Basic Health Food

By Michael Russell

Attitude. Let's think about diet in general. The most basic attitudes are those expressed by the well-known statement, 'Some people eat to live, and some live to eat.'

Eating is seen either as a means of self survival and a process that must be fulfilled in order to keep body and soul together, or eating is an exceptionally satisfying experience of the senses which must be indulged in at least 3 times a day and more often if possible, or eating is a necessary function of nature which is both pleasurable and functional and is therefore to be considered as part of our daily life and culture.

Depending upon your particular personal attitude, you will either follow the inclination to pay more mental attention to diet or you will prefer to remain in the present, but temporary, comfort of familiar tastes and habits, unconcerned as to your choice of food, its quality, good or bad, and its affect upon your health or your family's.

If the sensory aspect of food is predominant then you will continue to eat and enjoy it with as little thought and consideration of the subject as possible. In fact you will find you will be more comfortable if you stop reading this article and resume what you were doing.

But ten to one you have found an interest in food has become focused because you realize it is not just sensory, but there are repercussions resulting from the type and quantity of food you eat. And in our affluent society the problem is more usually over indulgence rather than not enough food. In fact many people are so fat, yet instead of limiting their intake of food, are paying professionals to lose their weight for them! When there are people who are starving in other countries of the world we should never abuse our good fortune to replace our need with such greed.

If you can accept that in order to apply the natural rules for good health one must begin to consider that cutting down quantity is the first consideration, there is a chance that you will continue to read on.

Some Helpful Rules of Nutrition

1. The first discipline is to stop the habit in mid-stream. Cease reacting to habitual activity regarding your shopping for food and your preparation of food at mealtimes. This will bring about an opportunity for new interest in introducing new foods, re-thinking old habits, re-assessing what are necessities. Think about what you are purchasing and what you are eating. Decide to choose quality, not quantity.

2. We all know that our bodies require many vitamins, minerals, and natural substances to provide fuel for our physical and mental vitality; to build and maintain our body structure; and to sustain all the wonderful complexity of physiological function. We need lots of ingredients in the sense of a lot of variety in our food in order that our bodies have opportunity to select the ingredient they require.

3. Regarding balancing your selection of food, it is an interesting and reasonable premise that we must reduce the quantity of the foods we indulge in and eat most, because we like their tastes. Most nutritionists hear the common response to their advice to cut down on a particular food, for example, cheese - "Oh but I just love cheese!"

The other part of the discipline is to begin introducing the natural foods that we in the past have chosen to avoid. It is possible to apply this guideline to our advantage not only to increase our health and energy but in addition to extends our potential to enjoy a greater variety of food.

4. Quantity of food is often a problem in discipline. In developed countries, most of us eat far too much, so for some time we can reduce the quantity of our meals without losing any weight at all. The rule of one main meal a day may be different from our old habits, but will seem to be a luxury to those living in impoverished countries and circumstances. Try reducing your quantity as you improve the quality of your food.

5. Quality of food improves to the extent you stop and consider each purchase at the markets and to the extent that you can grow your own food organically, to complement the commercial supplies. What is the origin of the lettuce that your select, the fish, the fruits and nuts, the loin chops, the milk? There is nothing better than a variety of fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and produce as nature offers. Manufacturing and processing foods is always to the detriment of their food value. In other words, we are not buying the best quality unless we remember that rule.

6. Fresh food contains the vital nutrients. Cooking of any kind will affect these elements so cooking should be reduced to a minimum and salads, fruit and fresh food increased. One should not use aluminum cookware. Stainless steel is best.

Once anyone begins to think before eating, one is halfway towards solving the problem of diet - that is, by becoming discriminating. We have to intelligently choose to build our bodies of the chosen material. We know that whatever we eat today, to a large extent determines our health tomorrow. This is surely the simplest and best health insurance we could have. It does not rely upon chance but upon natural laws, which we can learn to live by.

To undertake responsibility for your health and others demands skill and serious recognition of the importance of your role. It is likely that your work will continue for many years so it is best to seek ways to enjoy food and its preparation as an art form. It requires skill and ability from the purchasing of good quality fruit and vegetables to the presentation of food at mealtimes.

And it does not stop here, without a reminder of the need for good digestion and to take the traditional health advice of 32 chews to every mouthful of food. Not only will this improve your digestion but increase your enjoyment through happier taste buds.

So, improve your own health and that of the whole family by taking a serious interest in food that will lead to many benefits, not only in better health for all, but it may help you to conserve your dollars also.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Nutrition

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