How often have you heard, “You are what you eat”? Scientists now know that DNA and all other molecules that make up the cells are created from nutrients provided in the diet (Kohatsu, 2017).
The old adage is now regarded as definitive, science-based knowledge.
Since the beginning of time, food has played an essential role in the survival of humankind. For many cultures, food is the center of social and family gatherings. Scientific research shows the therapeutic and preventive benefits of eating a variety of nutritious foods. Not only is what you eat important, but so are how and when you eat and how the food is grown or raised.
In the modern world, the media are filled with the latest warnings about the dangers of one food or the virtues of another. Yet few people know how their food is processed or what has gone into the farming and raising of crops, and they barely take time to stop and savor the nutrients they eat.
- Which foods should you eat?
- How should you prepare them?
- Which supplements are good for you?
Learning about food and answering these questions can be daunting. As the understanding of nutrition evolves and the choices become more complex, nutrition therapy is more important than ever in assuring a healthy life.
Integrative nutrition supports healthy eating habits by combining traditional concepts of nutrition with modern concepts of health (such as nutraceuticals) and the awareness of how food is grown or raised.
FOOD AND HEALTH
Food and nutrition are fundamental to all life. In addition to being a source of nutrition, food plays several other roles:
- Spiritual: Diets for religious purposes
- Geographic: Diets dependent on where people live and what is available
- Economic: Diets dependent on available financial resources
- Physiological: Diets for medical purposes
- Social: Diets for special occasions