Real Food vs. Nutritional Supplements

Nowadays, we see more industrial products with their powerful multivitamin effects on the grocery store shelves than we see natural foods and the natural benefits that come with real food. The supplement industry promotes their products with vast million dollar marketing strategies that try to convince us that real food does not provide enough vitamins, minerals, enzymes and fiber because of their growing methods and processing before getting to our tables. When this message is repeated enough times it has a way of making us believe that processed and modified food is the answer to a healthy and happier life..

On the other hand, when we expose ourselves to a more international cuisine when eating out or shopping at a natural foods market, we discover more global plant-based foods and animal-based foods that haven’t been infused with chemicals.

Studies show that people who want to overcome vitamin and mineral deficiencies will:
– Try to get an army of all of them through supplements on a daily basis.
– Eat on the run anything they can get and supplement our nutritional daily intake with a “healthy” food replacement at the end of the day.
– Go organic all day long and avoid any industrialized multivitamin products.

Theories suggest that overcoming any deficiencies in real food means including processed capsules and powders; While others theories claim that nothing is better for the body than real and natural foods which, over millions of years, has learned to smoothly and gently digest them.

Recommendations:
• Supplementation should be advised through experts based on your age, gender, health condition, sport and fitness levels, and lifestyle.
• Natural foods should be the foundation on which the household is built.
• Explore local, seasonal, organic, super foods.
• Make time to chew your meals.
• Never eliminate food groups or exchange them for meal replacements unless recommended by your physician.
• Build your weekly meals with all the colors, shapes and textures that are seasonally available.
• Explore in your kitchen by lightly steaming, water-sauteing and mixing raw fruit and vegetables.
• Consume foods high in antioxidants.
• Plan meals with all the essential amino acids (building blocks) by including animal products with your veggies or through a combination of vegetables, grain and seeds.
• Exercise outdoors for the sunlight and fresh air.
• Drink plenty of water throughout the day.