People need certain forms of nutrition to maintain life and health. Everything needed to survive and flourish can be found in fresh, whole, organically-grown food. However, much of the food found in stores today has little nutritional value, while environmental pollution and modern-day stress makes a proper diet more important than ever. "What nutrients does my body need?" is most easily answered with foods and supplements like vitamins and minerals.
Research shows that food sold in American grocery stores has almost fifty percent less nutrition than the same products had fifty years ago. This is in part because agricultural land farmed by conventional methods - drenched with chemical fertilizers and tainted by pesticides and herbicides - has fewer minerals than soils did in former days. Picking vegetables and fruits before they are fully ripe also diminishes their food value, as does long periods in cold storage.
Basically, the body needs protein, fat, and carbohydrates, as well as adequate water and exercise. Water is needed to provide the fluids in the body that aid in digestion of food and transportation of nutrients and wastes. Exercise helps the processes of metabolism, such as circulation of blood and lymph. Not all foods are equal in nutritional value, and a plentiful supply of calories does not constitute a good diet.
Fats, for instance, are often regarded as evils, but many are vital to development and energy production. Many important fats go rancid quickly, and all can be harmed by high heat during processing; good fats can turn into harmful toxins. Manufacturers routinely remove important elements like Omega-3 fatty acids, which shorten shelf life, and use altered fats to restore taste and texture. For this reason, health experts advise supplementation of essential fatty acids.
Protein is another thing which may be deficient in the daily diet. People who limit the amount of meat, eggs, and dairy products they consume may be getting less than the forty grams that are recommended as a minimum for each day's consumption. Getting less than this amount can cause fatigue, loss of muscle strength, lack of mental alertness, weak hair and nails, and other conditions that affect health and well-being.
Carbohydrates are vital nutrients, but they often make up too much of the diet. Refined carbohydrates - white flour products and sugary foods - in particular lead to the plague of obesity. The body cannot process refined carbohydrates properly, and they also do not provide quality nutrients but are instead 'empty calorie' foods. This causes other conditions, as well, such as diabetes, heart disease, and chronic fatigue. Whole foods and fresh vegetables and fruits should provide the carbohydrate portion of a balanced diet.
Long-standing dietary advice has caused general confusion about fats. Many experts have said that they are unnecessary for health and should be limited. However, some are vital to well-being, while good fats cause less weight gain than an over-indulgence of carbohydrates. There are some elements in fish oil, for instance, that cannot be found in other foods in quantities sufficient for proper development and maintenance of nervous tissue.
Whole foods grown by sustainable agricultural methods provide good fats and the vitamins and minerals needed for health and vitality. If the diet is poor because of lack of time, knowledge, or access to quality food, supplementation with dietary aids from reputable manufacturers may be the answer.
Research shows that food sold in American grocery stores has almost fifty percent less nutrition than the same products had fifty years ago. This is in part because agricultural land farmed by conventional methods - drenched with chemical fertilizers and tainted by pesticides and herbicides - has fewer minerals than soils did in former days. Picking vegetables and fruits before they are fully ripe also diminishes their food value, as does long periods in cold storage.
Basically, the body needs protein, fat, and carbohydrates, as well as adequate water and exercise. Water is needed to provide the fluids in the body that aid in digestion of food and transportation of nutrients and wastes. Exercise helps the processes of metabolism, such as circulation of blood and lymph. Not all foods are equal in nutritional value, and a plentiful supply of calories does not constitute a good diet.
Fats, for instance, are often regarded as evils, but many are vital to development and energy production. Many important fats go rancid quickly, and all can be harmed by high heat during processing; good fats can turn into harmful toxins. Manufacturers routinely remove important elements like Omega-3 fatty acids, which shorten shelf life, and use altered fats to restore taste and texture. For this reason, health experts advise supplementation of essential fatty acids.
Protein is another thing which may be deficient in the daily diet. People who limit the amount of meat, eggs, and dairy products they consume may be getting less than the forty grams that are recommended as a minimum for each day's consumption. Getting less than this amount can cause fatigue, loss of muscle strength, lack of mental alertness, weak hair and nails, and other conditions that affect health and well-being.
Carbohydrates are vital nutrients, but they often make up too much of the diet. Refined carbohydrates - white flour products and sugary foods - in particular lead to the plague of obesity. The body cannot process refined carbohydrates properly, and they also do not provide quality nutrients but are instead 'empty calorie' foods. This causes other conditions, as well, such as diabetes, heart disease, and chronic fatigue. Whole foods and fresh vegetables and fruits should provide the carbohydrate portion of a balanced diet.
Long-standing dietary advice has caused general confusion about fats. Many experts have said that they are unnecessary for health and should be limited. However, some are vital to well-being, while good fats cause less weight gain than an over-indulgence of carbohydrates. There are some elements in fish oil, for instance, that cannot be found in other foods in quantities sufficient for proper development and maintenance of nervous tissue.
Whole foods grown by sustainable agricultural methods provide good fats and the vitamins and minerals needed for health and vitality. If the diet is poor because of lack of time, knowledge, or access to quality food, supplementation with dietary aids from reputable manufacturers may be the answer.
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