Dr. John F Denison,

I have spent the last few months reading and researching just how important nutrition is in the US today. I am shocked at our diets and just where we are as a society. Even those of us who think we are eating well are sometimes ourselves. The USDA 5 a day recommendations ask us to eat 5 1/2 cup servings on their website, and in truth more are probably needed. The average citizen states they eat 2 servings a day, but in studies most eat just under a full serving a day.

The British medical journal, The Lancet, published a study in 2005 identifying 9 preventable cancer risks and their importance to their relation to cancers worldwide. The first preventable risk was smoking, the second excessive alcohol intake, and the third low fruit and vegetable intake. This was actually above obesity and physical exercise in causing more cancers.

With the proliferation of fast food, sodas, processed foods, and other diet pitfalls, we all need to evaluate how we eat, and especially how our children eat. It is time for us to take responsibility for our health and take back the healthy lifestyle we all deserve.

Now the commercial plug. You can buy, prepare, cook and eat 10 servings of fruit and veggies a day if your checkbook and caloric intake can survive. An alternative is to find a low cost, low calorie product that can provide some or all of the servings you are missing. All natural fruit juices containing pulp, skins, fiber, and a broad spectrum of phytonutirients can fill this void. MonaVie represents this product. If you eat well, just 2 one ounce servings can add about 7 servings to your diet with only 60 calories. If your diet includes very few servings of fruits and veggies daily, 2 two ounce servings can provide all you need daily for only 120 calories.

Be honest, how well do you eat? Do you have enough fruits to clear your body of the chronic inflammation that attacks it daily to contribute to age related disease? If not, start cooking or start drinking MonaVie.

If you want some recommended reading on anticancer or how our diets have changed, I have several books that will make you think twice before you stop for that burger or open another soda.