No matter what diet or lifestyle we have, it is necessary to get all the nutrients a body needs. Those are called essential nutrients for a reason.
This article is about the essential nutrients to have a balanced diet. And I was curious what kind of diets there are, so it is also about specific diets and lifestyles.
The 6 essential nutrients are water, carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins, and minerals.
Some say fibers are the 7th essential nutrient.
What aspects can we consider when looking for supplements because we have a deficiency of an element? How to choose supplements that are beneficial for our health, for our wallet, but also for our environment?
First of all, you must be certain that you have a deficiency at all. This might seem to state the obvious, but even though supplements are no medicines, they shouldn’t be taken lightly.
So make sure you base your choice on a medical test or blood analysis.
How to improve your diet and health is easy with white fruits and vegetables. For instance, a high intake of white food may reduce the risk of a stroke by 55%. In a healthy and nutritious diet, white fleshy fruits and vegetables are common.
Some ten years ago my father-in-law died. Ten years before that, he suffered a massive stroke. The stroke seriously impaired his speech and walking capacities. For most of the time, he sat in his chair watching TV.
My father-in-law’s stroke was a wake-up call for Tom, my husband. Strokes usually run in the male line of the family. Of course, I don’t know why my father-in-law got a stroke or why it was so massive. What I do know is that white fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of a stroke and have many other healthy and nutritious properties.
In the Netherlands, we have a snack called Studentenhaver, which roughly translates as Student oats. This is a mix of walnuts, cashew nuts, Brazil nuts, almonds, hazelnuts, raisins, and sometimes other dried fruits. This mix is supposed to enhance intelligence, hence the name. So, nuts for our brain.
Tom and I supplement our food with lots of nuts, not because it would increase our intelligence, but because of all the benefits nuts contain. We rarely eat meat, which is another reason to eat nuts. Although the main reason is that they are delicious. We love nuts.
The common belief is that high cholesterol is the cause of blockage of the arteries, leading to heart problems, among other things.
And the common solution is to prescribe a cholesterol-lowering drug, statins.
In other words, cholesterol is seen as a problem that needs to be solved.
While it makes more sense to see high cholesterol as a symptom and work on the cause.