing after feeling good or powerful, rather than vulnerable or helpless. When we are constantly in this thought pattern we miss out on the one-of-a-kind moment right in front of us that we can't ever get back. Not only does this rob the positive moments in front of you, it can also worsens feelings of worry and anxiety. Essentially, if we don't practice being still, we are more likely to feel blown about by every wind of life. When we are aware of our breathing, we can help calm the body and the mind even in our most stressful moments. 

Shallow breathing - which is common for most of us - doesn't oxygenate the blood circulating in your arteries and veins very efficiently. Before you know it, you feel mentally sluggish and emotionally run down. But just with a couple of rounds of deep breathing, you can feel the opposite effect. Deep breathing nourishes your nervous system and puts you in a better mood. It relaxes the muscles, lowers blood pressure and reduces the workload on the heart and strengthens the lungs. With this increase of oxygen, your brain automatically produces neuro-chemicals that calm anxiety and worry.

Beyond the science of our breath, there is also reason to come out of our heads for a moment and into our bodies. The more we practice awareness of the breath, the more we are connected to what causes negative feelings, as well as the positive ones. 

Here's a Simple Way to Start:

1. Sit comfortably in a chair or on the floor
2. Focus on the sensations where your body contacts the floor or chair. Simple “feel” into your body and let it breath itself 
3. Bring your attention to your chest and belly, feeling them rise gently on the in-breath and fall on the out-breath
4. Be with each breath for its full duration. You may even notice a short pause after each breath, and also that each seems to have a life of its own
5. Afterwards, take a few moments to sit with your eyes closed and notice the difference in how you feel overall

Craving Comfort

Craving comfort foods as the temperatures drop is something many of us can relate to - yet tend to feel guilty about. However, many of the warming casseroles or soups that we make this time of year can be made with nutrient dense foods to up your intake of essential vitamins, trace minerals and other nutrients which are necessary for immune function. Shifting to a healthier lifestyle is about choosing healthier options most of the time, and allowing those indulgent foods be a treat. Once these foods are not apart of your daily diet, you may learn that you actually enjoy them more, and can be satisfied with less.

So what foods are we talking about? Foods that tend to be high in saturated fat, sugar, refined carbohydrates or come in a package. Swapping one or two ingredients is a simple way to keep the dish’s original taste and texture, and you don’t have spend a lot of money to do it, either. 

1. Macaroni and Cheese

Cheese is a beloved food here in Wisconsin, but the way we tend to eat it - piled onto pizza, poured over nachos or stacked on crackers cancels out any health benefits. It’s high in sodium, calories and saturated fat. So how does one substitute cheese, you ask? Nutritional Yeast. It has a pleasantly cheesy flavor and is grown on enriched purified cane and beet molasses with added vitamin B12. Here's a 10 minute recipe for nutritional yeast sauce to make your own macaroni and cheese. 

2. Soup

Most soups are actually full of vegetables - making them already a healthy option. However, heavier soups such as chowders or creams tend to ask for heavy cream to be added to thicken it. As your soup is cooking, you can take half of the vegetables, put them in a blender and then add some of the stock it’s been cooking in and puree it. This instantly thickens the soup without adding heavy cream. This can also work on bean, tomato or cauliflower soups. Like mentioned above, there are benefits to having some dairy in our diet, but Wisconsinites tend to put it in everything. For many people, dairy is a hard to digest food and can cause long-term inflammation, so substituting when it’s not an essential ingredient is beneficial. 

3. Pie

Dessert can feel like it’s everywhere this time of year, but even treats can have good sources of fiber, protein and vitamins. Let’s use pie as an example. Adding a dollop of greek yogurt to your pie crush in place of butter or lard can help amp up those nutrition facts and keep your pie holder nice and flaky. You can also replace some or all of the flour with nuts. Using almond flour - for example - adds healthy fats, fiber, protein and vitamin E. An easy way to cut added sugar is to choose fruits that are naturally sweet like golden delicious apples.

4. Sandwiches

Sandwiches tend to be loaded with cheese, mayo and other fatty toppings. Easy, flavorful substitutions include: hot sauce, mustard, hummus or even a slice or two of avocado. Although not everyone has an intolerance to gluten, it is easy to rely too much on bread and refined carbohydrates especially when you’re on the go. An easy switch? Whole Wheat bread or a leaf of romaine lettuce. 

5. Spaghetti and Meatballs

It’s understandable why spaghetti and meatballs are common in most households. It’s a quick weeknight meal that even the kids can help out with. You can keep this meal in your rotation, just swap in whole wheat or brown rice noodles instead. As for the meatballs, we’re a fan of making these Vegan Sun Dried Tomato Basil Meatballs in a big batch and freezing them to use for quick dinners.