There’s a hidden sickness in the so-called developed world that afflicts millions and is causing our bodies to deteriorate at a much faster rate than Mother Nature intended. It affects young and the old alike and makes no distinction between rich and poor yet hardly any of us are aware of it. The condition is malnutrition.

Malnutrition does not necessary mean not enough food. Indeed, people who habitually overeat and are obese can be malnourished if they binge on nutrient-deprived junk foods or whose diet lacks balance. For example, they may eat packaged thinking they are full of vitamins without realising they are crammed with high levels of salt and sugar and contain virtually no nutrients whatsoever?

Diagnosis rates in the UK have risen by nearly 50% in the past 5 years, and yet the truth is that most sufferers are not even aware they’re affected until later in life when it manifests in a variety of chronic and degenerative health problems ranging from Alzheimer’s, arthritis, heart disease and even cancer. But by then it’s too late to do anything about it.

Malnutrition starves the bodies of the essential vitamins and nutrients that it need to function healthily. Both this and obesity are on the increase because we’re literally eating ourselves sick with the wrong kind of food, and we’ve been doing so for at least the last 50 years. Two or three generations have grown up not knowing any better, and some don’t care.  For example, in the UK (and I have no doubt this also applies in other countries):

• Too high a proportion of our food budget – perhaps 90 per cent – is spent on processed foods.
• We’re eating less home-cooked food and more convenience food and more takeaways than ever before.
• We’re eating later in the day which means we don’t digest our food properly.
• Many skip meals or grab a sandwich on the run rather than take their time to enjoy their food.

All this is storing up trouble for the future.

You may think you’re eating a healthy diet, but unless you pay attention, consciously choose healthy foods and read and understand labels your body may be deficient in vital nutrients that, if uncorrected, can lead to a whole host of degenerative health problems.

So from now on pay attention to what you eat and make adjustments if required. You owe it to yourself!

©FGATT, 6.3.2017

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