To answer this thoughtfully, first it could be said that good nutrition must have all the elements of a well balanced diet: Having all the adequate nutritional requirements for healthy growth and activity. The nutritional requirements being, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, fibre, water, vitamins and minerals.

'Fine, but there are certain things the school textbook doesn't tell you:

No distinction is ever made between the qualities of nutrition.

How do you know when something is good for you? What are the common factors that determine whether or not food is healthy or unhealthy? Here is a list that will help distinguish.

General List to Distinguish Good and Bad Nutrition

Good nutrition has:

*Natural and wholesome foods: E.g. Beans, nuts, fruit and vegetables...

*Organic farm produce.

*Food with little or no heat treatment, where the molecular shape of the vitamins and enzymes are not altered and are therefore able to take part effectively in the body's metabolic processes for normal functioning.

*Less starchy and grainy foods.

*Clean water, preferably from a mountain stream containing minerals.

*Fresh fruit juices. Not too much, so that insulin levels are not too high.

*Inclusions of vitamin and mineral supplements. These are excellent if there are any dietary deficiencies.

Bad nutrition has:

*Factory processed with artificial flavouring, chemicals, preservatives, and high trans-fats. All these things are capable of doing much damage to the body over time.

*Intensive farm produce having, herbicides, pesticides and fungicides and other contaminants.

* Factory food manufacture can involve high or low temperatures in processing. This causes the nutrition value to be greatly reduced. Sometimes the nutrition value can be next to nothing like, for example, refined sugar. *Too much starchy, grainy food. Health risks include: Obesity, diabetes and mood swings...

*Tap water has such chemicals such as fluoride and chloride.

*Drinks such as soda pops, cola, alcoholic pops...commercial drinks laden with too much sugar and containing potentially harmful ingredients like phosphates and aspartame

*Nutritional deficiencies may cause many illnesses like heart disease, cancer, diabetes and leaky gut syndrome...

Like I say this is not an exhaustive account but a general list. The main thing for now is to understand the underlying principles. I cannot emphasise this enough.

How does good nutrition work?

Nutrition is required for the body's metabolic processes. If it is good, then the body will run efficiently. Consider the running of a car. In this analogy, if the petrol used is a good grade then the car will run well. If the petrol is a poor grade, then it will run sluggishly. On the long-term it may cease to function. The same very much so applies to the body when it comes to bad nutrition. If the body is fed on junk food and poor hydration (lack of water), then it may well become sluggish. If this continues on the long-term then disease could manifest and result in death.