With the release of the new dietary guidelines, in the form of the new food pyramid, I still find that many people don't actually understand what nutrition actually means. Because of this, dietary choices can seem overwhelming. Even greater confusion can be generated by prime time news specials which only strive to educate through clever sound-bites and diet fads which lead some to believe that all of their answers are found in one single "magic food." So what is nutrition and how can you understand it in a way that helps you apply it to your life and to the benefit of those you know and love? Here's an analogy I have found helpful in teaching those who attend my free Sunday Night Wellness Call.
Your body functions in a manner similar to a car assembly plant. At that plant, a steady stream of new parts, the correct parts and parts in the right ratios to each other are absolutely necessary in order to keep that plant open for business and running smoothly.
What would happen if someone in purchasing forgot to provide that plant with steering wheels? The cars would be almost functional. But because of a single part deficiency, that car would not be able to carry out its intended function.
If this only happened to a few cars, it probably wouldn't be a big deal. You wouldn't see any symptoms of a parts deficiency. But what if that plant had no steering wheels for an entire month? How about year? First the plant would probably close, the community would fail. Good people would move away and the "bad elements" would most likely take over the town. The lack of balanced parts would eventually lead to dire conditions.
What happens when the cells of your body are missing parts?
You eat to provide your cells with nourishment. It's not just about calories. That nourishment is the collection of parts every cell in your body needs to function properly. You provide your cells with parts and those parts are assembled according to instructions in your DNA to create a variety of finished products. That could include new cells, of which there are many kinds, anti bodies to fight disease, neurotransmitters to carry signals between nerves, and hormones to regulate your body.
So again, there are beneficial raw materials in foods, which our bodies use, and need, to carry out vital cellular functions.
These functions keep us alive.
These functions combat disease.
These functions allow us to heal.
These functions allow our cells to build new cells and all of the other finished materials that are necessary for normal life and optimal health.
And these raw materials are called nutrients.
We eat to give our body access to nutrients.
Sadly, our food does not contain the nutrients it once had in abundance, so it is necessary to supplement a good diet with quality nutritional supplementation to ensure that our cells do not suffer from a parts deficiency. We should still strive to have a good diet, from as many whole foods as possible, with supplementation being a means to supplement, not substitute, the benefits of a good diet.
Dave Saunders is a certified nutritional educator, wellness coach, member of the American International Association of Nutritional Education (AIANE) and author. He is also the host of a weekly, nation-wide telephone lecture on health and nutrition.
For additional information, please visit http://www.glycoboy .com or http://www.glycoboy.com or email Dave at http://www.glycoboy.com>
no-contract cleaning service Des Plaines ..Secretly we all want just a few things in life,... Read More
Sprouts not only taste good, but they are also a... Read More
Protein is one of the basic building blocks of the... Read More
Since Dr Basant Puri, a consultant psychiatrist and senior lecturer... Read More
The fact that diet directly affects behaviour is no news,... Read More
What is the best protein powder to buy? I get... Read More
Your Non-Conscious Mind is 98% of your full power. Over... Read More
The best weight training and cardio workouts will do very... Read More
Copyright ? 2004 priya shah Glutathione, the body's... Read More
When it comes to planning a healthy diet, fat is... Read More
Americans are literally running out of time. Achieving a work-life... Read More
The Omega Zone Diet and specialists' opinion"Omega RX Zone -... Read More
When I hear the word fat I usually think of... Read More
Fire ElementAccording to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) there are five... Read More
Since the 1930's the western diet has dramatically changed. This... Read More
Heart disease remains the number one cause of death in... Read More
How is it that we can't seem to think that... Read More
Since the beginning of time, everyday fruits have been known... Read More
Your healthOrganically grown fruit and vegetables are not covered in... Read More
We come from a society where growing organic and just... Read More
They're not only good for you, but they taste good,... Read More
Calcium helps reduce constipationUsing calcium and magnesium in the right... Read More
The secret of success is knowing how to deal with... Read More
Mango is my favorite fruit next to pineapples. They're sweet,... Read More
It is ironic how something as obvious as nutrition has... Read More
bathroom cleaning service Lake Forest ..Unhealthy eating is a harmful problem in America, and contrary... Read More
The key to good hydration is drinking a lot of... Read More
In order to eat fewer calories than you need, you... Read More
Following a diet program of any sort can sometimes be... Read More
In the last twenty years, a huge and growing body... Read More
Nuts are readily available and provide a highly nutritious food.... Read More
Have you ever watched someone who appears thin and healthy... Read More
Whenever possible, we should try to get our antioxidants and... Read More
When was the last time you consumed soda? Most likely,... Read More
Spring is in the air and ? summer is around... Read More
After we have eaten a meal -- and often we... Read More
Unfortunately, the words "diet" and "cheating" go hand in hand.... Read More
Enzymes are the workers in our body that make everything... Read More
Heart disease results when plaque builds up inside the arterial... Read More
It's 5:30 p.m. and you're heading home after a long,... Read More
In parts 1-6 of this series of articles titled "Take... Read More
For decades science has been looking for the answers to... Read More
For a natural and tasty way to improve your health... Read More
Everyone can benefit from understanding how food affects our... Read More
Nutrition is extremely important for any young person, especially an... Read More
One of the biggest mistakes many new bodybuilders make is... Read More
Mannatech's patent-pending glyconutrients complex, Ambrotose, is perhaps the greatest wellness... Read More
Is the thrill gone? Has the thrill gone out of... Read More
I start from the premise that eating instinctively means eating... Read More
I had finally come to a place in my life... Read More
Nutrition |