Science has shown multiple times that a healthy diet and lifestyle are the prime factors in overall health and wellbeing. Consuming the correct proportions of vitamins and minerals from original food sources can combat many symptoms of poor health such as extra weight, fatigue, and even many illnesses. In fact, there is a growing consensus of individuals promoting and living a lifestyle where food is used as a form of medicine.

Comfort Food

Food has long been used as a source of comfort or relaxation, much like alcohol and some medications, but that is not the focus here. Food used for comfort or recreational purposes is not always a healthy choice and can, in some situations, lead to serious health problems such as extra weight or emotional dependence on those food sources. This is far from the concept using food as a source of good nutrition and as a means to heal the body naturally.

Age Old Wisdom

The philosophy of using wise food choices to heal the body is not recent. Thousands of years ago, Hippocrates advised against chemicals to heal the body if food could provide the same results. While individuals adhered to this wisdom for centuries, within the last fifty to one hundred years, this manner of thinking has been lost, or rather, replaced by fortifications and multivitamins.

Vitamins

Fortified foods are not of the same caliber as fresh authentic sources of vitamins and minerals. While multivitamins and fortified foods will beat serious vitamin deficiencies, the human body has no substitute for food in its most natural state. The sheer number of vitamins and health boosting agents in a serving of fresh vegetables makes multivitamins obsolete. Studies have proven many times over that it is far better to consume wholesome foods to obtain the full range of required vitamins than to take any number of supplements or pills. In fact, some components of multivitamins, such as folic acid, might have some dangers in an unnatural form.

Food as Medicine

Healthy foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables or meats, dairy and high fiber carbohydrates, contain the full amount of vitamins and minerals required on a daily basis. In addition to simply helping the body perform at the optimum level, these antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals also contribute to preventing overall aging as well as chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease. A healthy diet can also thwart osteoporosis, diabetes, and as whole foods boost the total immune system, it is also possible for diet to play a strong role in preventing common colds and other routine illnesses.

While it is important to consume as many healthy and balanced foods as possible every day, it is equally important to not damage overall health by consuming foods that actually harm the body. The toxins released from foods such as French fries and highly processed refined sugars can have negative effects on overall health erasing the benefits of other, more healthful selections. By making wise, whole food choices, individuals can obtain even greater health benefits than they had previously thought possible.