The concept of natural health is a broad one, but it encompasses a number of concepts that combine to create a picture of an alternative way of living.
Perhaps the biggest, and simplest, idea of natural health is that our bodies can regulate themselves if we give them the right material to work with. The biggest issue here is therefore what we eat.
Quite simply, what you eat will have a profound effect on your well-being. Proponents of the concept of natural health believe that most illnesses and problems are triggered by the way we live - in particular the stress in our lives, nutritional deficiencies and toxins.
Thus nutrition is seen as a form of treatment, able to cure all manner of problems. Typically this approach includes both choosing a good diet, and also the use of supplements to ensure that we get all the nutrients and micro-nutrients we need.
Although many doctors suggest that we can meet all of our nutritional needs from a "well-balanced diet", the research suggest otherwise. A National Food Survey conducted in Britain in 1995 found that the average person was grossly deficient in 6 out of the 8 vitamins and minerals surveyed.
Among the more detailed findings was that less than 10% of the population receive their RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) for zinc, while the typical daily intake of selenium (34mcg) is now only half what it was 25 years ago.
Thus for many people, addressing their nutritional deficiencies can be the shortest and most effective route to feeling better and more energised.
