Food

Ideally all the required nutrients for vibrant health would come from the food we eat. Keeping that as the ultimate goal, we must recognize that many of us get plenty, if not excessive, amounts of macro-nutrients in our diet: protein, carbohydrates, and fats – but remain severely deficient in micronutrients and phytochemicals. These are the vitamins, minerals, enzymes and plant compounds which work like soldiers in the body’s immunity army; fighting cancers, mood disorders, degenerative diseases, basically keeping us alive and healthy.

The published guidelines for healthy eating, the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI), recommends amounts of these essential nutrients that are only about double what’s needed for a person to avoid serious vitamin-deficiency.

At Pangea, our goal is not simply to avoid profound malnutrition, but to build excellent nutrition, to create a body that’s not a suitable host for disease. To reboot the whole person, we remove toxic disease-promoting foods, add in nutrient- dense meals, and tailor an herbal, amino acid, and natural food supplement protocol to each client’s specific needs. Gradually, as one’s diet improves, and one’s attunement to the body’s subtle requirements is calibrated, the brain heals, and there is a gradual reduction in need for supplementation.

Clients suffering from anxiety, insomnia, depression, fatigue, not to mention substance addiction and alcoholism, experience immediate results with these natural aids, often beginning prior to arrival as part of a pre-care protocol. These are the general categories of nutritional supplement that we use during and sometimes recommend prior to treatment, some of which overlap:

Amino Acids

Everything works in concert. Amino acids, vitamins and enzymes all need each other to function. Eating enough protein doesn’t guarantee sufficient amino levels.

Amino acids are the building blocks that the body uses to create neurotransmitters. So any neurotransmitter imbalance, such as depression, insomnia, ADHD, memory loss, addiction, Parkinson’s disease, etc., can be treated with amino replenishment.

These supplements are particularly effective for those with acute conditions and during active treatment, but generally we encourage the use of whole plant extracts and tonics and the derivation of appropriate amino acid levels from food sources.

Antioxidants

Antioxidants are natural compounds that protect the body from free radicals, harmful atoms that damage nerve & immune system cells & lead to degenerative diseases like heart disease & cancer. Antioxidants are abundant in foods such as raw chocolate, blueberries, garlic, & many other medicinal foods which we incorporate into our meals.

We also supplement with cardiovascular supporters such as Coenzyme Q10, which increases circulation and has anti-aging effects, as well as turmeric, a powerful, wide-ranging tonic that protects the liver, has potent anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties, and blocks toxic compounds from reaching the body’s tissues.

Milk thistle helps to detoxify the liver, promotes the growth of new liver cells, increases glutathione - another blood cleanser, heavy metal chelator and extremely potent antioxidant. This is especially helpful for anyone whose liver has been taxed by excess protein, drugs or alcohol.

Natural Food Supplements

This is a broad category which includes superfoods, essential fatty acids (EFA’s), and any naturally-derived dietary aid. Barley grass, alfalfa, wheatgrass, spirulina and kelp, are all nutritional powerhouses offering chlorophyll, iron, b vitamins, iodine, magnesium, and removing heavy metals & toxins from the blood.

We blend our own organic greens powder and add it to smoothies, along with cacao & lecithin for a curative, energizing, euphoria-inducing breakfast. We source vegan essential fatty acids, and seek the highest quality brands and manufacturing practices available, researching the origin and ethics of each product we use.

It is our desire that the indigenous cultures who grow and process many of our superfoods are able to enjoy the benefits of their own harvest including a living wage, so we make conscious purchases, and support the local women’s Maya Nut Collective.

Herbs and Adaptogens

Herbal medicine is ancient and often surprisingly effective for generations of us raised on pharmaceutical remedies and marketing. An adaptogen is a plant which tones the system, boosting energy when necessary, and reducing stress in general.

Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine have countless, highly effective herbal tonics, with so many options it can overwhelm the uneducated seeker, and all of the herbs and supplements in our protocols are backed by clinical research.

Some of the herbs we use frequently are passionflower, a gentle sedative, and rhodiola, an adaptogen which reduces cortisol, balances the endocrine system, and is a potent anti-depressant. Mucuna pruriens stimulates Human Growth Hormone, fertility, bone density, and treats Parkinson’s disease, among other incredible effects.

Vitamins and Minerals

Daily fresh juicing of local organic produce provides a great nutritional boost, but to correct long-term vitamin & mineral deficiencies and the resultant disorders, supplementation is required.

Vitamin C is a powerful detoxifier, capable of killing viruses and bacteria at high doses, and required for over 300 metabolic functions like tissue repair and production of interferon and oxytocin.

Studies have shown megadoses of Niacin, a B vitamin, reduced rehospitalization and suicides significantly in schizophrenics. Yet, psychiatry and nutrition are still mutually exclusive fields. We are committed to integrating this fractured approach to medicine, as the world wakes up to the fundamental and basic connection between food and wellness.