Nutritional Medicine
Nutrition is the process by which we absorb and assimilate nutrients. The nutrients which are essential to us are:
- Proteins (amino acids)
- Carbohydrates
- Essential Fatty Acids
- Vitamins
- Minerals
- Miscellaneous such as fibre, water etc
The four factors that influence our nutritional status are:
- The quality of food we ingest – organic is best but we can’t always have the best. So what do we do next?
- The quantity of ingested foods – we in the West tend to overeating. This has a detrimental effect on our health.
- Our ability to absorb and assimilate the ingested foods – digestive systems vary with the individual. Some are able to eat certain foods whereas others have a compromised digestive system.
- Individual specific nutritional needs – such as pregnancy and breast feeding, age (for example: the elderly need less food but higher nutritional value per mouthful); adolescents, activity level, genetics etc.
For optimum health, we need to assess your own requirements and adjust your eating and supplement intake plan accordingly.
