Nutrition is variously described as a bodily process of utilizing food, as the actual supply of nutrients from foods eaten, and as the science of metabolism as it pertains to nutrients taken in, digested, and delivered for use by the body. For those of us who are not scientists, it means healthy food, supplements, and other necessary things that build health and improve the quality of life.
Most of us know that there are high and low calorie foods. Calories are used to measure how much heat is produced in metabolism. Calories are not all bad; the ones that are combined with valuable nutrients provide energy. However, 'empty calories' in foods devoid of nutrients are detrimental to health. They can even be negatives, if their digestion drains stored vitamins and minerals from the body.
Whole, fresh foods hold out the best hope of a diet sufficient in vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial substances. For many generations, people lived on food that they produced or gathered themselves, and this food provided what they needed to maintain health and stave off illness. Vegetables from the garden, fruit off the trees, grain from the fields, and meat from the barnyard were staples of everyday diets.
Foods are modified for commercial reasons. Fresh fruits are both expensive and perishable. It's easier to stock up on canned fruits and vegetables, frozen fruit juices, or frozen vegetables. Milk, once drunk raw (unpasteurized) and fresh from the cow or goat, is now pasteurized and homogenized. Unfortunately, much of the goodness of the natural food was lost along the way.
Essential fatty acids differ in how quickly they become rancid. Some are removed entirely from shelf-stable foods, which creates an imbalance and eventually a deficiency. This is why health advocates have recommended extra Omega-3 fatty acids, most easily found in supplement form. Fiber is lacking in many diet plans, since white flour has had the fibrous bran removed. Vitamins fade quickly from fresh produce shipped from far away, and minerals are lacking when soils are depleted.
Food is said to be the best medicine. An effort should be made to get as much fresh, whole food as possible every day. Food allergies or sensitivities can complicate things for people who may already be suffering from malnutrition. Artificial colors, flavorings, and preservatives have proved harmful in laboratory studies, and many believe they aggravate such things as allergies, attention deficit disorder, and hyperactivity in children.
Nutritional science involves more than food. Exercise such as walking, weight training, or body building is important; it tones muscles and the digestive tract and encourages regularity. It also results in deeper breathing, another factor for good health. Copious amounts of pure water, free of chemicals and impurities, are recommended by every health care professional. Getting enough deep, restorative sleep is also necessary for optimum well-being.
Anyone interested in a good quality of life, with freedom from pain and illness and enough energy to enjoy both work and play, must understand nutrition and assess their own diet. Much suffering and expense can thus be avoided.
Most of us know that there are high and low calorie foods. Calories are used to measure how much heat is produced in metabolism. Calories are not all bad; the ones that are combined with valuable nutrients provide energy. However, 'empty calories' in foods devoid of nutrients are detrimental to health. They can even be negatives, if their digestion drains stored vitamins and minerals from the body.
Whole, fresh foods hold out the best hope of a diet sufficient in vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial substances. For many generations, people lived on food that they produced or gathered themselves, and this food provided what they needed to maintain health and stave off illness. Vegetables from the garden, fruit off the trees, grain from the fields, and meat from the barnyard were staples of everyday diets.
Foods are modified for commercial reasons. Fresh fruits are both expensive and perishable. It's easier to stock up on canned fruits and vegetables, frozen fruit juices, or frozen vegetables. Milk, once drunk raw (unpasteurized) and fresh from the cow or goat, is now pasteurized and homogenized. Unfortunately, much of the goodness of the natural food was lost along the way.
Essential fatty acids differ in how quickly they become rancid. Some are removed entirely from shelf-stable foods, which creates an imbalance and eventually a deficiency. This is why health advocates have recommended extra Omega-3 fatty acids, most easily found in supplement form. Fiber is lacking in many diet plans, since white flour has had the fibrous bran removed. Vitamins fade quickly from fresh produce shipped from far away, and minerals are lacking when soils are depleted.
Food is said to be the best medicine. An effort should be made to get as much fresh, whole food as possible every day. Food allergies or sensitivities can complicate things for people who may already be suffering from malnutrition. Artificial colors, flavorings, and preservatives have proved harmful in laboratory studies, and many believe they aggravate such things as allergies, attention deficit disorder, and hyperactivity in children.
Nutritional science involves more than food. Exercise such as walking, weight training, or body building is important; it tones muscles and the digestive tract and encourages regularity. It also results in deeper breathing, another factor for good health. Copious amounts of pure water, free of chemicals and impurities, are recommended by every health care professional. Getting enough deep, restorative sleep is also necessary for optimum well-being.
Anyone interested in a good quality of life, with freedom from pain and illness and enough energy to enjoy both work and play, must understand nutrition and assess their own diet. Much suffering and expense can thus be avoided.
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