An index of nutrition articles written by Dr. Currey.

Chromium, like all minerals, is found in the Earth’s crust where it makes its way into plants and then animals. Unlike vitamins, minerals are not created by living organisms, but like vitamins, minerals are essential for life. Chromium is a trace metal that our bodies seemingly use to aid insulin in moving glucose from our blood into our cells for the creation of energy.

Necessary for over 100 different body processes, vitamin B6 is especially important in protein metabolism. (1) This week, we will look at this vitamin to investigate its role in our health, diseases, and how we can find this key nutrient in our food.

This important vitamin plays key roles in our ability to turn our food into energy, reduce oxidative stress/damage in the body, metabolize B6, folate, niacin, and iron, and metabolize medications and toxins. (1) This is not an insignificant list of accomplishments!

When considering a whole-foods-plant-based diet, nuts and seeds are one of our most abundant sources of healthy essential fats.  A small handful goes a long way to increasing your health and sustaining your energy, and they are non-perishable and easily transported convenience food.

Greens are loaded with vitamins and minerals. Let’s take a deeper look at these nutritional powerhouse leaves.

Some medical situations result in nutrient loss or a higher need for nutrients. This week we will look at a handful of more common medical conditions and medications that can cause this. I’ve also included a link to a website where you can evaluate your medications to look for nutritional gaps.

Let’s look at some of the most popular eating plans out there. We will look at their claims, weigh the research, and look at some of the risks for each. This will help you as you evaluate your eating habits. We will start with a consideration of how food is more than nutrition and what to do if you find yourself obsessing over food.

Nutritional supplements get a lot of play in the world of alternative medicine, yet they do not receive much scrutiny.  A supplement is anything that you take that isn’t food or a medication, and are often purchased in grocery stores and online.  Others are purchased in stores devoted exclusively to selling supplements like Vitamin World or GNC, and still more are sold directly by members of your community in the form of MLMs like Juice Plus, Herbalife, Doterra or Young Living.  In these settings, supplements are being sold and advice is being given by people whose only training comes from the companies they are selling for.  This gives the illusion that supplements are safe for just about everyone.

With all the heroic claims made about some supplements, people’s desire to turn to what they perceive as more natural options, and a lack of guidance from their medical doctors regarding nutrition, it’s no wonder people find themselves the victims of some pretty slick marketing strategies.  

When we think of nutrition, it’s easy to imagine spending time reading food labels, counting calories, and bottles of vitamins crowding our cabinets and counters.  Let’s look past this more commercial and weight loss focused version of nutrition to see it for what it really is.

Nutrition focuses on what we put in our bodies. Nourishment expands this focus to our relationships with food, our cultural and personal traditions, how food can bring us pleasure, and how we feel about eating.