Nutrition Wise

Good nutrition is the foundation of good health, everyone needs the four basic nutrients – water, carbohydrates, proteins and fats – as well as vitamins, minerals and micronutrients.

If we do not give our bodies the proper nutrients we can impair the bodies normal functions and cause ourselves great harm. Even if there is no sign of illnesses we may not necessary be healthy. It simple may be that we are not yet showing, exhibiting the overt symptoms of the illness. Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Heart diseases, High Cholesterol, and most cancers do not develop over night. Your body reacts according to the food and nutrients you yourself put in your mouth and swallow, that includes smoking. Your body will perform according to what you feed it. Then add to that negative thinking, bitterness, anger, stress and wrong sleeping patterns and you have a recipe for sickness and diseases to disable your body to function optimal.

Most do not get enough of the nutrients needed from our diets because most of the foods we consume are either cooked or processed. Cooking and processing destroy vital nutrients that the body needs to function optimal. The organic raw foods are mostly missing in our modern diets today hence the need for supplements especially in the rat race we find ourselves today. Remember each person is an individual, the stress levels are different and diets differ from person to person. So keep that in mind when you drink supplements.

By understanding the principles of healthy nutrition and knowing what nutrients you need, you then can improve the state of your health, stave off diseases and maintain a harmonious  balance the way nature intended.

Nutrients are involved in all body processes, from growth, combating infections, to repairing tissue to the ability of using your brain optimal. All though nutrients have different specific functions, their common function is to keep us going.

Our ancestors rarely died from diet and lifestyle diseases that kill most modern people before their time today, mainly because they ate more healthy unprocessed foods and had more active lifestyles. They consumed game, fresh caught fish, water from a fountain or well- no chemicals added, wild berries, nuts and plant foods freshly harvested from their garden and free range chicken and eggs. Beef and lamb without injected hormones.

In our modern society we say yes to every whim and desire of our plate, without considering the consequences or the health benefits; resulting in a national dilemma of becoming overweight, sedentary and an increasingly sick population.

The top leading causes for hospitalization, includes obesity, diabetes, haemorrhoids, varicose veins, heart attacks, kidney stones, diverticulosis, diverticulitis, cancer, peptic ulcers, hiatal hernia, appendicitis and gall stones. All diseases representing lifestyle choices of modernization and industrialization.

You do not live to eat but you eat to live.

Avoid foods that contain additives and artificial ingredients.

Increase your consumption of raw products

Avoid overcooking your food

Use proper cooking utensils (avoid aluminium cookware and utensils)

Limit your salt intake ( if possible use pink salt)

Avoid Artificial sweeteners

Avoid sugary fizzy cool drinks

Avoid foods with added sugars

Check your caffeine intake

Limit alcohol consumption

Stop smoking it destroys all the good nutrients you feed yourself

Compiled by Christa de Villiers
References: James F. Balch M.D.; Phyllis A. Balch, C.N.C. ; Dr Jordan S. Rubin