| I'll bet you've never even taken the time to | | | | consume. Our nutritional needs and caloric needs |
| consider what your nutritional needs might be, or | | | | change as we age, the nutritional needs of a 13 |
| the importance of that nutrition on your health. | | | | year old teenager are much different to those of |
| Did you know that if the brain doesn't get enough | | | | a 30 year old woman. |
| protein, it doesn't develop correctly, or if the | | | | Quite often, our vitamin and mineral needs |
| healthy female body doesn't get enough flax oil, | | | | outweigh our caloric needs. In those instances, we |
| omega-3 and omega-6 her body's metabolism will | | | | turn to manufactured vitamins and minerals to fill |
| not function correctly and she is more susceptible | | | | the gap. This is a part of our nutritional needs, |
| to weight gain? All these pieces of information and | | | | also. |
| many more are contributing factors to our | | | | Nutrition is one of the most complex areas to |
| nutritional needs, and our nutritional needs are met | | | | gain useful knowledge about, because there are |
| through our eating habits, good or bad. | | | | so many components, and because each person |
| Nutrition as it applies to our daily lives means that | | | | has their own individual needs. Women's needs |
| we take in what we need to maintain our body's | | | | differ from those of men, and older women's |
| healthy state. Nutrition has become an important | | | | needs differ from those of a young girl. As we |
| word thanks to the involvement of the USDA in | | | | age, our needs constantly change; therefore |
| our daily food requirements, and the FDA's | | | | continual education about nutrition is a fact of life. |
| involvement in determining what is and is not | | | | The information we have available about the |
| dangerous for us to consume. | | | | health choices and alternatives available to us |
| But what is our responsibility in the nutrition | | | | change daily. Very few medical doctors ever |
| game? Do we understand what our nutritional | | | | address our nutritional needs, past the needs of a |
| requirements are, how to fulfill those | | | | pregnant woman, or an already ailing patient. What |
| requirements, and how to look for real nutritional | | | | about the needs of the well patient? In order to |
| value in our foods? I'm not sure that nutrition has | | | | stay healthy, there is nutrition, exercise, mental, |
| been successfully addressed in its own right. We | | | | and emotional needs that must be met. |
| hear nutrition in relation to our vitamin intake, our | | | | DISCLAIMER: This information is not presented by |
| fortified cereals and milk, and in the context that | | | | a medical practitioner and is for educational and |
| we need "nutritional value" from our food choices. | | | | informational purposes only. The content is not |
| But what really is nutrition when applied to our | | | | intended to be a substitute for professional |
| daily bodily functions? | | | | medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always |
| Nutrition refers to the nurturing of our body, in | | | | seek the advice of your physician or other |
| our ability to keep it healthy and functioning as it | | | | qualified health care provider with any questions |
| is supposed to do. Our ability to provide the body | | | | you may have regarding a medical condition. |
| with all the necessary food, vitamins, and minerals | | | | Never disregard professional medical advice or |
| so that we continue to thrive in our daily life | | | | delay in seeking it because of something you |
| processes. | | | | have read. Since natural and/or dietary |
| How do we determine that we are providing the | | | | supplements are not FDA approved they must be |
| essential nutritional needs? That knowledge comes | | | | accompanied by a two-part disclaimer on the |
| by educating ourselves about what our individual | | | | product label: that the statement has not been |
| needs are, the needs of our family, and then | | | | evaluated by FDA and that the product is not |
| taking that knowledge and applying it to the foods | | | | intended to "diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any |
| we buy, that we prepare, and that our families | | | | disease. |