Sam's Cross-Atlantic Rowboat Journey, and what it means about Nutrition

Congratulations to Sam Williams, the brave lad who just crossed the Atlantic in his rowboat, "Pacific Pete". He rowed for over 75 days, completing 3750 miles, from the Canary Islands off the West African coast to Antigua! ("Holy Sore Shoulders, Sam!")

If I had one question for Sam, it's "Sam, didn't you ever think you might give yourself bad luck by sailing the Atlantic in a boat named after another ocean?"

I'm just joking. His journey was astounding, and raised money for a good cause. Go to his blog at http://www.atlanticrow2007.com/ to find out more about his trip, and www.farmafrica.org.uk/ to contribute to Farm Africa. We hope that Sam reached his fund-raising goal, which diminishes African poverty and supports self-sustainable farming cultures.

What does Sam's rowboat journey remind us about nutrition?
Are you eating the same foods, day in and day out? Are you eating as if you had no food choices? Are you limiting your nutrition in your eating habits?

Get yourself out of routines. Do you always take a banana to lunch with you, instead of an occasional apple or orange? Do you always use cream in your coffee, or have you tried delicious oat-milk or creamy almond milk?

Why some Diets can give you scurvy
Diets that encourage you to avoid entire food groups can be hazardous to your health. Now, I don't consider soda or donuts to be their own food groups. There are some awful foods that should be avoided entirely.

But avoiding foods that are full of nutrients, and low on calories, may not be wise, for several reasons. For example, one of the most popular diets of all times encourages dieters to avoid fruit. What the...?! Fruits are some of the greatest cancer-fighting foods that we know!

If your daily food consumption is limited to the same food groups, your nutrition is limited. Your body will not function optimally, and ultimately, cannot fight disease, if you are not eating all essential vitamins and minerals.

Remember, now that spring is here, a new variety of fresh fruits and vegetables will become available to us. Take advantage of the bounty, for your body's best nutrition!