Is your food deficient or sufficient?

     So how nutritious is your food? How much calcium, vitamins and iron do you really get out of your food? And how's a person supposed to know?

     Well, if you look to the CDC's recent release of their seven-year long project, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, then there's not much to worry about.  On average, only 1 to 10% of those tested were nutritionally deficient in any given vitamin or mineral.

     But how can you know? How do you know if you get enough folate or omega-3 fatty acids?  And how much does your food contain, anyways? Do we need vitamin and mineral supplements?  To summarize my answer to these and many more questions, please take a few minutes and view this highly informative, engaging and inspirational video by Dr. Terry Walhs MD.

   Since whole organic fruits and vegetables are where it's at, recently I was inspired to create a lunch that Dr. Walhs would approve of.  Seen below, it's a garden salad and sauteed vegetables, complete with many colors and sulfur-containing foods.

     So if you don't get enough nutrients from your food alone, how can you tell? In developing countries and areas where access to food is limited, the types of malnutrition seen there (e.g. poor development, brittle hair and teeth) is much more severe than the insidious type seen in America: overweight and overfed but nutritionally poor diet.  I would call this nutritional insufficiency.  What can that look like?

     Some one lacking in one or more of our basic vitamins and minerals may experience headaches, poor concentration, low stamina, poor wound healing, many different skin complaints, tension, nervousness, depression and/or low energy. Might you know any one with one or more of these complaints?

     Let me know any specifics I can answer on the above raised topics or feel free to write below any responses this topic raises.  I am eager to answer readers' questions, but as always, the material here is no substitute for careful and conscientious medical advice.

     Naturopathic physicians are experts at dietary analysis and can identify unique nutritional deficiencies or insufficiencies you may have. This is after taking into consideration any one of a number of common complaints which are seen as "normal" but may in fact be easily treated with a few simple dietary changes.  Please check in with your local ND for concerns specific to your situation.