Nutrition, simply put, is the nourishment (or nutrients) that our bodies derive from the foods that we eat. As simple as this concept sounds it's a very important fundamental point to understand so let's re-read that sentence one more time, shall we? Nutrition is the nourishment that our bodies derive from the food that we eat. What does that mean exactly? Well, i'll tell you. Contained within our food wheather it be an apple, a piece of chicken or a slice of bread are certain components of nutrition such as vitamins, minerals, enzymes and other NUTRIENTS that are essential for our bodies everyday metabolic processes. These, components of nutrition, are substances that can only be obtained from our food. The process by which your body breaks down it's food, and extracts these vital life giving nutrients is known as digestion. Once this has occured, the process of assimilation is how your body will now absorb these nutrients into your blood supply for use by your 1 trillion cells. Realize that it ALL starts here. With your digestion that is. If your digestion is compromised, as is very common in many chronic conditions, then nothing else past this point matters much. This is the rate limiting step. Without an efficient and complete digestion your body is getting sub-par fuel no matter how good the quality of the food is that you are consuming. It's kind of like your car. When you go to the gas station and fill up your engine with un-leaded fuel your engine has to convert that fuel's potential energy into kinetic energy that moves the car. This is similar to your body's process of digestion but food is our fuel. Now, if your engine is in-efficent because it's old or needs repair or whatever, you will get less miles per gallon over time. This is inefficient production of energy because if the car is estimated to get 25mpg and you are only getting 18mpg then somewhere along the process of 'digestion' within your engine you are losing 7mpg. This is important for two reasons. First, not only are you producing less from the same amount of starting materils but second, you are also working harder (less efficiently) to do so. So, the lesson to be learned here is to take pride in the quality of the fuels you choose to put into your body and just like your car... if you take care of it it will take care of you. weight loss information - Renewal Centers is a Holistic Wellness Center, founded by Dr. Noam Sadovnik, dedicated to providing nutrition and wellness services for those seeking a permanent weight loss program