Good nutrition begins in the soil. Plants take 20 minerals from the ground, while fertilizers only replace from 3 to 6 minerals. This clearly shows that soil is deficient, and cannot supply vegetation with the minerals it needs. If you have your own garden, composting is of great value. Composting feeds the soil with all the minerals it requires to harvest a healthy crop.

Whether you grow your own vegetables, or buy vegetables that are in season from local farmers, it is important to try to include a large portion of raw foods. Uncooked vegetables provide the body with valuable enzymes, which help to digest food as well as detoxify the body. If you do not currently eat many raw foods, or have digestion concerns (gas, bloating, indigestion, heart burn, persistent diarrhea or constipation) adding an enzyme supplement can provide great relief. When taken with a meal, enzymes aid digestion, and when taken away from meals, enzymes destroy parasites and cleanse the small intestine from stored toxicity.

Foods that are nutrient deficient should be avoided. Most processed foods provide empty calories that harm natural body functions. Sugar, white flour, pasta, white rice, and processed oils are all nutrient deficient.

Processed food is dead food that causes decay in the body, while living foods offers the vitality and longevity. Yogurt, for example, provides an excellent source of protein as well as living bacteria that is extremely beneficial for good bowel health. If yogurt is not something you consume often, you may like to consider adding an acidophilus supplement each day. Acidophilus is the natural bacteria that helps to assimilate proper digestion. Other natural foods include fruits and vegetables, organic meats, and grains and legumes.
See acidophilus in our catalogue.

Healthy snack choices include nuts and seeds, such as sunflower, flax and pumpkin seeds. The natural oils found in the seeds, provide the body with essential fatty acids (EFAs). The EFAs lubricate mucous membranes and therefore enhance digestion, and offer an excellent source of energy. EFAs also displace trans-fatty acids in the body, which are very harmful and contribute to obesity and heart disease. If you have ever eaten a french fry in a fast food restaurant, you have consumed trans-fatty acids. The oils that the fries are cooked in are rancid and are deodorized to hide it. If you find it hard to include nuts and seeds in your diet, and would like to rid your body of trans-fatty acids, there are excellent supplements available which contain a variety of these essential fatty acids.
See essential fatty acids in our catalogue..

Once you are comfortable eating wholesome foods, you can go one step further with proper food combining. For optimal digestion, food combining plays an important role. There are a few simple points to remember when planning a meal:

1. Fruits should be eaten alone, or only with other fruits. Fruit is digested very quickly, and should be able to move through the digestive system with ease. When eaten with other foods, fruit gets trapped and tends to ferment in the stomach acid.

2. Protein and starches should not be eaten together. This combination causes discomfort in the form of bloating, indigestion and poor absorption of nutrients. Protein and starch each require specific enzyme activity to digest, and when taken together, give the stomach conflicting signals.

3. Combine protein and vegetables, or starch and vegetables. This combination allows for optimal digestion and utilization of nutrients.

How you feel is directly related to how you eat and how you live. Natural food, a good supplement program, fresh air and exercise, and a good attitude is what your body requires to feel your best. Take a close look at your personal lifestyle, is there anything you could change that would bring you one step closer to optimum health? You don't have to live with fatigue, depression, and aches and pains if you refuse to eat dead food. With the right focus nutrition can set you free!