Ruth Ann and Jack Clayton are owners of Nature’s Way, The Health Food Store on the Square, in downtown Mountain Home.


of nutrition, a fact emphasized by the recent cover story featuring her in Natural Foods Merchandiser, the natural products industry’s largest trade publication. “On a scale of 1to 10, when I first


started, the general public’s knowledge level about nutrition was a 1— now it’s an 8,” Clayton said. “We still need to learn more, but people have far greater knowledge today than they did when I started.” As the field of nutrition has grown,


and research has advanced, dietetics has seen the rise of specialists, one of the biggest changes in the field of nutri- tion Clayton has seen during her more than 40 years as a dietitian. “We’ve come such a long way in un-


derstanding the body and what we need to do to prevent disease,” Clayton said. “Nutrition has moved from primarily being part of a treatment course following a diagnosis to a major tool in the prevention of disease.” Today, Clayton says she sees custom-


ers coming to the Mountain Home health food store she owns with her husband, Jack, with much more knowledge than


14 Living Well i February/March 2015


the general public had in decades past. Many customers, she adds, also are


seeking to become more educated. Those trends, and the trend of


integrating nutrition into the practice of medicine, are where Clayton sees the future of nutrition. She also expects the future will see the continued movement toward organic and whole foods, plus the rising importance of supplements. One of the drivers of these trends is


the public’s desire for a higher quality of life in later years. “As the population ages, they want to


have a high energy level, they want healthy bones, and they want to function at a high cognitive level,” Clayton said. “They understand the importance of nutrition in helping them lead lives with a high quality of life.” While the future looks bright for the


state of nutrition, Clayton does have concerns, particularly for young people. “The generation growing up today is


the first that’s expected to have a short- er lifespan than their parents,” Clayton said. “We’re seeing children with diabe- tes at a much greater rate. Obesity is a huge problem with dangerous health


risks.” Three big issues Clayton sees with


the average person’s diet include fast food, convenience food (pre-packaged foods such as frozen pizzas, soups, fro- zen dinners, etc.) and a lack of nutrients. “People are missing fruits and vege-


tables and green foods in their diets,” Clayton said. “They’re missing key nutrients and taking in additives we just don’t know the impact of.” So what are three simple things peo-


ple can do to improve their nutritional intake? Clayton had a fast answer to that question. “People need to eat in moderation,”


she said. “Eat as close to nature as possible. The more processing a food has, the more nutrients the food gener- ally loses. Finally, eat as much organic food as possible. Staying away from pesticides and genetically modified organisms is important.” Eating healthy brings benefits to


those who maintain a nutritious diet. “When you eat food that’s good for


you, you literally feel better, you have more energy and you’re less likely to get sick,” Clayton said.


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