There are three general aspects to creating a nutrition plan.
For a better understanding of the principles of food selection please read the articles on Hypoglycemia and Weight Loss
There are many excellent books on diet and nutrition. These two explain some basic principles that are fundamental to food selection and nutrition philosophy. They do not address supplements.
Nutritional Supplements as Groceries Some nutritional supplements should be thought of a basic food and placed on the grocery list. An example would be mineral supplements ( Read the article on Minerals).
In an ideal world a balanced diet from a variety of foodstuffs should provide all of the nutritional needs that one has. Our world is far from ideal. A century ago, most people subsisted on the foodstuffs from their local environment. At that time it was possible to identify diseases on a regional basis that we now recognize as nutritional deficiencies (or toxicities). Those diseases were readily cured once the connection to a specific nutrient was identified and the nutrient provided. Examples are goitre from Iodine deficiency and scurvy from vitamin C deficiency. Now, with an efficient transportation and distribution system, the food you get in the grocery store could come from anywhere. In theory, this could offset the regional deficiencies, but it doesn't.
The reasons it doesn't are:
(1) There are widespread mineral deficiencies in the soil from erosion, leaching and commercial agriculture. Soils in many regions have "natural" deficiencies of certain trace minerals because the rock from which the soil was formed did not contain the balanced quantity of minerals and trace minerals for optimum support of plant and animal life.
(2) The processing of food results in a loss of vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and other nutrients important for maintaining optimum health. It is unlikely that anyone eating an average diet, especially one high in processed foods, is getting the quantity and quality of nutrition that they need for optimum health.
Nutrient deficiencies can and should be supplemented. The first supplement to consider is a comprehensive mineral and trace mineral supplement. If you take no other supplements, mineral supplementation is the most general and fundamental building block for creating and maintaining better nutritional health. It may take from three months to one year to completely correct mineral deficiencies or imbalances, but you can begin to feel better almost immediately in some cases.
The second priority is vitamins. Vitamins are biochemical entities manufactured by the plants and animals that we consume as food. They are not primarily dependent on the mineral content of the soil, although mineral availability may influence the ability of the plants to manufacture some vitamins. Vitamins fall into two general groups, fat soluble and water soluble. Water soluble vitamins include vitamin C and the B vitamins. Fat soluble vitamins include A,D,E,K and F. In general, I prefer to obtain vitamins from natural sources rather than synthetic sources. This is not entirely practical, however, because the best natural sources may not be readily available on a consistent basis. Generally speaking, the vitamin supply from commercial foodstuffs is inadequate to provide for optimum health and disease prevention. The reasons are:
(1) Many vitamins are sensitive to heat, oxidation, and storage. The content is diminished or lost by processing and storage.
(2) Many nutrients are removed by processing. For example, when wheat is milled into white flour, over 35 known nutrients are removed and only 5 replaced by synthetic vitamins. This is called "enrichment". Enrichment is practiced because it is mandated by federal laws that were intended to counter the nutritional loss from refining. The five nutrients replaced were the only ones food science knew about at the time. That was in ancient times and no effort has been made to improve upon it.
(3) The eating habbits of the average american are less than optimum from the standpoint of food selection. The closest that many people get to a vegetable is the catsup they put on their burgers.
(4) The recommended daily intake RDI is inadequate to prevent disease and maintain optimum health. The RDI numbers were established at levels to prevent the manifestation of obvious deviciency diseases, like scurvy. A general multivitamin supplement in addition to a good diet and mineral supplements is recommended.
Nutritional Suppplements for Specific ConditionsSome nutritional supplements are beneficial for the correction of specific nutritional deficiencies or health conditoions. A specific regimen may be used for short, medium, or long term periods to correct specific deficiencies or to provide special support for specific metabolic functions.
In developing your own nutrition plan, there are several important things to consider.
(1) Individual needs vary, sometimes dramatically.
(2) There are no magic cures. When a nutritional or any other therapeutic element is introduced into a situation where it is specifically needed, the result can seem miraculous. The error is to assume that the same solution will apply to everyone.
(3) Estimate your budget. Nutritional supplements cost money. An individual may spend $20 to $200 per month, sometimes more, on supplements. This may seem like a lot, but compare it to a smoking habit, drinking habit or the cost of prescription drugs. Still, you want your dollars to be well spent.
(4) Start with the basics. Change your food choices and exercise patterns. There is a lot of inforation on this website that will point you in the right direction. There are also links to books that you can purchase through amazon.com or borrow from your local library. When adding supplements, start with the basics there as well. Read the section on "minerals" under Health Topics.
