Good nutrition reminds me of a chemistry kit I had when I was a kid.

As my insight grew into how important it is to eat a balanced diet, with all the things our body needs to function, I began to reflect upon an insight I remember when I was kid.

A balanced diet is like having a well-stocked chemistry set.

When approximately 14 years old, I was given a chemistry kit. There was a book of experiments that opened up to display an array of chemicals at a glance. I quickly learned how to make things that blew up or smoke bombs. These were among the first and only experiments that were worked upon. When those chemicals were used up, I began to explore the less interesting experiments that were offered in the guide book. It was soon discovered that the chemicals needed to perform several of the unexplored experiments were used up with my “earlier destructive” missions.

This made me think of our bodies and the concept of being deficient of certain vitamins or minerals that are lacking in the food that we eat. We eat and drink foods every day to accomplish the diet that we feel is satisfactory. Yet, many people never question the quality of the food they eat or consider the importance of a balanced diet, nor what even a balanced diet is. Think of all the articles and news stating that our diets are off balance because of the lack of nutrients in the food available today. We have a huge population in the world today that needs to eat. Food suppliers and producers grow, manufacture and supply food to keep up with the growing demand often with little concern for the quality of food that the human diet needs to be balanced (keep the chemistry kit well stocked).

Our bodies are like a drug manufacturing factory. A balance diet assures that all the ingredients are on hand to manufacture exactly what the body needs in the exact amount and dispensed into our system in the right way and dose. Our body can create all these required “drugs” to keep us healthy only if the vitamins and minerals are present. So if one is lacking vital vitamins and minerals, then one might experience a deficiency disease (your body can’t produce the peptides and enzymes necessary to combat necessary ailments automatically because certain things are missing from your body’s chemistry kit).

Could it be we take on pharmaceutical drugs to treat the symptoms of a deficiency disease condition? Thereby, causing side effects from the drugs and thereby treating the symptom and not the problem?  How many times have I heard of someone having a one of these deficient diseases who changed their life via diet, exercise and right thinking?

Interviewing several doctors at a pilot fly-in, it seems that most of the doctors I interviewed stated that 85% of the people that come to them heal themselves. A holistic approach to me seems to approach the problem by giving your body what it needs. Along with exercise, good thoughts and clean living, proper quality foods are essential to supply your body with all the things it needs to keep you healthy. Food truly is the best drug to keep your chemistry kit well stocked.

Action : Next time you are at the food store in the checkout line, notice the items that people buy as you wait on line. Look at the person and notice the feeling of their health when you look upon them and the types of foods that they are buying. See if you can notice a correlation between the essence of the people and the foods that they are buying.

For further reading see Kelly’s article on The Importance of Drinking Water.