When we think about nutrition, we think about feeding our bodies. But, nutrition has different meanings to different people. If your belief is that the act of eating provides your body with the nutrition it needs to function healthfully, you had better take a good hard look at your diet to be certain that it is nutrition you are feeding yourself.
Too many Americans eat the SAD (Standard American Diet). This diet consists mostly of processed, refined foods that lack the nutrition that our bodies need. The food industry spends tons of money in advertising and development in order to come up with products that consumers will buy. Unfortunately, this is at the cost of nutrition. Most food manufacturers strive to maintain a long shelf life for their products. This increases sales and cuts down on waste due to the rotting of food. Chemicals and preservatives are added to foods to make them last longer. By refining grains, the elements of the grain that enable it to rot are removed making it unappealing to infestations by small bugs who would otherwise feed on it causing it to rot.
But, what is the cost to our health? In a word the cost to our health is great. By consuming these modified “foods” we are eating only to sustain ourselves. We are not providing our bodies with the level of nutrition it needs to remain healthy. We are consuming a diet high in saturated fat and refined carbohydrate food stuffs that make us gain weight and lose out on valuable nutrients that keep us healthy in the long term.
One of the reasons that diseases like cancer, diabetes, and coronary heart disease are so prevalent in our society is the consumption of these highly processed foods that offer very little in the way of nutrition.
In order to maintain good health with natural nutrition, we need to start eliminating these processed, refined foods and get back to nature. Consume more whole foods like organic fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Eat healthy fats such as the ones found in nuts and avocados. And heart healthy oils like olive oil for cooking and condiment.
By incorporating more of these healthy foods into your diet and eliminating the bad ones, you will be working your way toward natural nutrition and all of the health benefits it provides. Your body will reward for all of your efforts with good health. And really without good health, we don’t have anything at all.
