Sweet Mesquite!

Mesquite is one of the lesser-known superfoods. A leguminous plant that’s found in Northern Mexico, South Western United States, the Chihuanhuan, Sonoran and Colorado deserts, Mesquite grows under difficult condition. Mesquite is actually a tree but looks more like a shrub with roots that bury deep into the soil enabling them to survive in an arid environment. Their adaptability gives them great status amongst native people of the area because they provide an enormous amount of nutrition where little nourishment is available. Mesquite, in fact, has been a staple food for the desert dwellers of South America for centuries and contains large digestible amounts of calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc and the amino acid lysine.

Mesquite and blood sugar balance in the blood:

The glorious thing about mesquite is its taste. Mesquite is consumed after it is ground down into a meal or flour form the pods of the plant and has a rich caramel, malty taste. Despite this, Mesquite has a very low GI value of 25 and does not require insulin to digest its sugars. While also having high fibre content, Mesquite is of great assistance and benefit when it comes to stabilising blood sugar levels. It is also safe for diabetics because its sugars come from fructose.

Mesquite and Lysine:

Apart from making it high in protein, the presence of the amino acid Lysine in Mesquite gives it medicinal properties. Lysine is an essential component of the human diet and plays an important part in growth and bone development in children and the balance of nitrogen in adults. Lysine also assists in the production of antibodies and hormones, synthesis of collagen and the reparations of tissue damage. Furthermore, this amino acid has virus-fighting abilities and mediates the uptake and use of fatty acids for energy production. 

TONIC CORE:

Mesquite is listing as one of the major ingredients of TONIC SUPERFOODS’ Tonic Core. This is a formulation packed with bio-available (highly digestible) nutrition that both cleanses and rebuilds your body.  It can be taken on its own or in conjunction with other Tonic programs for optimal results. Tonic Core contains superfoods that help to re-mineralize nutrient deficient bodies.  When mineral rich foods are consumed it reduces cravings for nutrient deficient foods, it increases mental function and equips you better to cope with stress.

Tonic Core is a dietary upgrade that is naturally cleansing, gently detoxifying the body & bringing it back into balance.

By Bonnie Pockley.

Note from the Tonic Team: Another great way to try mesquite is with our yummy hot chocolate recipe - which you can find by clicking here!

VITAMIN D: The Danger of Deficiency

Recently, the prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency has been recognized broadly by organizations in Australia and New Zealand. More alarmingly, the number and correlation of disease and types of cancer associated with Vitamin D deficiency are just starting to be realised. As sun smart countries we are taught to ‘slip’, ‘slop’, ‘slap’ and are both aware of the damage caused by the sun and used to covering up. Have we, however, taken our attitude towards the danger of the sun too far? Research suggests that it’s high time we reassessed how much UV we block out.


What is Vitamin D?
We’ve all heard of Vitamin D but how many of you know that it is functionally a hormone? The inactive form of vitamin D, cholecalciferol, is produced by the skin when modified cholesterol molecules in the epidermal cell are exposed to ultraviolet radiation. The compound is then modified by the liver and is activated in the kidneys. The active form of vitamin D is require by the human body for optimal health and plays a role in the metabolism and regulation of calcium and phosphorus as well as overall hormone and immune health.

Vitamin D Deficiency:

With deficiencies measuring between 37.4% and 67.3% of the population in Australian and up to 75% in the US, insufficient Vitamin D intake is a real problem. Low levels of the D vitamin have been associated with bone disease, muscle weakness, more than a dozen types of internal cancer, rickets, immune disease, multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, low birth weight, skin disorders, acne and depression. Further more, low levels of Vitamin D lead to the accumulation of fat within muscle tissue. Vitamin D deficiency is now also linked to obesity. The darker our skin, the more vitamin D we require as the pigment that colours our skin, melanin, is also responsible for blocking out UV radiation.

Symptoms of Vitamin D deficiency include:
• Fatigue
• Stroke
• Osteoporosis
• Depression
• Parathyroid problems
• Weak bones/ fracture
Recommendation:
The best way, by far, to get an adequate dose of vitamin D is through exposure to the sun. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is only available in small amounts through our diet. Food sources include raw milk, eggs, fatty fish, liver and some SUPERFOODs such as MESQUITE. Vitamin D is toxic in high doses so make sure you stick to the recommendation is you are supplementing your diet with it. Otherwise, make sure you get outside without being fully clothed or lathered in sunscreen for at least 15-20 minutes. In winter, try for 30 -45 minutes but please be safe and do this outside the greatest UV hours of 11am – 3pm. We do not advocate baking in the sun for hours but more a greater awareness of the benefit of sunshine and some understanding of the importance of vitamin D in our diet and where it comes from.

By Bonnie Pockley

References:
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALHT PERSPECTIVES, The High Prevalence of Vitamin D Insufficiency Across Australian Populations Is Only Partly Explained By Season and Latitude, [WWW], Available from http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/article/fetchArticle.action?articleURI=info%3Adoi%2F10.1289%2Fehp.9937, [Accessed 6/11/2010]
Grant, William B. PHD, Follock, Michael F. PHD. MD. [2005] Benefits and Requirements of Vitamin D for Optimal Health, [WWW] Available from http://www.lybsyn.com [Accessed 3/11/2010]

Marieb & Hoehn, Human Anatomy and Physiology, Bones and Skeletal Tissue, Pearson International Edition, 2010.

