Why nutrition is so important?

The body has the ability to heal itself all the time. For this purpose  proper nutrition is required. There is an old saying “You are what you  eat”. Despite this well known fact we abuse our bodies through poor  nutrition, like eating junk food or processed food. This is exacerbated  by exposure to environmental toxins, cigarette smoking, lifestyle, alcohol  consumption and lack of exercise. If we do not give our body proper  nutrients, we can impair the body’s normal function resulting in ill  health. For instance until middle of 17 Century people were dying from  scurvy which is due to vitamin C deficiency.

If you  are going see a naturopath or a herbalist or any alternative health  professional, you should be asked questions about you diet and lifestyle.  Also when treating patient holistically, a practitioner will very often  make recommendations on diet along with their other treatments. Diet  can have enormous effect on the overall success of the treatment program.  Also there are different nutritional needs due to an illness, inflammation,  malabsorption or toxic overload.

For example  an alternative medicine practitioner can recommend that a patient remove  vegetables from Solanacea family (potatoes, tomatoes, capsicum) to reduce  acidity of the body or to assist in the treatment of gout or arthritis.

Herbal  medicine uses food (medicinal plants) in therapeutic dose. For instance  turmeric is a powerful antioxidant and antinflammatory herbs. Globe  artichoke reduces cholesterol level, stimulate digestion and stimulate  production and flow of bile.

Nutritionists  have been speaking out about the dangers of high-protein diets since  its founding in 1985. Studies  show that meat-heavy, high-protein eating patterns are, over the long  run, linked to osteoporosis, heart disease, colon cancer, and renal  disease, and pose particular dangers for people with diabetes.

Given  the seriousness of these health risks, and the strength of the scientific  evidence currently available, they hope it will encourage people to  be wary of high-protein diets and to choose healthier options.