In parts one and two of this series, titled "Take Back Your Life" and "Take Back Your Life 2"; we discussed the importance of proper cell function and the necessity of having and maintaining a balanced endocrine system as they relate to wellness. Here in part 3, we shall examine why vitamins and minerals, including certain trace minerals are absolutely necessary to further insure and maintain a state of wellness and optimum health.
Fresh foods have, in the past, been the main source that provided vitamins and minerals essential to the properly functioning, healthy human body. These nutrients, naturally occurring in some fresh fruits and vegetables, can and have, in the past given our bodies what was needed for health and vitality. Today, however, because of modern farming, harvesting, storage, and food processing methods, our formally nutrient rich food sources contain lower levels of some vitamins and minerals for supporting and maintaining good health. We still need to eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables in our daily food consumption, but we also need to complement that dietary habit with adequate, high quality, food formed vitamin and mineral supplements in order to insure that our healthy, active lifestyles which include proper diet and exercise are contributing to the desired state of optimal health.
Today, nutritionists remind us that we need to eat 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables including a healthy balance of dairy products, lean meats, and whole grains. But with modern methods of processing whereby our foods are boiled, microwaved, canned, frozen, refined, pasteurized, and laced with additives intended to help preserve them, our fresh fruits and vegetables are lower in vitamins and minerals today than they were even 30 years ago. One example from a recent study reported that two peaches would have supplied the current RDA of vitamin A for adult women in 1951. Today, a woman would have to eat almost 53 peaches to meet her daily requirements! These losses are due, primarily to the fact that food science has focused on the issues of mass production, visual appearance, and physical features that motivate people to buy rather than nutrient content. The average fruit or vegetable travels 1,500 to 2,500 miles from the farm to your plate. They are grown, harvested, stored, and handled with this in mind as priority of waste and product loss before being sold, trump any concerns for nutrient content and health benefits. There are extensive losses of many important nutrients during all stages of food production as our foods move from the farms to our tables to be eaten. Therefore we must supplement our diets with high quality food formed vitamins and minerals in order to achieve the health benefits that we desire.
Health is defined in Stedman's medical dictionary as a state of normal functioning without evidence of disease or abnormality. That means feeling good, being symptom free, having all organ systems apparently functioning normally, no evidence of disease, and enough energy to do what we want to do. The lifestyle choices that we make are contributing factors in the quest for optimal health. Choices can be made that will have a major impact on our health. These choices include lifestyle, diet and nutrition. This is why it is highly recommended that we exercise, eat well, and supplement wisely. To be included in our diets are certain fruits and vegetables that help our bodies fend off disease. Amounts recommended include eating 5 to 9 varied servings of fruits and vegetables every day. It is further recommended that these food servings include cruciferous vegetables, citrus fruit, dark leafy vegetables and yellow/orange/red vegetables with three different colors per day. The vast majority of people in Western countries do not eat like this, which leads to poor health and desperate disease states. This being the case, if we will not eat the ideal diet, for whatever reason, it becomes absolutely necessary that we supplement our diets, with whole food based supplements. Isolated synthetics will not do the trick. Food formed vitamins and minerals as close to that found in Nature are best.
"Vita", the Latin word for "life", is the root of "vitamin", the name given to certain nutrients identified as essential to life. Certain minerals have also been shown to be vitally important to human health. Vitamins and minerals are micronutrients that work together with enzymes to facilitate the chemical reactions involved in virtually every process in the body. Shortage of necessary vitamins or minerals can block critical functions. A certain level of intake of specific vitamins and minerals is required for optimal health. Micronutrient deficiencies in the diets of many people, I believe, contribute to many of our disease conditions that exist today. And because of this widely held association, I cannot think of anyone who would not benefit from this type of supplementation to their daily diet. Daily supplementation is certainly very important to help avoid the risks to our health that are associated with poor diet. But, be careful! Not all vitamin and mineral supplements are created equal. There are vast differences between brands. Experts have learned that taking too much of certain vitamins is not healthy and can actually cause health problems. Ratios of one ingredient to another can also make a significant difference in how well any vitamin product will work. Be sure to get a comprehensive multivitamin and mineral supplement that is formulated to give you what you need and that is food formed so that your body may recognize and utilize these beneficial nutrients. And above all else remember to drink plenty of pure, enhanced water, move your body, eat well, and supplement wisely so that you can take back your life.
To read more about why Steve is so passionate about moving toward wellness and how you can head that way through a healthy lifestyle, that includes proper vitamin and mineral support supplementation, visit http://steve.myglycostore.com/go/glycentials
recurring cleaning service Wilmette ..A 2003 study by the Health Sciences Department of the... Read More
Herbal nutrition supplements are everywhere these days. So should you... Read More
While America has given birth to the song "Young at... Read More
Many people take amino acids for height growth these days.... Read More
It is well known and scientifically proven that vitamins and... Read More
Vitamin C may be the most famous vitamin. Tens of... Read More
Undoubtedly calcium has become a hot topic of controversy. We... Read More
For women, calcium is one of the most important nutrients... Read More
I finally bought the stuff. I couldn't resist anymore. After... Read More
Vitamin B6 is the hardest working nutrient in the human... Read More
The last year hasn't been a good one for vitamin... Read More
L-carnitine is synthesized in the body from the amino acids... Read More
Are you not feeling any results from your nutritional supplements?Here... Read More
"Anybody who tells you that disease has only one cause,... Read More
Have you ever purchased something thinking you had bought a... Read More
Taurox is an excellent way to find true and healthy... Read More
I have good news for you! The answer is both... Read More
Antioxidant vitamins perform many important tasks that our bodies benefits... Read More
This complex mixture of nutrient-rich growth factors, immunoglobulins, glycoconjugates and... Read More
Americans are buzzing about the FDA's recent decision to reverse... Read More
Numerous studies and surveys have consistently shown that a majority... Read More
Not many years ago the liquid vitamin supplement was unheard... Read More
Vitamin E is a family of eight related molecules known... Read More
It seems today that for every mood swing, inconvenient behavior,... Read More
April 14,2005 federal judge Tena Campbell of the federal district... Read More
reliable maid service Morton Grove ..You read about a supplement that allegedly "Boosts your mood... Read More
What's the best muscle building supplement available today? You might... Read More
Nutrients form the basis for your body, emotional and spiritual... Read More
Should I Take Vitamins With My Low Carb Diet?Most low... Read More
Can you treat a headache or stomach ache externally, without... Read More
The growing numbers of health conscious people today living more... Read More
The initial success of penicillin generated an assumption which has... Read More
Finding out a little about amino acid basics enables you... Read More
As the name suggests, muscle milk is a supplement that... Read More
At times, due to your busy and fast life, we... Read More
Perhaps you first read riboflavin at the back of a... Read More
To supplement or not to supplement ? that is the... Read More
It is well known and scientifically proven that vitamins and... Read More
Fetuses and infants simply must get enough omega-3 oils for... Read More
L-carnitine is a nutritional supplement that has been touted by... Read More
Taking good care of your body means that you are... Read More
Sports Supplement ? what is it?We are all aware of... Read More
In a perfect world, your children would eat a balanced... Read More
When I began to study nutrition, I too believed that... Read More
Simply stated, the Greek word glyco refers to "sweet." Hence,... Read More
Over the past few years, Coral Calcium has received a... Read More
HMB stands for beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate. It is a metabolite of... Read More
While America has given birth to the song "Young at... Read More
Vitamin B5 or pantothenic acid plays a supporting role in... Read More
Vitamin B1 also called as thiamine is one of the... Read More
Nutritional Supplements |