Diet & Nutrition
Food, Water & Air are the three basic requirements for our bodies. If these are of good quality and taken in optimal quantities, our bodies will thrive and maintain good health. For us to live, and achieve the aims and objectives we were born for, our bodies' need to remain healthy through out our limited lives.
Food is the basic fuel for our bodies. If it is made with thought, love, care and prayer for your health, it will nourish and protect your body and your life. The difference between an average meal and a great meal is usually not only the difference in quality of the ingredients but of the effort, skill, love and care which goes into the making of it. Water is the medium which supports our bodies. Every cell of our body contains water, is bathed in water and draws its nutrition from water. Drinking enough good clean water helps our body to digest and absorb our food, to eliminate the toxic waste products of metabolism and by cleansing itself to thrive and heal. Oxygen from the air we breathe allows our body to get energy from the food we eat and thus to live our lives. Clean air promotes good health and longevity. The subsequent chapters deal with food, water and air explaining the importance of all of these especially the problems associated with an incorrect diet. Understanding the principles of good nutrition can lead to considerable improvement in your health and quality of life.The food we eat, builds and nourishes our bodies, gives us the energy for our daily activities and influences our health in many ways. A correct diet is the most important factor in helping us to achieve and maintain optimum health. Our bodies are capable of processing a wide variety of foods to provide us with nutrition. All foods contain many elements of nutrition in various quantities. Eating a varied and balanced diet, allows our bodies to choose from each food the nutritive elements it needs in the required quantities. Our body requires many minerals, vitamins and trace elements for optimum functioning. Eating a variety of vegetables, herbs, nuts, sprouts, fruits, spices and a range of grains allows our body to select and absorb those nutrients which it needs. Eating only processed foods (usually processed to remove the fibre and improve the taste) predisposes to Mal (bad) nutrition. People who have a restricted diet, often develop malnutrition leading to chronic ill health as a result of shortage of minerals, vitamins, trace elements or amino acids. Correction of health can often take place just by correcting and expanding the range of foods you eat. We need to avoid excess in our diets, adjusting our calorie intake as well as intake of protein, carbohydrate, fat, minerals, vitamin, water and fibre, so they are matched with our daily needs. Any excess eaten, has either to be stored by the body or eliminated through the liver, kidneys or skin. A balanced diet containing adequate amounts of all these elements including water and fibre promotes good health. A shortfall in any of these elements in our daily diet leads to health problems. A low protein diet leads to the body digesting itself. Low fat diets can lead to hormone abnormalities, an increased predisposition to heart attacks and nerve damage leading to tingling, numbness and loss of sensation in various areas of the body. Low carbohydrate diets lead to acidosis & ketosis which in turn lead to many health problems. A guideline to follow is that Carbohydrates, mostly in the form of complex carbohydrates like rice, wheat, bread, other cereals and potatoes should constitute 50-60% of your daily calorie intake, 15-25 % of the daily calorie intake should be in the form of protein & the balance as fat. People doing hard manual labor need more fat in their diet as fats are a rich source of calories. Conversely people with a sedentary life style & job need to restrict their fat intake to 2 tablespoons per day. The elimination of the waste products from our bodies is an equally important part of recovering health and staying healthy. Drinking at least 3 liters of water a day and eating foods rich in fibre help the body to remove toxins (poisons) from the body and help recover and maintain good health. Proper chewing of the food helps to break it down, mixing it with saliva, allowing quick and easy digestion of the food. Eating Healthy food can help you lead a long healthy life. Good health allows us to maintain our health and to utilize our lives in the way we desire. Unfortunately chronic illness now affects many people in their thirties and forties affecting their quality of life for decades. Eating junk foods will lead to you suffering poor health and chronic illnesses like cavities (holes) in your teeth, diabetes, obesity, arthritis, heart disease, depression and even Cancer. The choice is yours! The first and most important measure to eating safely is to wash your hands, utensils, cleaning and drying cloths, aprons, preparation and cooking surfaces, frequently with soap and water. Always wash your hands thoroughly before eating and also after using the toilet. Your nails should be cut short, or if they are long the area under the nails should be cleaned with soap and a nail brush. Food handlers should regularly be checked for worms and parasitic diseases and if present these should treated before they are allowed to handle food again. Be aware of what you eat and the effects on your body. Every person is different and their food requirements are also different. What is good for person may be bad for another. If you feel unwell after eating, try and identify which of the foods you ate made you feel unwell. Try and find out why that food made you feel ill by going through the article below and see if you can identify the cause. It is best to avoid those foods which cause you trouble. Your body will guide you as to what foods agree with you. Try and identify what foods agree with you at what time of day. By identifying what is causing you trouble you can avoid it and stay healthy.
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