PET food be your medicine and medicine be your food,'' stated by Hippocrates, and indeed, from the very earliest days of civilization, nutrition has formed the backbone of healthcare. It has always been clear that food has a medicinal effect, rich in natural ingredients, and is a prerequisite for

Nutrition: A Big "Plus''

Nutrition, perhaps more than any other factor, plays an essential role in our overall health and longevity. The reason for this is simple: The foods we eat affect virtually every cell, organ, and system in our bodies. If we eat enough of the right foods, our bodies thrive, and we live well and long.

The role of nutrition can't be overstated. According to nutrition experts, a healthful diet provides our cells with everything they need to function well, reproduce, and repair damage from a variety of sources. Healthful foods also give our bodies the right kind of fuel so that we have plenty of energy and a strong immune system.

The right foods help our bodies get rid of waste products and potentially harmful, toxins, many of which can increase our risk of serious illness, including cancer. Unfortunately, too many people - children, included - eat without considering their health. Home meals are prepared with convenience rather than nutrition in mind or are too often replaced by fat and sodium-laden fast food. Processed foods replace whole foods, and sweet, sugary desserts are given more attention than the main course.

But the fact remains: If you want to live a long time and enjoy those extra years, you have to eat well. It doesn't mean giving up your favorite foods but simply eating in moderation, eating less of those foods that may not be the best for us (such as overly processed foods, fried foods, and fatty slabs of red meat), and replacing a greater emphasis on foods known for their high nutrition.

The Four Basic Nutrients

Water, carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are the basic building blocks of a good diet. By choosing the healthiest forms of each of these nutrients, and eating them in a proper balance, you enable your body to function at its optimal level.

Water

The human body is twothirds water. Water is an essential nutrient that is involved in every function of the body. It helps transport nutrients and waste products in and out of the cells. It is necessary for all digestive, absorption, circulatory, and excretory functions, as well as for the utilization of the water-soluble vitamins. It is also needed for the maintenance of proper body temperature. By drinking an adequate amount of water each day - at least eight 8ounce glasses - you can ensure that your body has all it needs to maintain good health.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates supply the body with the energy it needs to function. They are found almost exclusively in plant foods, such as fruits, vegetables, peas, and beans. Milk and milk products are the only foods derived from animals that contain a significant amount of carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates are divided into two groups - simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates, sometimes called simple sugars, include fructose (fruit sugar), sucrose (table sugar), and lactose (milk sugar), as well as several other sugars. Fruits are one of the richest natural sources of simple carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates are also made up of sugars, but the sugar molecules are strung together to form longer, more complex chains. Complex carbohydrates include fiber and starches. Foods rich in complex carbohydrates include vegetables, whole grains, peas, and beans.

Carbohydrates are the main source of blood glucose, which is the major fuel for all of the body's cells and the only source of energy for the brain and red blood cells. When choosing carbohydrate-rich foods for your diet, always select unrefined foods such as fruits, vegetables, peas, beans, and whole-grain products, as opposed to refined, processed foods as soft drinks, desserts, candy, and sugar. Refined foods offer few, if any, of the vitamins and minerals that are important in good health. In addition, if eaten in excess, especially over a period of many years, the large amount of simple carbohydrates found in refined foods can lead to a number of disorders, including diabetes mellitus.

Protein

Protein is essential for growth and development. It provides the body with energy, and is needed for the manufacture of hormones, antibodies, enzymes, and tissues. It also helps maintain the proper acid-alkali balance in the body. When protein is consumed, the body breaks it down into amino acids, the building blocks of all proteins. Some of the amino acids are designated nonessential. But it does not mean that they are unnecessary, but rather that they do not have to come from the diet because they can be synthesized by the body from other amino acids. Other amino acids are considered essential, meaning that the body cannot synthesize them, and therefore must obtain them from the diet.

A protein diet that includes all the essential amino acids is called complete proteins. In general, these proteins are of animal origin: egg, milk, cheese, and meat.

Protein foods that are deficient in one or more of the essential amino acids are called incomplete proteins. These proteins are of plant origin: grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, vegetables, and fruits. However, these foods make valuable contributions to the total dietary protein.

Fats

Fats supply a storage form of concentrated fuel for the human energy system. As such they back up carbohydrates - primary fuel - as an available energy source. Fats are composed of building blocks called fatty acids. There are three major categories of fatty acids - saturated, polyunsaturated, and mono-unsaturated.

Saturated fatty acids are found primarily in animal products, including dairy items, such as whole milk, cream, and cheese, and fatty meats like beef, lamb, pork, and ham. The liver uses saturated fats to manufacture cholesterol. Therefore, excessive dietary intake of saturated fats can significantly raise the blood cholesterol levels, especially the low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or the bad cholesterol.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids are found in greatest abundance in corn, soybean, and sunflower oils. Certain fish oils are also high in polyunsaturated fatty acids. Unlike saturated fats, polyunsaturated fats may actually lower your blood cholesterol.

Monounsaturated fatty acids are found mostly in vegetables and nuts oils such as olive, peanut, and canola. These appear to reduce blood levels of LDLs, the bad cholesterol, without affecting HDLs, the good cholesterol.