Good health is decided largely by personal habits and lifestyles. Choices that influence health negatively can be the use of tobacco products, alcohol, illicit drug use and the stress of a high paced life. The most important factor in establishing and maintaining good health is good nutrition. The 1988 Surgeon General's Report on Nutrition and health states: ?For the two out of three adult Americans who do not smoke and do not drink excessively, one personal choice seems to influence longterm health prospects more than any other: What we eat.? This was confirmed in the 1989 National Research counsel Report ?Diet and health? and in the 1990 International Life Sciences Institute ? Nutrition Foundation Book, ?Present Knowledge in Nutrition.?

Establishing what is an acceptable diet is highly unsettled in today's debate between the extreme and the conservative. On one side of the argument there are those that only accept the natural or organic as allowable foods. Animal tissue and products are completely unacceptable in the diet, and any food that has been processed at all is less than desirable. Some call this a ?Caveman? diet or ?Grazing?, a menu that keeps the individual as close to nature as possible. Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins and other supplements are often taken to boost the nutritional needs of the individual for optimal health, so long as they are easily assimilated in the system and come from food sources. For those who are recovering from chronic or acute illnesses, these diets can be most challenging but are most times the only choice for correcting bad health.

The more conservative groups say that eating correctly from the USDA Eating Right Pyramid will give you everything that the body needs for proper nutrition and health. The latter claim does not however, take in to consideration, the depletion of natural vitamins and minerals from the soil due to modern farming methods, depletion due to storage and the depletion of nutrients when foods are processed to keep them from spoiling.

Moderation and sensibility seem to be the best approach to good health. Eat healthy foods in a satisfying amount. Avoid foods that have been processed, for example, white flour, white sugar (Including artificial substitutes), white salt and white rice. Substitute those with things that are palatable like FlourBlend, which is all natural, whole grain and enriched with a blend of herbs and supplements designed to increase the health of the human body, SugarBlend, which is an all natural blend of sugars, herbs and fiber to increase immunity and decrease blood sugar spikes, sea salt, brown rice and the natural sweetness in fruits. Try to keep the consumption of stockyard meats to about 3-12

Be sensible, if you've got good health, then adjust your diet a little at a time, try new vegetables and fruits in new recipes, but consume better foods and then learn how to use them with a partner. Pay attention to what it is that you are eating; make sure that you can taste what you are putting into your mouth. Listen to your body, it will usually tell you that it wants. Drink good water, drink good water, drink good water! You'll need to consume 100ounces per day to take the toxins out of your body successfully. Exercise is also very important. You don't need to spend a lot of money on health spa's or equipment. Gallon milk jugs filled with water is a good weight to start lifting, dancing with your partner or kids is good aerobics, just as long as your muscles get a good work out three times a week for 45 minutes, dancing for 20 minutes a day and doing flexibility or stretching for 10 minutes a day. you can play with your kids, lifting, pushing, pulling for 45 minutes, dance with them for 20 and let them help stretch you out of 10, then sit down to a healthy variety of foods that the family has prepared together. You will accomplish a better relationship with your family, establish a lifetime pattern for family interaction, and improve your health and the health of your loved ones in a short period of time during your busy day.

D.S. Epperson is the top formulator for Home Blend Gourmet / South Pacific Health, a leader in the functional food industry in the U.S.. With 20 years of experience in Nutritional Biochemistry, she has written reference books on botanicals and manufacturing of medicines from botanicals, and published articles on health, fitness and foods. She has formulated over 240 formulas and inventions for health, the environment and agricultural uses, and continues to research and study microbial advantages in nutraceuticals and functional foods. For more information or to view the articles that she has written: http://www.sugarblend.com.