具体描述
INTRODUCTION
Nature s best prescriptions
Mark Twain once said, The only way to keep your health is to
eat what you don t want, drink what you don t like, and do what
you d druther not." Well, that might have been true a hundred years
ago, but today, it is easier and more fun than ever to stay healthy.
You can make up your own mind about the "doing" part, but e ipting
and drinking for health is certainly no chore with today s choices. In
fact, some of the healthiest meals you ll ever whip up canoe the
most delicious. All it takes is good information, a little planning, and
a willingness to change some not-so-healthy habits.
If you want to feel well, stay active, and live longer, You Ve got to
think about nutrition. It s actually hard not to think about it, nowa-
days. Every time you open a newspaper, read a magazine, or turn on
the television, there s some new health drink, diet pill, or wonder
cure on the market. But most experts will tell you that there is no
substitute for a good, balanced diet.
That means you should eat a variety of whole foods to get some-
thing that packaged, processed, prepared, and preserved foods
can t give you: a blend of all the natural nutrients your body needs,
even the ones scientists haven t named yet. It may come as a sur-
prise that we don t know everything, but there are elements in plant
foods that experts know are beneficial, but haven t yet identified.
That s why you will never get quite the same result from a supple-
ment. So, let s talk about supplements for a moment.
There will always be good reasons for taking a vitamin or mineral
supplement. A good example is a woman approaehir~g menopause.
It may be hard for her to get the recommended dose of calcium
strictly through foods. Yet it s necessary to boost her calcium in
order to lower her risk of developing osteoporosis. This is a good
time to take a supplement. You will see that many of the other con-
ditions covered in this book will call for a short-term dose of one vit-
amin or another to bring your system back into balance.
The danger, however, lies in relying on a supplement instead of
eating a proper diet. You shouldn t try to fill the gaps left by poor eat-
ing habits this way. If you are deficient in vitamin B6 and aren t eat-
ing green, leafy vegetables ... well, you should start.
