What is good nutrition?
I’ve seen a lot of confusion about what “good nutrition” is. I’ve seen a lot of confusion about what supplements are and confusion about what the difference is between vitamins and herbs. I have seen these definitions misunderstood and misused. Let’s get to the basics.
what your body needs
There are forty nutrients that the body cannot manufacture. They are essential fatty acids, 15 vitamins, 14 minerals and 10 amino acids. Taken together, these forty nutrients are what the body needs to function optimally. All forty nutrients work together; Therefore, the lack of one can lead to deficiencies that can cause problems for your health.
Where do you get these nutrients from? From the food we eat.
When do we add? You’re supplementing these vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, and amino acids when you’re not getting what your body needs from the food you eat.
Yes, this is where unprocessed organic foods come in. You get more of those forty nutrients when you get them from real foods, not processed foods with an “other ingredients” list on the label.
Organic foods are certified organic products that have been grown and processed according to strict standards. No harmful chemicals have been applied to the land where these foods are grown for at least 3 years. They use environmentally friendly methods and substances to improve the soil and control pests. The result of this is that organic foods contain more nutrients that the body needs.
repair of the body
Since we know that given the right tools (or nutrients as above) the body will repair itself, we can see natural healing occurring.
In natural healing, you replenish the nutrients that the body needs for that specific health problem. There is usually a deficiency in a specific nutrient that caused the problem in the first place. These deficiencies can be any one or a combination of the forty nutrients the body needs to function properly; which means to generate energy and repair itself.
Repair? The body is made up of cells and cells are always dying and new cells are always being formed. Whether new healthy or unhealthy cells are created depends on having the right nutrients available for this repair. A good carpenter can make a beautiful piece of furniture, but he needs good, sturdy wood and nails. He wouldn’t get a good piece of furniture if he only had plywood and staples.
What about herbal supplements?
Herbs are not among the essential nutrients for health. Is it the same type of supplement?
Herbs are called the green pharmacy. Herbs are used to replace or enhance medicines (but be sure to check with your pharmacist before mixing a medicine and herbal remedy).
Herbs are natural: they are not artificial chemicals. They can be taken as compresses, teas or infusions. They are also found as extracts in many herbal remedies.
Herbs are medicinal remedies and were used by physicians and taught in medical schools before the 1920’s. Herbs can help the body recover, but you must always know that you must address the underlying cause of the problem and allow the body to heal itself. In order to heal itself, the body needs its ingredients for health, namely the forty nutrients described above.
Thanks to Chris Daino
