Nutrition is one of the critical ingredients of holistic principles. The benefits of proper nutrition include:

• Enhanced performance
• Faster injury rehabilitation
• Increased endurance

Daily living exposes us to free radicals, which not only can cause illness and disease but contribute to the aging process. Free radicals have a negative impact on how we look and how we feel. Free radicals occur when an electron in an atom in our body becomes unpaired and searches for another atom to pair with. This search for another unpaired atom causes damage to our cells and causes a chain reaction creating more free radicals. Free Radical damage can lead to:

• Cancer
• Heart Disease
• Diabetes
• Arthritis
• Autoimmune disease
• And many other conditions.

Free radicals can damage our body's molecules, such as protein, fat, even our DNA. Antioxidants are vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that protect the body and fight off free radicals. These vitamins give free radicals the electron they are looking to pair with before they damage our cells. Antioxidants include beta-carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin E. These vitamins help strengthen your immune system making it easier to ward off illnesses like the flu, colds, and other infections.

Important Dietary Supplements

Eating a well-balanced diet should provide essential nutrients, but there is a case for adding supplements. When your diet is not well balanced, it does not contain adequate amounts of certain nutrients. In this case, supplements may be absolutely necessary. Supplements include vitamins, minerals, herbs, and other substances. Your chiropractor can review your diet with you. He can help you see what nutrients are missing from your diet and decide which supplements you may want to take to ensure you are getting the best nutrition possible.

The Process of Getting Healthy

The United States, with its abundant processed foods, is not high on the list of healthiest countries. Our foods have a long shelf life but short nutritional value. And even if we consume the right foods, which are the best sources for essential vitamins and nutrients, soil nutrients in our country have been depleted, leading to lower nutritional benefits even in non-processed food.

So, what is the solution?

Whole food supplements are an excellent source to add nutritional needs to our daily diet. These supplements are made from whole food concentrates rather than made up of fractions or food pieces. The whole food supplements are derived from organic farms using nutrient-rich soil and retain a higher quality of essential nutrients. Whole food supplements are based on the principle that the best sources of vitamins and minerals are found in healthy foods.

Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet can provide you with a strong, energetic, efficient, and long-lasting body. The best way to know if you are getting all the elements that make up a fully-functioning healthy body is to discuss your diet and concerns with your doctor or health care professional. Together you can ensure that you provide the optimum fuel for your body to optimal health and well-being.

Healthy Diets

• Include a variety of foods from the major food groups: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein including beans and other legumes, nuts and seeds, and healthy fats
• Provides guidelines for how much food to choose from each group
• Includes foods you can find in your local grocery store
• Low in salt, saturated fat, and cholesterol

Healthy Cooking

• So move away from calorie-laden, fatty and salty, and highly processed foods
• Try beneficial cooking techniques, such as baking, grilling, and sauteing
• Stay away from frying

Nutritional Supplements

• Calcium is an excellent nutrient to take because it strengthens the bones
• Vitamin D- improves calcium absorption
• Vitamin A- an antioxidant that assists the immune system in fighting off diseases
• Vitamin B- gives a boost of energy
• Vitamin C- helps the development of collagen
• Protein - is an essential building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood
• Iron - is creating energy from nutrients
• Magnesium - is regulating muscle and nerve function, and blood sugar level.