ABSTRACT
Nutrition is a powerful tool for rectifying imbalance within the body, and by correcting nutritional deficiency or excess, significant intervention can be made into disease and healing processes. This chapter will outline the key food groups and discuss creating a balanced diet, show how cooking and processing methods can influence nutrient status, and will consider the emotional factors affecting food choices and the motivation to eat. It is well recognised that inadequate nutrition can play a part in the disease process, while optimal nutrition promotes health and healing. Some strategies have been widely recommended for decades, such as reducing salt to lower blood pressure. Other nutritional benefits, like the use of Omega 3 fatty acids to improve brain function, have been publicised more recently. The specific nutritional needs of each patient will differ depending on the exact condition, and the purpose of this chapter is to provide general nutritional advice rather than to suggest treatment strategies for particular diseases. Where specific conditions are mentioned they are examples for illustrative purposes only, and thus should not be taken to be a recommendation for any patient with that condition.
