Greetings from Healthy Lifestyle Tips

You know, there is an expression that states "You are what you eat- and you are what you do not eat". It’s actually quite true!

Once again, however, the ill effects of not eating properly do not show up immediately, but only manifest themselves over time.

First, you have to consider what your body needs. In order to function optimally it needs a wide selection of vitamins and minerals, fiber, water and energy.

Consider Supplements Thanks to modern day advertising, many people are under the impression that you can do away with natural vitamins and minerals, and simply take dietary supplements.

Unfortunately, it has been proven that while these supplements are - in most cases - beneficial, there is also plenty of evidence pointing to the fact that they lack some capabilities offered only by their natural counterparts.

Consume Fresh Fruits and Veggies

To ensure your body gets what it needs, you will need to consume fresh fruit and vegetables as often as possible. While the selection itself is mostly a matter of personal preference, you should really try to include as many different varieties as possible.

Each fruit and vegetable has its own unique selection of nutrients to offer, and consuming a variety of these will ensure that your intake of natural nutrients will be well balanced.

Be Careful with Supplements

Another thing to keep in mind is be careful about indiscriminately consuming large amounts of vitamin supplements. While it is true that some vitamins can be taken in rather large quantities without any direct ill effects, there can be consequences.

In some cases, the excess consumption of one vitamin can lead to the suppression of the functions of another. For instance - if you consume too much vitamin A, your body has problems creating vitamin D.

It is a problem that easily arises if you drink many different supplements and the content from the different sources start adding up.

Buy Organic

Finally - go organic wherever possible. It is an unfortunate truth that modern day farming practices were developed around productivity - and that undesirable substances were introduced along the way.

As a result, many common food items that we perceive as fresh and healthy are simply not that healthy any more. Wherever possible, check the source of your fresh food items, and see if they were organically raised. Avoid Processed Foods and Artificial Sweeteners

Staying away from processed foods goes (I hope!) without saying. It has been the root cause of many ailments, ranging from allergies to migraines.

The same goes for any synthetically created sweetener - instead opt for something natural like products made from Stevia (a natural herb which is 200 times sweeter than sugar in its pure form) if you need to replace sugar in your diet.

Aspartame - the basic ingredient for most artificial sweeteners - has more than 90 documented negative side effects. (Yikes!)

In short, keep it natural and keep it balanced. Here’s to living longer!