Today, we are living in a world of instant gratification. At every turn, ready made foods are packaged attractively, promoted attractively and priced attractively. One cannot but be swayed by the colours, smells and tastes out there.

We, however need to eat a balanced diet to maintain our mental and physical health. We all know that all the necessary nutrients are available in natural foods. But, the question is, how many of us are following the precepts of nature; do we eat all the recommended portions of fruits and vegetables? Most of us do not. Put it down to the acquired preferences as well as our innate rebellious nature that, makes us do the exact opposite of what our parents tell us!

On the one hand we do not maintain a proper food habit and, on the other hand we poison ourselves with the muck on the store shelves. One consequence is the ugly obeseness that we see all around. Nutritional shortfalls exist for many nutrients in our normal diet. Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Vitamin B-6, Folic acid, Zinc, Copper, Calcium, Iron, and magnesium are all lacking in the normal diet.

It is also a fact that conventional agricultural practices as well as the cold storage chain to which harvested produce is subjected depletes a lot of the nutrients from even natural foods. One way to overcome this deleterious effect will be to eat only organically grown produce. This however may not always be affordable as it costs considerably more than conventional produce.

One way then is to get nutritional supplements. These are available in a wide range of combinations and along with the conventional vitamins and minerals also include the rare salts and elements necessary to maintain a healthy body. Neutraceuticals is today a multi billion dollar industry and these products are affordable and tailored to suit the individual requirements.

It is thus essential to learn about proper nutrition and what your body needs in order to stay healthy. A lot of the chronic diseases of today are caused by nutritional deficiencies and, as such, can be prevented by seeing that you provide your body with the building blocks of good health that it needs. Our bodys ability to renew itself and protect itself is amazing provided that it is given all of the essential nutrients.

Paramesh