What happens when you do not eat a balanced diet? Maybe you can’t get a varied diet where you live? What if you have food allergies and can’t consume a balanced diet? How important is a balanced diet?
Homeostasis = the tendency of the body to maintain a stable, balanced, internal environment. “Sameness” Energy is required to keep the body in working order. Where does this energy come from? It comes from our food. Without a proper diet, it can create all sorts of issues. This is true for humans and animals.
We hear a lot about eating a balanced diet, but how important is it really? Could your needs change over time?
Over the past couple of years, my cat had developed a severe allergy to vegetables. Many pet foods add vegetables as a cheap way to add vitamins. The issue is that many pets are allergic to these vegetables. In the case of my cat, this led to a cancer diagnosis. By completely changing her diet and adding liquid mushrooms, she got much better for over a year. They had not expected her to live even three months when she first became ill. We tried many conventional medications and nothing worked until we changed her diet. A diet for a cat or dog is completely different than what a human might need. Yet, we each need to achieve a balanced diet.
I have known of children with severe migraines and possibly even nosebleeds and other issues with these headaches. Maybe weakness and being tired all of the time. Years ago when World War 1 started the US had trouble enlisting men for service. Many of the age-eligible men had Rickets. This is a softening or weakness in the bones due to a lack of Vitamin D. The Navy used to have issues with enlisted recruits being diagnosed with Scurvy due to a lack of Vitamin C and would stock up on oranges and other fruits high in it.
There were many other issues that came up when the young men went to enter the military. Some had a Vitamin K deficiency from not eating the right types of foods, such as vegetables. They also found that often people with migraines help find relief by taking Vitamin B, Magnesium, Vitamin D, Coenzyme 10, Melatonin, and Vitamin K.
The US government started school lunch programs and started adding things to everyday items to help kids achieve a balanced diet. This included adding 100 IU of Vitamin D to a cup of milk. The public water systems have fluoride added to prevent tooth decay. Even cereal companies got on board and created cereals that met many nutritional needs. These are just a few things that have been done to prevent disease and promote health.
There are ways to supplement a diet if you cannot get a balanced diet or prefer not to have one. Maybe you are a vegetarian and then need to consider other food nutrient sources. Maybe you are facing food shortages and can’t get the types of food you need. If you are thinking about changing your diet or are forced to change your diet, take some time to think about other ways you can achieve an optimum balance. Could it be with supplements or maybe adding herbs or vegetables to achieve the correct balance?
Take some time to think about how you can reach a healthy balance of what you or your family needs. Often it is as simple as adding supplements or going homeopathic and adding other food sources to your diet. If you plan ahead then when shortages or changes in diet occur, you will be ready.