No multivitamin can take the place of a healthy diet. That's because there are thousands of known and thousands of unidentified nutrients (a large portion are phytochemicals found in plants) in whole foods and no supplement contains these thousands. At best there will be a few dozen, but it is theorized that the real benefits from nutrients depend on how they interact together. And scientists are still guessing at how that happens. The bottom line is: get your vitamins, minerals, and the rest from food, not supplements.
It's important to note that a number of studies have been done on supplemental Vitamin A and Vitamin E. These studies have shown a *decrease* in health associated with supplementing these vitamins. Again, get your vitamins from food.
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Adequate water intake is vitally important. And the more one sweats from being physically active and in hotter environments, the more one ought to drink. Water is a component of many foods and beverages; the healthier of these would be fresh vegetables, fruits, soup made from veggies, and teas. Though it's a point of contention, moderate consumption of coffee and alcohol may also be considered in this group, though these beverages are certainly not necessary for good health. In the end, drinking more pure water is obviously the most reliable way to increase the amount of water your body receives. It is possible to drink too much water, but this is rare. Generally speaking, if your urine is mostly clear or only slightly yellow, you are getting enough water. If it is dark yellow, you are dehydrated and your body is not functioning at its best.
Nuts and seeds contain many beneficial nutrients, including healthy fats that play a role in reducing the risk of heart disease. Regular consumption of nuts and seeds is often quantified at 1-2 servings daily, depending on one's level of physical activity. If you are so physically active that you have a hard time eating enough food, nuts and seeds are an energy-dense (i.e. calorically high) food. A serving is loosely defined as a small handful. Some members of this food group, such as ground flaxseeds, hemp seeds and walnuts, contain a significant amount of omega-3 fatty acids, which are an extremely important -- and an often missing--dietary component. Generally speaking, increasing one's intake of omega-3 fats is a good way to improve one's health.
In general, the more nutrient-dense the food one eats, the healthier one is. Eating more veggies, fruits, and legumes is a direct response to this principle. But since you only have so much room in your stomach, the only (comfortable) way to eat more of these foods is to eat less of other foods that contain fewer nutrients per calorie. On the spectrum of nutrient- density, unrefined plant foods are at the top and processed foods such as pastries, cookies, candy, most food bars and breakfast cereals, bread made with refined (e.g. "white") flour, oil, and others are at the bottom. Higher consumption of processed foods is associated with decreased overall health. This could be due to many reasons, but a likely one is that eating more processed food means eating less unrefined plant food, and it is the latter of the two that can actually protect your health.
Grain
world. This means, per calorie, they pack the highest concentration of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and other health-promoting nutrients when compared to all other foods. This is true of vegetables and fruits that are raw or minimally cooked, and as close to their natural form as possible. (A french fry comes from a potato, but it is not a health-promoting food.) Consuming a higher quantity of nutrients from food (versus from supplementation) is considered one of the most important things you can do to protect and ensure your health. I won't get into detail here, but the science shows many exceptionally high correlations between higher consumption of these foods and increased lifespan.
benefits not listed here. But it is also important to mention that, among those populations already consuming high levels of these foods, those who consume more dark leafy greens (e.g. salad) and more legumes/pulses (i.e. beans, peas, and lentils) have even better health and live even longer. (
in western and westernized countries, wants to know these changes and feels directly implicated by them. This is because what nutritional science has to say--or at least what the popular media have to say about findings in nutrition--carries great implications for everyone's health and appearance. It is also in part because highly-westernized countries such as the U.S. do not, relatively speaking, have a traditional food culture, and so what people eat is frequently subject to change based on governmental and commercial interests.While many finer points are disputed within this field, there exists a handful of guidelines that are almost universally promoted. According to general recommendations made by many top health authorities, most people would improve their health by:
Additional exercise outside your dance program should be chosen to complement what you are already doing. For many this means strength training for muscle groups not targeted by dance, and activities that are even more aerobically demanding, such as running. Dancers may also want to consider reducing the impact on their joints by selecting (non-dance) exercise forms such as bicycling and swimming.
Drink 1-2 cups of water before activity, sip throughout, and generously replenish afterward.
The more nutrients-per-calorie a food has, the more nutrient-dense it is and the healthier it is for you. Numerous scientific studies have shown that the incidence of many diseases can be reduced or eliminated by increasing the nutrient-density of one's diet through increased consumption of whole plant foods.
The healthiest diet you can construct centers around vegetables, beans, fruits and whole grains. The more you eat from these four food categories, the more nutrients you give your body to be healthy. These foods are also the highest in fiber and water, which means they can fill your stomach without giving you excess calories. This is why one of the keys to healthy weight-loss and weight-maintenance is eating as many whole plant foods as possible. (
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Tremendous injustice is occurring all over the world. The most innocent and fragile of living creatures have no voice. Children are making textiles, toys (which they will never play with) and matches, among many other items. We call this 
