In my Full Spectrum Macrobiotic Approach, I look at food and health from two major viewpoints, the physical and the energetic. The physical view of health looks at substances such as blood sugar, cholesterol, blood counts and the physical structures of the body. The energetic view of the body is addressing the energetic qualities of both the structures and functions of the body. Energetics is viewed through the intellectual process.
In food studies, much valuable information has been gleaned by analyzing the chemical makeup of foods and what happens when these chemicals or nutrients are deprived from the human body. An energetic view of the body is assessing the overall effect of a food on the body and mind by taking into account its physical qualities of structure and growth, and it’s physical makeup.
Both views of health and food are complimentary to each other. It can be limiting to look at only one aspect of the body or food. For example, excess cholesterol or sugar in the blood is seen as a bad thing for health.Most doctors want to lower them without asking the question, why is the body producing excessive cholesterol or not regulating the blood sugar. If the root causes are not found, lowering the cholesterol or blood sugar will not have a full benefit to the body.
Vitamin A is a crucial nutrient for health that is missing in most people’s diets. Vitamin A is also greatly misunderstood.1 Carrots do not contain vitamin A. What they have in them is pro-vitamin A in the form of carotenes which under the right bodily conditions can turn into vitamin A. As we age, the ability to convert the carotenes to vitamin A declines. The mechanism of the conversion is connected to the health of the liver and thyroid. Many people can’t make the conversion well. Diabetics and those with poor thyroid function, a group that could well include at least half the adult US population, cannot make the conversion. Children make the conversion very poorly and infants not at all — they must obtain their precious stores of vitamin A from animal fats.2
This is why pro-vitamin A foods or supplements are so important for overall health. Pro-vitamin A is only contained in animal source foods and cod liver oil. The top foods with pro-vitamin A are sardines, the livers of healthy naturally raised animals, high vitamin cod liver oil and regular cod liver oil. Moderate amounts can be obtained from grass fed butter, raw cheeses and pasture raised eggs. Supplements can be helpful for serious infections on a temporary basis but must be balanced by vitamin D3 and K2.
The highest sources of vitamin A come from the organs of animals. The organs of animals are considered energetically the most gathering and concentrated form of energy that we can consume in foods. Because of this, people with serious deficiencies of vitamin A would only need to consume liver 3 times per week. After the deficiency is corrected, having this amount every other week would keep the body in balance.
Because of this energetic understanding of the foods that pro-vitamin A is derived from, it can be easy to understand how a deficiency of A creates an internal deficiency of vitality and overall health. In fact, vitamin A is necessary for the health of the eyes, the whole gastrointestinal system including digestion and the immune function. Chronic unknown or known infections such as gum disease or infections, that many people suffer from today, tremendously depletes the storehouses of vitamin A. In addition, vitamin A is crucial for sexual and reproductive function, muscle, bone, skin and hair health. Vitamin A also prevents kidney stones.
Good quality cod oil can be taken for those who do not wish to eat animal foods. Liver pills from grass fed animals is an option for people who do not like the taste of liver. Vitamin A in pills is derived from fish oil. There are no vegetarian sources of pro-vitamin A.
In food studies, much valuable information has been gleaned by analyzing the chemical makeup of foods and what happens when these chemicals or nutrients are deprived from the human body. An energetic view of the body is assessing the overall effect of a food on the body and mind by taking into account its physical qualities of structure and growth, and it’s physical makeup.
Both views of health and food are complimentary to each other. It can be limiting to look at only one aspect of the body or food. For example, excess cholesterol or sugar in the blood is seen as a bad thing for health.Most doctors want to lower them without asking the question, why is the body producing excessive cholesterol or not regulating the blood sugar. If the root causes are not found, lowering the cholesterol or blood sugar will not have a full benefit to the body.
Vitamin A is a crucial nutrient for health that is missing in most people’s diets. Vitamin A is also greatly misunderstood.1 Carrots do not contain vitamin A. What they have in them is pro-vitamin A in the form of carotenes which under the right bodily conditions can turn into vitamin A. As we age, the ability to convert the carotenes to vitamin A declines. The mechanism of the conversion is connected to the health of the liver and thyroid. Many people can’t make the conversion well. Diabetics and those with poor thyroid function, a group that could well include at least half the adult US population, cannot make the conversion. Children make the conversion very poorly and infants not at all — they must obtain their precious stores of vitamin A from animal fats.2
This is why pro-vitamin A foods or supplements are so important for overall health. Pro-vitamin A is only contained in animal source foods and cod liver oil. The top foods with pro-vitamin A are sardines, the livers of healthy naturally raised animals, high vitamin cod liver oil and regular cod liver oil. Moderate amounts can be obtained from grass fed butter, raw cheeses and pasture raised eggs. Supplements can be helpful for serious infections on a temporary basis but must be balanced by vitamin D3 and K2.
The highest sources of vitamin A come from the organs of animals. The organs of animals are considered energetically the most gathering and concentrated form of energy that we can consume in foods. Because of this, people with serious deficiencies of vitamin A would only need to consume liver 3 times per week. After the deficiency is corrected, having this amount every other week would keep the body in balance.
Because of this energetic understanding of the foods that pro-vitamin A is derived from, it can be easy to understand how a deficiency of A creates an internal deficiency of vitality and overall health. In fact, vitamin A is necessary for the health of the eyes, the whole gastrointestinal system including digestion and the immune function. Chronic unknown or known infections such as gum disease or infections, that many people suffer from today, tremendously depletes the storehouses of vitamin A. In addition, vitamin A is crucial for sexual and reproductive function, muscle, bone, skin and hair health. Vitamin A also prevents kidney stones.
Good quality cod oil can be taken for those who do not wish to eat animal foods. Liver pills from grass fed animals is an option for people who do not like the taste of liver. Vitamin A in pills is derived from fish oil. There are no vegetarian sources of pro-vitamin A.
- Solomons, N. W. and J. Bulus. “Plant sources of provitamin A and human nutriture.” Nutrition Review, Springer Verlag New York, Inc, July 1993, 51:1992-4.
- Jennings, I. W. Vitamins in Endocrine Metabolism. Charles C. Thomas Publisher, Springfield, Illinois.
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