Good nutrition can give you energy and vitality. People who thoughtfully choose healthy and nutritious foods tend to enjoy their life more than those who do not. Health-conscious individuals enjoy all the benefits life can bring them - physically, emotionally and spiritually - and they are highly aware of the damaging effects of foods with synthetic additives such as artificial flavors, colorings and chemical preservatives.
Sally Fallon, the author of "Nourishing Traditions" discusses how removing health-damaging ingredients in meals and beverages can have a positive impact on the brain functions of school children.
Tests were conducted for school children in New York in the 1980's about how improving their lunch menus might affect children's grades.
Average test grades of students in 803 schools rose by 16 percent within 4 years after the school lunch program was improved.
They went further in their research. They reduced the sugar content of foods and banned two artificial food colorings in school lunches. Later that year, achievement test scores rose from the 51st to the 57th percentile nationwide.
The school officials acted even further, banning BHT and BHA from school lunches. They also substituted milk for carbonated beverages and candy. This resulted in test scores rising to the 64th percentile.
The apparent benefits were enormous. School children enjoyed better health with better grades. Fewer special education teachers were needed to help children with reading problems. School Boards saved more money.
Realistically speaking, it is hard for us to tell which specific and exact nutrients we are adequately taking, and which nutrients we need more on a daily basis. However, the most basic and easiest things we can start with to dramatically increase our vitality are removing undesirable ingredients from our diets (and from your pets' diets, too!). This includes artificial colorings and flavors, and chemical preservatives. Refined sugar should be carefully watched as well. Empty calories from refined foods do not nourish your body at all.
Go through your kitchen cupboard now. Read the ingredients list on the labels and toss any foods that contain unnecessary ingredients. Develop a habit of reading labels from the top to the bottom every time you go grocery shopping. Choosing to eat well today may save you money in the long run after all!
