04.29
Simple carbohydrates are in table sugar, fruit, and processed foods like dessert, candy, and soft drinks.
? Proteins are in abundance in meat and dairy products, as well in as nuts, seeds, beans, wheat, and rice.
? The fats we need are usually picked up from dairy products, meats, fish, and oils extracted from various vegetables.
? Vitamins and minerals are most easily obtained from the vegetables and fruits we eat.
Can Good Nutrition Come From a Well-Balanced Diet?
Medical spokesmen no longer try to reassure us that we can get everything we need by eating well. We can?t. Food itself is no longer the same as it once was. Vegetables and fruits are often grown in soil that has been depleted of nutrients, which means the foods are also. As well, foods lose many nutrients in the process of storing, shipping, refining, and even through cooking. We can?t be sure, therefore, that the food we are eating has the nutritional value it is supposed to have. Not only that, it might not be a healthy choice for other reasons:
? Fruits and vegetables can be contaminated with insecticides that can?t be rinsed or even washed off, and if the skins are removed, many of the nutrients are removed as well.
? Additives can help preserve food and make it tastier and more attractive, but we aren?t sure of the long-term effects of these chemicals on our bodies.
? Some fruit and vegetables are now routinely genetically altered.
? Sugar, salt, and fat are inexpensive commodities that add flavor, and, therefore, are used in large quantities in most commercially prepared foods.
? Animals and fowl are loaded with hormones that are passed on to us when we eat them.
Food production and processing are not the only culprits that worry us and make it difficult to obtain the nutrition we need from the food we eat.
senior living