Nutrition was not always a topic of so much interest as it is nowadays. Before the food industry began to manipulate the foods we eat, people ate whole foods from the ground or animals slaughtered freshly. Today, we find ourselves deficient in basic vitamins and minerals. So the new focus on nutrition is, in part, to understand why.

One way of maintaining good health is to visit the doctor on a regular basis. By doing this the individual will be aware of any health issues that he may have and therefore removing the risk of being ill or sick. It is advisable to go to the doctor at least twice a year.

When possible, choose wild salmon over farmed salmon. Both types offer nutritional benefits, but wild salmon has higher nutritional value. Farmed salmon may be overexposed to antibiotics and pesticides that farmers add to the water. Some farmed salmon may even have artificial coloring injected into the meat to give it a more attractive orange hue. With wild salmon, you do not have these risks.

Eliminate sugar and use artificial sweeteners. A diet high in sugar can cause diabetes and other health concerns. There are some great artificial sweeteners on the market today. You may not even be able to tell anything is different.

You want to set a good example for your child. If you try and tell your kid to eat healthy and not to eat junk food while you’re sitting there eating a bag of chips and drinking a soda, they’re not likely to listen. But if you eat healthy, your child will want to mimic you and eat healthy as well.

To reduce the pain of menstrual cramps, try consuming bromelain. Bromelain is substance found in pineapple. It’s a natural muscle relaxer that works similarly to many over the counter drugs. However, because bromelain is a natural substance, its effects can last much longer. Bromelain has also been shown to reduce the number of inflammatory cells in your body.

Use pureed fruit for a healthy substitute for commercial meat sauces. Fruit that is in season is more than affordable. You can puree up everything from apples to pineapples to marinate your fish, poultry, pork or beef. It works when you are barbecuing and even inside on the range or oven.

Seniors can live longer, stay sharp mentally longer and maintain a high quality of life longer, with good nutrition every day. Brightly colored fruits and vegetables help keep bones stronger, which reduces the risk of fractures. The nutrients in fruits and vegetables can also reduce recuperation times in the event a fracture occurs.

When you do not eat breakfast, you start your day without energy. Many people skip breakfast thinking that forgoing those calories will help them lose weight. Skipping your breakfast can leave you hungry so you are likely to eat extra snacks throughout the day. For example, if you skip a meal, you will normally eat more calories than you would have originally eaten.

Consume whole grains as a regular part of your diet. Whole grains have been proven to reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes. They have the ability to help you maintain healthy blood sugar levels. Avoid over-processed white bread products and instead, choose whole grains.

A great nutrition tip is to try out different vegetables, all the time. Eating the same food can get very tedious, especially when you’re eating the same vegetables everyday. Trying out new vegetables, keeps things interesting and you can discover new and healthy foods that you wouldn’t have known about.

Don’t let the latest fads convince you that you are doing things wrong. The fads change as quickly as the wind and as long as you follow the basic proven aspects of nutrition you will be living a better, healthier life. That fad will be over before too long anyway.

Make dessert healthy too. Instead of chocolate cake, try raspberries dipped in chocolate. Instead of ice cream bars, opt for homemade ice cream with real strawberries. Remember that healthy foods don’t have to be boring and they can be very tasty! Your nutritious foods will be delicious and feel like a real treat, making you want to eat them.

In order to ensure you are maintaining good nutrition, it is important to eliminate trans fat and high fat products. In addition, eating a diet which is high in fiber, fruits, vegetables and lean proteins is recommended for those interested in maintaining a lean physique. Staying disciplined in a high fiber, lean protein diet is key to maintaining good nutrition.

A good rule for better nutrition is: If you don’t know what it is or how it is pronounced, don’t eat it. The preservatives and additives in most processed food is by and large nothing but chemicals. Many of these things are unnatural to the body and will result in unnecessary waste in your system. Keep to simple ingredient lists that are easily read.

Realize that some fruits or vegetables only provide starch-like nutrition. Bananas, for example, are very high in starch but do not necessarily provide the vitamins that humans require in their nutrition. Eating a single banana will not provide the correct amount of vitamins and thus a variety of other fruits are needed to get your total nutritional value.

Choose certain food pairings for optimum nutrition. When you combine Vitamin C with foods containing iron, the iron is absorbed more easily. It isn’t hard – the amount of Vitamin C in a single tomato or orange will triple the amount of iron your body can absorb. Therefore, adding orange wedges to your spinach salad or tomatoes to your chili will help you to take in the most iron possible.

Initially, the food industry was praised for using science to find a way to create inexpensive food and feed many more people than was possible before the innovations. But with the rise of deficiencies and disease, a new focus on nutrition has arisen, and people have begun to question how the science has undermined basic rules of nutrition.