If you have done any investigating at all, you know there are a zillion different nutritional supplements, and all claim to be the Fountain of Youth that will make you young, healthy, active, thin and sexy for only $29.95 (plus shipping and handling). At the same time, you’ve heard so much confusing information about health and nutrition that you suspect that it might be a good idea to take some supplements. If you could only figure out which supplements to take.

Food Facts

People in developed countries have access to more food, a greater variety of foods and healthier diets than at any time in history. At the same time, obesity and “diseases of civilization” like heart disease and diabetes are rampant in these countries. What’s the deal with that? Well, it appears that enough food and a variety of foods doesn’t equal a healthy diet. We’re learning a lot about food and nutrition—about nutrients we never knew existed and how they work in our bodies. We’re learning that the nutritional content of the food we eat has changed over the past century due to:

• Changes in farming, ranching and food production.

• Changes in the plants themselves, through selective breeding and genetic modifications.

• Transportation over long distances from farm to market.

We also know that the Standard American Diet—or SAD* diet—is high in refined carbohydrates, unhealthy fats and calories and sadly lacking in nutrients.