If I were to ask you what comes to mind when I say the word prevention what would you say? Perhaps; regular checkups, mammograms, prostate checks, vaccinations?

I would like to talk about why nutrition should be on the top of that list.

Allow me to use agriculture to underline my point.

Farmers are business people. Like any business, they need to make a profit. At the first hint of a fertility, production or immune system problem in the herd or flock, a good farmer will call his or her nutrition consultant. Animal nutritionists are using advanced nutritional concepts as well as regular feed and water testing to ensure that animals are receiving the best possible nutrition to prevent problems before they occur.

They put that much attention (and money) on food and diet because it works!  You see, prevention is cost-effective – treatment is not.

Now let’s take a look at the human health system. Think back to the last time you had a health concern. More than likely you were prescribed a medication right?

Pharmaceutical medication is powerful and there is no denying that certain drugs save lives. While other drugs simply provide relief of the bothersome symptoms you are experiencing but do nothing to address the root cause of your problem.  Many drugs come with a cascade of side effects and are possibly depleting your body by blocking the absorption of certain nutrients. For more information on this subject, consult Drug Muggers which medications are robbing your body of essential nutrients- and natural ways to restore them by Suzy Cohen RPh

Addressing diet and lifestyle is a simple and effective way of preventing costly health issues down the line and often getting to the root cause of existing health problems.

What would you say to someone that complains that their car isn’t running well after you’ve seen them pouring muddy water into the tank? Why would we expect our bodies to perform optimally when we dump in transformed, refined or chemically-laden food? Fast food, packaged food and sugary manufactured foods are like muddy water for our gas tank!

As humans, we have evolved alongside natural, seasonal, whole foods. Our bodies haven’t had the time to develop the enzymes or tools necessary to breakdown or eliminate the massive quantities of non-food items we are commonly dumping into our tanks (additives, chemicals, flavour enhancers, artificial colours, herbicide and pesticide residues…). If you don’t believe me, read a label sometime. If you don’t understand it- there’s a big chance your body doesn’t either!

Eating well doesn’t have to be complicated or hard but it does offer a huge payoff in terms of prevention and the quality of your years to come. Our food is our fuel. Food is powerful prevention.