What is health? Health is the state of our physical being whether excellent, good, or poor. The state of our health may depend on several factors: heredity traits, environmental conditions, food and drink choices, fitness and exercise habits, sleep and rest, our thoughts, and our emotional state of mind. All of these are important and can be affecting our state of health if not in balance. Though we may have inherited physical weaknesses, just as weaknesses in other areas of our lives can become our strengths, so can our inherited physical weaknesses if we choose to take the time and effort to do so.

Why is excellent health important? Think of going out and buying a brand new automobile. You will first consider the warranty, extended warranty, maintenance, insurance, and more to assure you that this vehicle will give you the best performance for the longest period of time. If you knew you would have this automobile for the rest of your life and that one only, would it make a difference in how you treated it now as well as a few years down the road? Most, however, take better care of their automobiles than they do their bodies. You have a body that will last until the end of your life, and how well it performs and how long it lasts depends on your care and attention. How well do you treat your physical body? Do you give it the best fuel for peak performance, or is the fuel clogged and dirty which causes your body to sputter and quit on occasion? Do you give it a good wash and cleaning both inside and out on a regular basis, so it is free of dirt, debris and clutter? Have you invested in top, high-quality products on the market that will extend your body's life, even though it may cost you a little more? Are you really worth the investment for long lasting and superior results?

Where does true health come from? Two of the most important factors in the outcome of our health are ultimately what we feed our system, and how we strengthen it through exercise. We really are what we eat! We really are as strong as we work to be! However, if you are one of those people who eats all kinds of unhealthy things and enjoys good health anyway, you will probably wake up one day and find a major illness "just hit you ? (even though it has been in the works for a long time). The body has a way of making do to protect us, but eventually, like everything else, it will catch up and fly its true colors. And even though we may each one have health challenges at one time or another, we can strengthen our health through our food and drink intake, and through a good regular fitness program. On the other hand, drugs are only like band-aids. They can cover up the symptom, but they can't or won't strengthen and heal the body. They are not formulated to do so.

Does what I eat really make that much difference in my health and wellness? Again, look at your automobile. If you put dirty, cloudy, polluted fuel in it, would it run, and if so, for how long? How long your automobile will run can not be calculated any more than how long your body will. However, you can be smart and use only clean fuel for both. The best and ultimate clean fuel for the body comes from these sources:

raw fruits and vegetables (plus some occasional slightly cooked)
raw nuts, seeds and sprouts
whole grains - sprouted and/or cooked in their whole form
whole legumes (beans) - sprouted and/or cooked in their whole form

Believe it or not, these four basic food groups can provide all the necessary nutrients that the body needs: complete proteins, balanced carbohydrates, healthy fats, vitally important fiber, and a high concentrate of vitamins and minerals. The other one of the Daily Basic Seven that we need is water - good pure water! These above foods provide nourishment, cleansing, and increase energy, health and strength. Now let's compare these to the fast food and processed foods that are most commonly eaten today. They are high in trans fats, animal proteins (also high in fat), unhealthy carbohydrates, and calories, but are deplete in nutrition: vitamins, minerals, fiber, and digestive enzymes. Does this explain why most people are overweight and experiencing many disorders? If the body does not get the proper nutrition to function, it will react in "disorder ? and illness. Considering the nutritional value of foods and eating healthy foods is essential for great health and wellness.

Are health and wellness products needed or necessary? Consider this: The amount of iron in 1 cup of spinach in the 1940's is equivalent to approximately 65 cups of spinach today. We can thank our chemical fertilizer producers and farmers for our drastically depleted soil. We can also be most grateful for organic farmers who are working to increase the nutrients in the soil and our foods through organic fertilizers. Yes, who are dollars go to are those who we pay to continue in either depleting or improving the soil and, thus, the nutritional content of our foods. So might supplementation be important? Usually - however, that also depends. If a major part of your diet consists of those four food groups mentioned earlier being high-quality, fully ripened, and organically grown, then you may not need additional supplementary health products. However, if not, you may need some "nutritional boosters ? in some form of supplementation. That doesn't necessarily mean pills. Some of the best forms of any supplements are usually still in food forms - dehydrated and powdered, to be taken in liquid so the body accepts it as a food.

True health and wellness is attainable! Living a healthy lifestyle is actually a much more simplified way to live - healthy eating of foods in their natural and whole food state can save on many preparations, and taking time out to exercise in a regular fitness program is refreshing and energizing. Think about what health and wellness means to you, or what you might change if were without excellent health. Since it is easier to prevent problems than fix them, why not think about the changes you need to make in order for you to attain ultimate health and wellness.