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The need for
Nutritional Therapy
‘Healthy
Choice?’
With the vast array of so called ‘healthy’ foods available on
our supermarket shelves, it is becoming increasingly difficult
to make the right food choices, particularly when you consider
that so many of these foods which we associate with being good
for us actually hold very little nutritional value, and impart
very few, if any, health benefits.
To make matters worse, these foods often take the place of foods
that would actually benefit our bodies and minds.
Conflicting
advice
Added to the problem of misleading advertising claims by food
manufacturers is the issue of conflicting advice and
recommendations given in the media. It is mostly true to say
that much of the nutrition knowledge we use as the basis for
dietary changes has originated from magazines, books,
newspapers, food packaging, or even from friends or family
members.
The problem with this, however, is that not only are these
sources of information sometimes unreliable, but no guidance is
given as to how appropriate these recommendations are to an
individual, nor how they should fit into the context of a
complete nutrition programme.
As a result, many people are not only following unnecessary
dietary restrictions, but more importantly they are failing to
make the changes that will actually count towards improving
health and wellbeing.
Fad Diets
The growing incidence of nutritional deficiencies is also being
spurred by certain ‘fad’ diets, which are primarily designed to
promote weight loss - albeit often temporary - and not to make
you healthy.
Such diets do not take into account individual variations in
nutritional requirements, nor do they tend to encourage food
choices or eating patterns which will optimise nutrient intake
and balance body chemistry, which ironically is exactly what is
needed to regulate metabolism and food intake – both key to
long-term weight loss and management.
Declining
nutrient content of food
We all know that we should be eating 5 portions of fruits and
vegetables each day, and some of us regularly achieve and often
exceed this amount. However, our efforts to take more care with
our diets may not always be having the degree of health benefits
that we would assume. Because of modern farming practices, crops
are being polluted by toxic pesticides that remain on or in the
food when eaten. In fact, up to a gallon of these chemicals may
have been sprayed on the fruit and vegetables consumed by the
average person in a year. Exposure to such a tremendous amount
of environmental toxins can damage the many systems of the body,
including the immune and nervous system. However, the issue is
not only what is being ‘added’ to our food, but also what is
being taken away.
The fact is, the vitamin and mineral content of fruit and
vegetables is much lower than it used to be, partly because the
soil in which they are grown is often depleted of nutrients, but
also because of techniques such as irradiation and
bio-engineering, which effectively alter the nutritional value
of our foods.
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Please note:
The information and
advice provided on 'Foodsense.co.uk'
should not be used as a basis
for drastic change in diet, as individual reactions to foods, food
combinations and patterns of eating are variable. To confirm the
suitability of any of these recommendations it would be necessary to
consult a qualified nutritionist who can give specific guidelines
based on your biochemistry. On a final note, if you are considering
any drastic change in diet, always consult your doctor beforehand.
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