Eating what you need

Everyday you hear about some food that is good for you or bad for you. Some study that shows some food helps cure some condition or makes a condition worse. 

We hear about lactose intolerance, gluten free and peanut allergies. 

We are told to eat more yogurt and fat free milk to get calcium, Greek yogurt for protein but are also told to take a vitamin with iron.  But what is wrong with these items?  They are all man made.

What happened to eating foods that haven't been processed or changed to include more nutrients?   Who says that everyone needs the same level of added vitamins and minerals?  Just as the number of calories you consume varies with age, wouldn't the amount of vitamins and nutrients also change? 

I'm sure I can find one study that says red meat is bad for you. I'm sure I can also find a study that says red meat is good for you.  But who reads the studies?  We all hear the sound bites on the news and then eliminate or add that particular food from their diet.

I remember years ago that eggs were reported as being bad for you because they had lots of cholesterol and high levels of cholesterol is bad for you.  Since then the medical world has determined there are two types of cholesterol.  And there are now studies that say eggs, in moderation, are good for you. And the egg yolks are better than egg whites because they have lots of good nutrients and natural vitamins and minerals that most people don't get enough of.

What if we all went back to eating natural foods?  I'm not talking about the "all natural" foods that have been created and are on the grocery store shelves. I'm talking about fruits and berries off the trees, eggs directly from chickens that roam free, beef from a cow that can roam and eat what it wants.  Ok, so these things are on the shelves of the store and are called free-range and cost extra.  But who has the extra money in this bad economy? 

Ok, so where am I going with this?  Everyone needs to find the foods that give them the nutrients they need.  Every person is different because we all metabolize nutrients differently.  So if you want to find the foods that are best for you, talk with a doctor or nutritionist and actually measure the levels of vitamins and minerals so you can determine exactly what your particular body needs.  Realize that a one size diet for everyone doesn't work.