In a prior blog, I mentioned the film The Need To Grow as being an interesting and inspiring look at the food system of today and what is possible for the future. 
Rob Herring is the Director of the film, and he often provides some interesting articles like the one below.  I hope you find it useful, as I did.

Getting enough vitamins in your life?
Even if you take a vitamin complex daily, there’s a pretty good chance you could still be low on the vitamin B12 end of things.
We need all B vitamins for the body to function well. But vitamin B12 deserves its own spotlight for more than a few reasons.

Scientifically called cobalamin, methylcobalamin, or cyanocobalamin (not a great form), vitamin B12 is pretty plentiful in animal products (liver, beef, sardines, tuna, etc)— but scarce in most plant-based products, unless you know where to look.

*Cyanocobalamin is not accessible in the body immediately, and may deplete your potassium levels in the blood. It is the cheapest form and used in almost all B12 supplements, so watch out for it. For some people, this may be doing more harm than good. 

For those who opt for a mostly plant based diet, it’s important to take extra special care to make sure B12 levels are healthy!

That said, even people who are animal product consumers could still be low on it.
Some research suggests nearly 40% of US residents are deficient. 
Vitamin supplement complexes too, even if they contain many B vitamins, can also skimp on B12. In most cases, it’s best to get an entirely individual supplement of only B12 for yourself to make sure you get enough.

But why worry so much about B12? Well, if you don’t get enough, lots of things could start happening.

• Mental and nervous system function could decline.
• Brain fog and fatigue could set in.
• You may start having digestive issues.
• Depression and anxiety could increase.
• You get more headaches and migraines.
• Skin could turn more pale or yellow.
• You start getting anemia and other nutrient deficiencies, too.

If vitamin B12 deficiency gets REAL bad, you could develop whole other conditions: such as pernicious anemia, or beri beri! (Thankfully, some of these are rare or genetic only).
That said, even a simple deficiency can be super unpleasant.
So, if you are mostly eating plants, how do you make sure to get enough?

Here are some top plant-based (or fungus-based!) sources of vitamin B12, which include a few favorites.

• Fortified nutritional yeast.

This is by far the most accessible, convenient, and effective way to get plenty B12 in a plant-based diet. It can give you a 'cheesy' flavor that can be added to almost anything. 

• Fermented foods.

Research shows that B12 is generated principally by active beneficial bacteria! So if you get a live active ferment of some sort— like kimchi or sauerkraut— you’ll find traces of B12 in there.

• Sea vegetables.

Some types of seaweed or edible algae are excellent sources of vitamin B12. The most notable one is nori seaweed, which you can find in many Japanese sushi rolls.

• Culinary, medicinal, and wild mushrooms.

A little known fact is that many types of edible (and medicinal) mushrooms contain higher amounts of B12 than most plants. These mushrooms include lion’s mane, morels, boletes, shiitakes, reishi mushroom, and many others.

• Supplement sources

There’s no shame going the supplement route. In fact, if you want optimal health but don’t have the time (or ability) to source or prepare all these above foods, it’s not too hard to find them in supplement form— for example: there are natural B12 supplements and extracts that may contain seaweed, algae, even reishi, lion’s mane, probiotics, and more.

To a healing future, 
Rob Herring
Director, The Need To GROW / Earth Conscious Life

P.S. In my opinion, the best kind of B12 is absorbed through a liposomal delivery system. It may be one of your best chances to protect your hearth health and nervous system, boost your mood, and increase your energy. 

May you and your loved ones be happy, healthy and joyful!
​Mary

We found this on the Good News Network and wanted to share...
​
Alexander McLeish has won a $1 million prize in the Massachusetts State Lottery’s ‘Cashword’ instant ticket game—and the word that won him the scratch-off jackpot was a ‘heartfelt’ coincidence, to say the least.

The Attleborough man who had just gone through open heart surgery earlier this month, received a get well card from a friend with three instant tickets enclosed.
The friend went out of his way to buy the scratch-off at the same store where he purchased another lottery ticket as a birthday gift for Alexander years earlier that won him $1,000. This time, the prize was one thousand times bigger, and the details of the win were a thousand times spookier.

As Alexander began to scratch the “Your Letters” area of the ticket, the first three letters revealed were A, W and M—his exact initials.

As if that weren’t enough of a positive omen, the word that appeared on the bottom row of his winning puzzle, which clinched him the jackpot, was “HEART.”

With his son by his side, he tried to stay calm so as not to over-excite his overjoyed heart.

McLeish claimed his prize at Mass Lottery headquarters in Dorchester on Friday, November 26, 2021.

McLeish told reporters he intends to give his longtime friend of over 50 years who bought the ticket, a little bit of the prize money—in addition to sharing with his two adult sons.

“He offered to buy his wife a new car, but she declined,” reports the Washington Post. “Other than paying off some bills, McLeish said he hasn’t made many other plans with his new riches.”

It was fitting that he scratched off the “HEART” on Thanksgiving, with a new lease on life, and family around to share the excitement.