Marieb & Hoehn, Human Anatomy and Physiology, Nutrition, Metabolism and Body Temperature Regulation, Pearson International Edition, 2010.

Marieb & Hoehn, Human Anatomy and Physiology, The Endocrine System, Pearson International Edition, 2010.

National Institute of Health, Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin D, [WWW], Available from http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind, [Accessed 1/11/2010]

Pick, Marcella. OB/GYN NP, Is Vitamin D deficiency casting a cloud over your health?, [WWW] Available from http://www.womentowomen.com/healthynutrition/vitamind.aspx, [Accessed 5/11/2010]

VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY SYMTOMS, Vitamin D Deficiency Symptoms: All you need to know, [WWW], Available from, http://www.vitaminddeficiencysymptomsguide.com,

[Accessed 2/11/2010]

The core of your nutrition plan!

To ensure your body is healthy, it requires healthy fuel.  We at Tonic believe that by incorporating the right fuel, the rest will fall into balance.
Tonic was recently lucky enough to have the opportunity to collaborate with Nutritional Coach & Superfoods Enthusiast, Christian Petersen, to create a superfood formulation packed with bio-available (highly digestible) nutrition that will cleanse and rebuild the body.


The Tonic Core has been carefully crafted, with hand picked ingredients to help re-mineralise nutrient deficient bodies.  By consuming mineral rich foods, such as whole-foods, the body is able to make nutrients bio-available through our enzyme systems, and therefore utalise, breakdown and absorb only the minerals it requires.  By giving the body what it needs, cravings for less savory nutrient dense foods will decrease, the body will be better equipped to deal with stress & you will notice increased mental function.


The detox concept has been developed and marketed as a way for people to remediate their grocery sins.  This need for detox arises when people at foods that have been displaced from nature - processed foods.  Processed foods are not compatible with our bodies.  Looking around at civilized people, we can see people surviving on processed foods, however very few are thriving!  The Tonic Core is about thriving! Conventional detox programs cause rapid unsustainable, uncomfortable detox reactions in many people; causing stress to our vital organs.  The Tonic Core is a dietary upgrade, that naturally assists the body in cleansing the way it should be, minimizing organ stress.


With this nutritional philosophy in mind Tonic worked with Christian & chose three ingredients for the Tonic Core, creating a superfood formulation, that can be utalised on its own, incorporated into your current nutrition plan or used as a delivery system incorporated with other nutrient dense superfoods.  The ingredients chosen carefully for the Tonic Core are Raw Cacao, Maca & Mesquite.

Raw Cacao

Cacao is a great source of phytonutrients including aminos, protein, omega-3, calcium, zinc, sulphur, copper, potassium, beta-carotene, chromium and magnesium.

Magnesium is critical for muscle relaxation, circulation, and heart health.  It is the most abundant mineral found in the heart. Magnesium helps us to relax, and prevents us from getting overly stressed. Chromium is a mineral that is critical for helping us to regulate our blood sugar. It helps our cells to become more sensitive to insulin.  Insulin resistance also known as pre-diabetes is a condition that affects many people living in western countries, whilst Chromium helps us bring insulin levels back into balance, re-sensitizing  our cells to insulin. Our bodies can then utilise glucose (blood sugar) as fuel.  Without balanced blood sugar, our brain function, muscle function and overall well being is affected. Iron is assists with mineral oxygenation of the blood, coupled with the magnesium and therobromine it acts as a vasodilator (vein relaxant). When veins are relaxed, the body better absorbs nutrients and transports oxygen throughout the body.   Raw Cacao is a crucial ingredient of Tonic Core - as it acts as the delivery system & assists in nutrient absorption - assisting with energy production & recovery after training.

Maca

Maca is a key component of Tonic Core.  It comes from the Peruvian Andes, and has been eaten as a staple food in this region for thousands of years.  Maca is a rich source of protein, minerals, plant sterols and di-indol methane.  The adaptogenic properties of Maca are one of the reasons it makes such a great addition to our diet. The various phyto nutrients and alkaloids present are said to help balance our master glands.  It is through this balance that we are able to normalise our hormonal function. Having balanced hormones is critical to optimal health because it will help us to build lean muscle mass, maintain our mood, and feel our best.  For more information about the individual benefits of Maca please read our earlier post on the benefits of Maca.

Mesquite

Mesquite is dense in Zinc, Calcium, Lystine & is also a source of fibre.  By combining the calcium in mesquite with the magnesium in cacao, we are fuelling the body to create strong bones.  The calcium is easily utalised by the body, as it is in wholefood form.  The combination of calcium & magnesium will also give you a competative edge with strength training as the muscles ability to relax & contract is heightened.  Zinc & Lystine assist with immune system function, ensuring the immune system is able to endure the stress placed upon it during strenuous cardiovascular or strength training.  Zinc & Lystine also fuel enzymes/muscle building proteins within the body.  Lystine also assists with calcium absorption.

The Tonic Core program has been designed to work as a foundation for any lifestyle, allowing you to easily incorporate nutrient dense wholefoods in an exciting and fun way.  Start to feel great, increase your energy, mental & physical well-being with Tonic Core.

To purchase the Tonic Core click here.

Do you have your own website or blog?  Check out the Tonic Superfoods Affiliate Program.  By spreading the word about Tonic Superfoods on your site, you are not only helping people in their health journey, but you can make money!

Christian Petersen is available for Nutritional & Superfood consultation and can be contacted by email christianjohnpetersen@gmail.com