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Food Versus Supplements: Has Britain’s Pop A Pill Culture Gone Too Far? With a strict emphasis on implementing a strict diet to coincide with Governmental initiatives like ‘Change For Life’ , health supplements have come under increased scrutiny- after all can taking a pill once a day take the place of wholesome nutritious foods? According to the experts at ‘Creative Nature’, superfoods are the only way to five a day.Pop a pill culture encourages us all to take tablets to overcome everything from weight loss to a healthier lifestyle, but should this be the message we are giving to our next generation? What happened to Sundays sat around the dinner table looking forward to mums home cooking and encouraging healthy eating from within the home? Greg Shaw, who helps run ‘Creative Nature’ a firm who offer Apricot Kernels, Goji berries and Spirulina amongst other foods and supplements said, “A common tool used by supplement firms is to offer scare-mongering tactics. Some firms have even started claiming that food is no longer giving us the nutrients we need for a healthy lifestyle!- it is bizarre to think that one day we stopped getting the vitamins previously available from the foods we have always been eating.”It is a proven fact that the human body can only absorb a fraction of the contents of most supplements, mainly down to the density and concentration of some pills, but also down to your digestive transit. That is not to say that supplements do not have their place however, some supplements can be used very effectively as a means of correcting a deficiency or if you have a medical condition, which improves from a higher vitamin intake.The ‘size zero achievement’ has almost become a badge of success in today’s society with top models all over the world going to great lengths to reduce their food intake by whatever means necessary. All too often, those looking to make it in the fashion industry fall victim to a cocktail of slimming pills and supplements, assuming that supplements can replace food almost entirely. The question is this- how many models will fall victim to this diet idea before healthy eating in its traditional form is recognised as the only way to achieve a healthy existence? Luisel Ramous, famously shocked the world’s media after she collapsed in 2006 during Uruguay’s Fashion Week, later dying of heart failure, but still diet pills and supplements reign as the ‘skinny essential’.Mr Shaw from the online health food supplier who distribute their products to several hundred retail outlets including Waitrose, Selfridges, Wholefoods and Planet Organic, added, “superfoods should be used to aid healthy living as they contain sufficiently high levels of phytochemicals, minerals and vitamins. The benefits of some ‘superfoods’ such as Goji berries, are now being recognised by celebrities like Victoria Beckham, Kate Moss, Liz Hurley and Mischa Barton, for their skin smoothing benefits, ability to increase energy levels for the improvements in overall health, which will hopefully create a uber-cool image for them amongst our younger generations.”Popular ‘superfoods’ to run alongside a brand new exercise regime and a healthier look on life include, Barley Grass, Cacao products, Manuka Honey and Maca Root.Mr Shaw added, “Superfoods have often been utilized by indigenous communities for literally hundreds of years. Due to the symbiotic relationship between plants and humans, that has evolved over millions of years, all of Creative Nature’s natural plant products are also easily assimilated by the human body. Let’s hope that Britain turns its hand to encouraging our youngsters to try new foods rich in vitamins and minerals rather than reaching for the nearest bottle of pills. In 2009 this really shouldn’t be too much to ask”
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