We rely on our food to get nutrients into our bodies. When we are hungry we eat. What happens if the food we eat is not enough? Hippocrates said “Let food by thy medicine and medicine thy food”. A true statement but somewhat hollow if the food you eat is lacking in nutrients.
People often tell me they “eat very healthily”. While this may appear to be the case, unless you are eating completely organic food replete with minerals like selenium and magnesium, then your nutritional needs are not being met. Our busy lifestyles can have an immense impact on our eating trends, which in turn affects our nutrition intake. But perhaps more seriously, we can no longer rely on our food to supply us with the quality and quantity of the vital nutrients we need for good health. More than ever before, our bodies need extra help.
Our bodies need a balanced diet of vitamin and minerals and trace elements. However, the nutrient quality of our food can only be determined by the quality of the environment in which it is grown – the soil and the sea; the nutrient quality of our fresh food is only as good as the quality of its source.
Fresh fish can be a rich source of proteins, vitamins, calcium and also essential polyunsaturated fats such as Omega-3 and are a valuable source of nutrition to pregnant women and nursing mothers.
Exercise is also essential for our bodies. It is now estimated that almost a quarter of all British adults are obese and if current trends continue this could rise to over 50% by 2050. Add to this hectic lifestyles with missed or rushed meals, convenience foods and a multitude of fast food outlets, the chances of maintaining a balanced nutrient rich diet are for many, ironically, slim!
Stress will also deplete vital nutrients from the body, in particular ones the liver requires. So taking time out to eat is essential. Also, make sure you chew your food well, to the point of it becoming a complete mush. Your digestive system will cope far better than swallowing big pieces of undigested food.
If you are unable to eat organic food through and through to support your system, I would recommend augmenting your nutrition through food-state supplements. Check out our range of Native Elements products as the body recognises them as food, and not as foreign or isolated supplements which are not absorbed as readily in the body. Food state supplements contain the necessary cofactors the body needs for absorption.