However, it is not always possible to eat enough of foods in proper form, e.g. raw, and we never know if food in question has enough of essentials we need (maybe due to soil depletion) so taking supplements is still necessary.

Here is list of dietary sources. Try to include some of foods missing from your diet right now in your meals. You will find that many of these foods contain more than one essential vitamin or mineral and in many cases contain quite a few nutrients.

Also note that some substances, such as Alpha Lipoic Acid and Acetyl L-Carnitine, have no specific dietary sources and must be taken as supplements, although someone with a healthy diet, concentrated on foods listed here is not likely to have a deficiency.

Dietary Sources for Antioxidants and Vitamins

Vitamin A: liver, dairy products, darkly colored fruits, leafy vegetables (broccoli, spinach, kale, watercress), red bell peppers, halibut and cod.

Vitamin B Complex: brewer’s yeast, wild Alaskan salmon, raw nuts (almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds), beans (pinto, soy, black, lentils, chick peas, kidney), dairy products (yogurt, milk, cottage cheese – preferably low-fat), vegetables (asparagus, avocado, cauliflower, spinach), chicken and turkey breast, melons and oranges.

Vitamin C: citrus fruits, tomatoes, bell peppers, broccoli.

So obesity has clearly reached epidemic proportions in U.S., and healthcare costs associated with it now rival those attributable to smoking. These costs were estimated to be $92.6 billion in 2002--9.1% of all health care costs--and they continue to escalate rapidly. Comparable costs associated with smoking were estimated to be between 6.5% and 14.4% in 2002. The Centers for Disease Control have announced that obesity could become nation's leading cause of preventable deaths by 2005. According to a recent estimate, obesity accounts for approximately 280,000 deaths each year in U.S.

This epidemic is not confined to adults but tragically is afflicting children as well. Childhood obesity increased from 5 percent in 1964 to 13 percent in 1994. Today, it is estimated to be about 20 percent--and rising.

Diseases for which obesity is a significant risk factor include: Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, stroke, heart attack, congestive heart failure, cancer, gallstones, gout, osteoarthritis, and sleep apnea, fatty liver disease, pulmonary problems, reproductive problems in women, and depression.

In this era of skyrocketing healthcare costs, it's urgently clear, then, that more effective methods are needed for preventing and reversing this very major contributor to our escalating healthcare crisis.

The above data are especially astounding in face of fact that Americans are spending in excess of $50 billion annually on diet products. In view of ongoing epidemic summarized above, this investment has obviously been highly unsuccessful. As has been pointed out in one study, for example, price per pound lost in one well-known weight loss program amounts to $180!

Not only is there overwhelming evidence that diets don't work in long run, but of even more concern is strong evidence that they can actually contribute to further weight gain and decline in health. There is recent evidence, for example, that yo-yo dieting weakens immune system by as much as 30%.

A search of research literature on weight loss strongly supports general conclusion that key lifestyle and dietary changes are absolutely necessary to long-term success. Here is a fairly comprehensive listing of these essential changes:

1. Eat a lot of fresh vegetables and fruits.

2. Boost protein intake to build and preserve lean muscle tissue.

3. Use fiber-rich foods, which are more filling and promote health.

4. Boost calcium and other minerals to help shed unwanted fat.

5. Increase intake of omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids by eating fish, flax, and nuts.

6. Eat only minimal amounts of "junk" carbs, containing sugar and white flour.

7. Greatly reduce--or eliminate--saturated and trans fats that are loaded with harmful fatty acids.

8. Reduce or eliminate alcohol.

9. Reduce amount of food eaten gradually to avoid adverse effects of sudden dieting.

10. Eat frequent, small snacks, instead of large meals, to maximize calories burned for energy.

11. Be sure to eat a healthy breakfast to avoid difficulty in controlling appetite later in day.

12. Be sure to exercise for a half-hour, at least 3 times a week.