The Omaha Newspapers

Previous Columns from 2010:

Well Adjusted Chiropractic

By: Dr. Jessica Johnson Zortman

Nutrition is essential for our survival and March is Nutrition Month across the United States. Many people have questions about optimal nutrition and how to achieve it. The best way to get good nutrition is to eat a balanced diet of whole grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables, oils, nuts, and seeds. However, with our busy lifestyles and America's love of highly processed foods, a balanced and healthy diet is often difficult to achieve. Forty-sixty percent of the average American's diet comes from "empty" calorie foods or processed food. Generally, the more processed a food is, the lower the nutritional value will be. Besides for eating "empty" foods, we also participate in many activities that will rob us of our nutrition. The increase in stress in our lives also creates a greater nutritional demand. Common stressors include: regular alcohol use, regular intake of caffeine, chronic dieting, prescription or other drugs, oral contraceptives, infections, illnesses, pregnancy, exposure to radiation, heavy exercise, cigarette smoking, old age, poor digestion, surgery, injuries, exposure to pollution, and an increase in occupational or emotional stress.

With all the things that can decrease our nutrition, we need to focus on restoring proper nutrition. One way to help restore depleted nutrients is with supplementation. While supplements do not replace a good diet, a good multivitamin/mineral and fish oil can help to fill in the gaps in our lifestyles. Supplements are generally safe. There is a danger when extremely large quantities are consumed over a long period of time and always be sure to read the ingredients if you have a food allergy or sensitivity. Supplements are not currently regulated by the Food and Drug Administration; therefore, some companies will use less expensive and sometimes less effective and less absorbable products in the supplements. It is always important to get a high quality supplement. These supplements have a GMP-Certified Manufacturing approval behind them. This means that the science supporting the products, the ingredients in the products, and the manufacturing process are all very high quality.

Good nutrition promotes well-being, reduces the risk of many diseases, and helps treat some diseases. There are many different choices of supplements on the market. While everyone can benefit from a multivitamin/mineral and a fish oil (EPA/DHA) supplement, there are numerous suggestions for the use of other supplements based on age, health, ailments and goals. Talk to your chiropractor about the best supplements to benefit your special circumstances.



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Previous Columns from 2010: February 2010 January 2010 March 2010 Well Adjusted Chiropractic By: Dr. Jessica Johnson Zortman Nutrition is essential for our survival and March is Nutrition Month across the United States. Many people have questions about optimal nutrition and how to achieve it. The best way to get good nutrition is to eat a balanced diet of whole grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables, oils, nuts, and seeds. However, with our busy lifestyles and America's love of highly processed foods, a balanced and healthy diet is often difficult to achieve. Forty-sixty percent of the average American's diet comes from "empty" calorie foods or processed food. Generally, the more processed a food is, the lower the nutritional value will be. Besides for eating "empty" foods, we also participate in many activities that will rob us of our nutrition. The increase in stress in our lives also creates a greater nutritional demand. Common stressors include: regular alcohol use, regular intake of caffeine, chronic dieting, prescription or other drugs, oral contraceptives, infections, illnesses, pregnancy, exposure to radiation, heavy exercise, cigarette smoking, old age, poor digestion, surgery, injuries, exposure to pollution, and an increase in occupational or emotional stress. With all the things that can decrease our nutrition, we need to focus on restoring proper nutrition. One way to help restore depleted nutrients is with supplementation. While supplements do not replace a good diet, a good multivitamin/mineral and fish oil can help to fill in the gaps in our lifestyles. Supplements are generally safe. There is a danger when extremely large quantities are consumed over a long period of time and always be sure to read the ingredients if you have a food allergy or sensitivity. Supplements are not currently regulated by the Food and Drug Administration; therefore, some companies will use less expensive and sometimes less effective and less absorbable products in the supplements. It is always important to get a high quality supplement. These supplements have a GMP-Certified Manufacturing approval behind them. This means that the science supporting the products, the ingredients in the products, and the manufacturing process are all very high quality. Good nutrition promotes well-being, reduces the risk of many diseases, and helps treat some diseases. There are many different choices of supplements on the market. While everyone can benefit from a multivitamin/mineral and a fish oil (EPA/DHA) supplement, there are numerous suggestions for the use of other supplements based on age, health, ailments and goals. Talk to your chiropractor about the best supplements to benefit your special circumstances. The entire contents of this publication are © Copyright 2010 The Omaha Newspapers and may not ethically nor legally be reproduced in whole or in part without the written permission of the Publisher.