This is the fourth article on Wellness. The key to Wellness is being able to provide “balance” in one’s lifestyle. Whether we are talking about the body, mind, family, society, or finances it is important to make choices which support wellness lifestyles. Let’s not kid ourselves, getting out of balance happens whether we want it to or not! The key is do we know how to get back in balance, does our home or office help, and can we? Our bodies are designed to heal themselves if given the right environment. Nutrition is one of the essentials just as water, and sleep.
It is obvious that without eating we would not survive. However, eating anything, eating the wrong thing, or not eating enough of certain things, does not mean we will be well. Our lifestyles (what we eat drink and do, or not do) are responsible for many of our diseases. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that 92% of Americans do not get sufficient nutrients from the food they eat. We do not eat enough fruits and vegetables and the recommended servings are now 9-11 per day. So what do we need to be well?
Science has determined that each person has a need for 92 daily essential nutrients. They are essential because the body does not manufacture them and the body needs them daily to function. A deficiency in any one of the 92 essential nutrients can lead to disease and imbalance.
We all need the same nutrients; we just need different amounts, depending upon gender, stress, what we eat, whether we exercise, etc. It has been estimated that for each deficiency there are about 10 diseases attributed to it. That totals over 900 diseases which can be prevented. What does it cost us not to attend to this issue?
So if I just eat right I’ll be well? While it is very important the quality of food we eat, it is almost impossible to get all the vitamins and minerals needed from our foods. The AMA, along with other experts, recommends that everyone supplement with vitamins and minerals. Most of our food is shipped over long distances, processed, treated with chemicals which our bodies must process, and simply does not have all we need.
These factors change the food we eat. They have less and less nutrient value for bodies. For example: one serving of spinach which in 1940 contained nutrients which, to get the same amount, would require eating a whole wheelbarrow today. We simply cannot eat enough. The minerals are no longer in our soil and thus the plants and animals we eat do not have them. It is simply not there!
How do I know what I need? The area of vitamins and supplements has developed exploded along with the Wellness industry. The best approach seems to be using whole food products.
While individual vitamins and minerals can be necessary, we know that if nutrition is kept in the whole food form the benefits are enhanced. The essence of the plant maximizes the benefits of the vitamins, minerals, enzymes and phytonutrients.
Look also for pharmaceutical grade vitamins and minerals as it will be within 2% of what the label says. This usually means that you do not buy your vitamins where you buy your medicine. There is a difference. Nutritional supplements need to be bioavailable, i.e. available at the cellular level, and biodirected, i.e. able to be focused.
Ted Aloisio, in his book, Blood Never Lies, states, “Taking a poor supplement is worse than taking none at all.”
He refers to them as ‘potty pellets,’ and notes that The Journal of Chiropractic Economics reported that “250,000 pounds of undigested multi-mineral and vitamin tablets and pills are pulled out of the Seattle, Washington sewage filters every six weeks – many of them with the brand names still readable.”
You get what you pay for is accurate here, and it is important to consider what it costs if you DO NOT get quality vitamins and minerals. It is a truism that we will pay one way or the other. If you want you and your family to live a balanced lifestyle the right amount of vitamins and minerals is essential.
We know so much more about nutrition and our bodies than we did fifty years ago. Children who do not receive proper nutrition will not achieve maximum physical or mental potential.
Age 15 is when eating habits are established. Are our 15 year olds on a path of wellness or on a sick path? What is their nutritional environment?
The home is essential in this equation. This is where they learn it.
Providing ourselves a balanced environment for wellness we must also consider air. Most of us spend the largest part of our lives indoors which is our most toxic air.
The number of people of all ages with asthma, allergies, and other respiratory problems has increased dramatically over the past 50 years. Why? Let’s look at air in the next article and see its essential hold on our Wellness!
