Nutrition is a critical part of your health. Getting the proper amount of nutrients, vitamins and minerals every day not only helps avoid various diseases and health conditions, but can also improve your mood, give you more energy and a higher brain function.

Most people do not get enough Omega -3 fats which are extremely important for proper function of the body. Low Omega-3  can be associated with lower IQ, depression, various mental disorders, and heart disease.

Trans fats form in chemically processed oils and are linked to all sorts of chronic diseases. You should avoid them like the plague.

Added sugar provides empty calories and is believed to be a leading cause of diseases that kill millions of people each year.

Vegetables are rich in all sorts of nutrients. Eating vegetables each day is associated with improved health and a lower risk of disease. They are rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants and an endless variety of trace nutrients that science has just begun to uncover.

Vitamin D is a unique vitamin that actually functions as a hormone in the body.  Unfortunately, it may be difficult to get enough vitamin D from the diet. If getting more sun is not an option, taking a vitamin D supplement or a tablespoon of cod liver oil each day is the best way to prevent or reverse a deficiency. 

Refined carbohydrates are not as healthy as unrefined carbohydrates. Unrefined carbs are basically whole foods that are rich in carbs. These include whole-grain cereals, beans, vegetables and fruits. Refined carbs, on the other hand, are sugar and refined flour.

The vitamins and minerals, the ones you can also get from a cheap multivitamin, are just a small part of the total amount of nutrients in foods. Therefore, supplements cannot match the variety of nutrients you get from real foods. However, many supplements can be beneficial, especially those that contain nutrients that are generally lacking in the diet, like vitamin D. But no amount of supplements will ever make up for a bad diet. Not a chance.