Small Steps, Sensible Choices, Superior Health.

Good Nutrition Builds
A Solid Foundation

In today’s rushed modern world, proper nutrition isn't a priority, in fact, sometimes it's hard to even find the time to eat.

There are so many quick convenient ways to feed ourselves, it's far too easy to choose the wrong foods. 

Obesity and diabetes are at an all time high, mainly due to eating the wrong foods..  In order to change this trend, we need to develop some healthy eating guidelines.

Even if you do make healthy food choices, it's nearly impossible to get all the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients your body needs to operate at its full potential.

Our Bodies Run on Good Nutrition

In order to work the way our bodies were designed, we need specific vitamins, minerals, and nutrients from all the food groups and at all the proper levels to maintain optimum health.

Our grandparents may have been able to meet these requirements. However, in today’s environment they aren't being met even if we try to have healthy eating habits.

Think about it, if an organ isn't fed properly it can't perform its function, and the body will let you know of this deficiency by developing a "symptom" of some type.

Whether it's a minor ache or pain or a serious disease like cancer, your body is telling you that it's compromised in some way and can't operate effectively.

The Food Guide Pyramid

The average adult needs a specific amount of servings from each of the food groups in order to meet their daily requirements. These amounts are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

The USDA estimates that the average person burns about 2,000 calories a day. However, that will vary based on your age, size, activity level etc.

The new USDA guidelines released in 2008 are a bit of an improvement because they now recommend 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day which increases our antioxidants and decreases inflammation. and disease.

However, for optimum health many nutritionists and other healthcare professionals still believe the new chart misses the mark. While the USDA may believe their pyramid will lead to healthy food choices, in reality it can't.

One may think they are "eating healthy" but our food source is nutrient depleted, loaded with unnecessary chemicals and food color dyes. Many are using supplements to make up for the deficiency.

Genetically Modified Food

Genetically modified food products have been forced upon us. Despite the health concerns, there are no mandatory regulations requiring genetically engineered foods to be labeled.

Many people are trying to develop healthy eating habits and want to know what they are putting into their bodies. I believe this is the reason many people are purchasing organic foods which are safer and have more nutrients.

Growing your own produce is another healthy choice for eating healthy, if that's an option for you.

Where Have All the Nutrients Gone?

The non-organic farming practices used today are designed to yield large crops year after year.

This is accomplished by using chemicals, pesticides and other non-organic farming practices.

These methods have increased food production. They even produce large good looking produce, but they have also stripped the nutrients out of the food.

An apple today is much larger but not as nutritious as an apple eaten a hundred years ago. It would take numerous apples today to equal the nutritional equivalent of an apple in 1950.

Non-nutritious Grains

Our soil has become so depleted that every year farmers have to add more chemicals, pesticides and inorganic material to their crops in order to produce the required amount of food.

Again, this may produce higher quantities, but not a higher quality grain. More quantity and less quality is not a healthy choice when it comes to food and nutrition.

Cattle farmers now have to supplement the livestock feed because the grains are so depleted of nutrients.

In fact, cattle are actually becoming sick due to the lack of nutrition provided by their diet and must be treated with antibiotic therapy. Is it any wonder that humans are facing the same problems?

This is thought to be the reason that antibiotics are becoming so resistant.

Growth Hormones & Chemical Additives

Wouldn't it be great if the livestock could graze naturally in green pastures, as God intended? But that doesn't work well with the modern commercial farming practices of today.  It would take much longer for the animal to reach maturity.  So growth hormones are used to quickly produce bigger animals and more milk.

According to the Center For Food Safety, up to 80% of our cattle raised in the U.S. is treated with growth hormones rBGH and rBST (recombinant bovine growth hormone and recominant bovine somatotropin).

Try to make healthy meat and dairy choices by looking for the labels saying "not treated with rBGH or rBST.

More non rBGH dairy products are available in the supermarkets today. However, from the nutrition standpoint, dairy products do present a problem for a great percentage of the population that suffers from a lactose intolerance.    

There are farmers who still abide by Mother Nature's rules. You can usually find these meat and dairy products from "pasture fed animals" at upscale grocery markets, health food stores, local farms or by doing a search on the internet.

It will cost a little more than what you're used to paying at the grocery store. But if you can't afford pasture fed meat, at least look for meats from "organic" farms and are labeled to be free from growth hormones and other harmful substances.

It's easy to see why the demand for organic food is on the rise. Learn more about benefits of organic foods here.

Wait, I'm Not Ripe Yet!

If our fruit could talk, that's what you'd hear it say. Our produce is picked before maturity, and placed in cold storage (which further destroys the nutrients).  Then its gassed to prevent ripening until they get them to the grocery store.

By the time they reach the store, they've lost 30-50% of their vitamins and minerals. Then we take the poor little veggies home and cook 'em to death so they don't really have much nutrition by the time we eat them.

Eating Healthy vs. Fast Food and Packaged Foods

Life has become too busy and rushed so as a result, the fast food industry was invented. Just drive through any major city and you'll see they have taken over most of our major roads.

People are so busy they aren't making healthy food choices when it comes to nutrition. They either grab fast food or they just skip a meal.

Most every woman knows the dilemma of trying to feed her family after having worked all day. The meal doesn't usually include all the food groups. It's much easier to cook up a package of something that basically fills the belly, but rarely fuels the body.

Most fast food and packaged foods are usually high in sugar, or worse yet, artificial sweetners , high fructose corn syrup and trans fats and low in vitamins and minerals. Not to mention the unhealthy additives like monosodium glutamate MSG and other chemicals.

If you simply can't part with some of your packaged foods, look for products without these dangerous toxins:

• monosodium glutamate MSG (disguised with many names),
  
• high fructose corn syrup (recently discovered to contain mercury)
• trans fats
  
• hydrogenated oils in any amounts. 
  
• food color dyes
  

These toxins are not only dangerous to your health, but they make it nearly impossible to lose weight as well.

While most fast food and packaged food is unhealthy and lacking in nutrition, it is convenient and widely consumed across the country.

It's certainly a contributing factor in the decline of healthy eating habits and obesity. That is why more and more people are using supplements for better nutrition.

Additional Resources

Healthy Eating Guidelines

Go To Healthy Choices 4 Life Home Page

Healthy Recipes For Your Healthy Choices This is a great site with loads of ground poultry recipes.