Some of the reasons for this are the techniques used in high volume, commercial farming. The ground is deficient of good nutrients, so chemical fertilizers are added to the soils. These chemicals ultimately end up in the produce that people buy to be healthy. On top of this are all the other chemicals that are used to kill weeds, bugs, and fungus in the agricultural field. These are all in the food too. One of the best ways to help yourself is to grow a garden if possible.
Next, Americans in general do not eat enough of the right kinds of foods. Much of today’s diet is made up of processed foods. Processed foods are anything that is commercially processed. This includes any commercial baked goods, canned goods, any pre-packaged foods, foods that are irradiated, or have some chemical processing before they get to the consumer. This leaves little to choose from, so choose items that have the least number of ingredients and no ingredients that can’t be pronounced. Following this rule will limit the amount of processing and artificial ingredients. Really, food is the best medicine. It can be used to keep people healthy or can be a factor is why they are sick.
The average American eats 176lbs of sugar each year, 120 orders of French fries, 150 slices of pizza and 190 candy bars. This may not apply to everyone, but with these figures it is not hard to see why there is a high rate of obesity, diabetes, cancer and other illnesses. Studies have shown that there are over 100 negative health conditions that have a link to or are exacerbated by sugar. This being the case, just limiting the amount of sugar and foods that convert to sugar (i.e. carbohydrates) in the diet would be a huge start to improving health. Another major improvement would be to drastically increase the number of servings of fresh, non-starchy vegetables and low sugar fruits in the diet. A third way to improve health is to increase the daily intake of fiber, which would happen if the preceding advice was heeded. The National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine recommends 30-38g of fiber for men and 21-25g for women each day. Finally there is nutritional supplementation.
Many Americans take a multi-vitamin each day, which does help, but that is not enough for optimal health. There are six categories of nutrients that are needed to reach peak health. Vitamins and minerals are vital to create chemical reactions in the cells, especially B vitamins. Our bodies don’t make vitamins so they need to be taken in through food or supplementation. The next category is antioxidants. These help fight the damaging effects of the free radicals that bombard the body daily. Free radicals destroy the cells, damage DNA and promote premature aging. A third category of nutrients is Omega-3 Fatty acids. These play an important role in the health of every cell. Again, the body can’t make omega-3, so it needs to be supplemented or obtained through omega-3 rich foods. A fourth nutrient that is needed is probiotics. These are essential microbes for the immune and digestive tract health. People have a probiotic deficiency because of poor diet, antibiotics and chemicals. Unhealthy bacteria in the digestive tract can lead to illnesses and probiotics can help counteract this. Another nutrient that is not found in a high enough quantity in the typical diet is food enzymes. Aging reduces the amount of enzymes the body makes anyway, and overcooking foods and eating processed foods only compound this deficiency. Enzymes help break down fats, carbohydrates and proteins. If food is broken down better, the nutrients can be more effectively absorbed in the body. The lack of enzymes in the body often leaves food undigested, which leads to gastrointestinal distress and malnutrition. A final nutrient already mentioned is fiber. A diet high in fiber absorbs water and toxins and helps the body eliminate waste more easily. It has been found that the average American only consumes about half of the daily fiber needed for good health.
The Canton Fitness Center can help you with nutrition and nutritional supplementation. We carry a number of the high quality supplements that Nature’s Sunshine produces. Help yourself get healthy. Stop in today or check out the supplements at http://CantonFitnessNSP.mynsp.com.