IMPORTANCE OF DIET IN OUR DAILY FOOD
CHANGING LIFESTYLES ARE AFFECTING YOUR HEALTH.
"Health is my expected Heaven."
Most of us think we can get away with not taking care of ourselves or we'll do it tomorrow. Tomorrow comes and the same excuse, I'll start to exercise or eat better or lose weight tomorrow.
It should not be a secret that children as well as adults need role models and look to mirror them in their everyday approaches to life's challenges and activities.
We all need to look at our current lifestyle and ask ourselves a few questions which will enrich your health and your families. Ask yourself:
Is your lifestyle healthy? If no what can you do to improve it?
Do you smoke, drink in excess and gamble? Do you know the health implications?
Do you feel "blue" most days and have lost interest in things you used to enjoy?
Are you impatient and get angry quickly?
Do you eat from the five food groups? Do you encourage your family to do the same.
Do you know what portions you and your family should be eating and caloric intake?
Do you exercise 3 times a week minimally for 30 minutes and walk 10,000 steps a day and encourage your family to do the same?
Do you take at least 15 minutes for yourself everyday?
Do you know stress management techniques to use when you feel you face getting red or your heart racing? Does your family and are you a good example for them?
Your lifestyle does affect your mental, physical and financial health. Decide to Invest in Yourself everyday for Life. Recognize you are an important role model for the people around you on a daily basis. You living a healthy lifestyle and practicing what you preach will generate good healthy results around you as well.
The importance of good nutrition is nothing new. Back in 400 B.C., Hippocrates(the father of modern medicine) said, "Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food." Today, good nutrition is more important than ever. At least four of the 10 leading causes of death.--heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes--are directly related to way we eat; diet is also implicated in scores of other conditions. But while the wrong diet can be deadly, eating right is among the key cornerstones of health.
The main problem here is that the foods today simply aren't as healthy as they once were. Studies have shown that because of depletion in the soils due to mass commercialized farming techniques, fruits and veggies now severely lack the vitamin and mineral content (and other nutrients) they used to just a few decades ago. Then there's the problem of preservatives, chemicals, artificial dyes, colors, and flavorings. The second problem is that the meats we eat are also a lot less healthy for us nowadays. This is because major meat products, such as cattle, are fed grains (not grass, which is their natural food), are over treated with growth hormones, antibiotics, and are not allowed to free range as nature intended to cite several prominent reasons.
Of course, food alone isn't the key to a longer and healthier life. Good nutrition should be part of an overall healthy lifestyle, which also includes regular exercise, not smoking or drinking alcohol excessively, stress management, limiting exposure to environmental hazards and other factors. And no matter how well you eat, your genes play a big part in your risk for certain health problems. But don't underestimate the influence of how and what you eat. The keys to good nutrition are balance, variety and moderation. To stay healthy, your body needs the right balance of carbohydrates, fats, and protein --the three main components of nutrition. Each day, you should get approximately:
25 percent of total calories from high quality protein foods
30 percent of calories from fat, primarily mono and poly unsaturated fats
45 percent from carbohydrates, concentrating on whole grain foods, vegetables and fruits.
You also need vitamins, minerals and other substances from many different foods, and while some foods are better than others, no single food item or food group has it all--so eating a variety of different foods is essential. Moderation means eating neither too much nor too little of any food or nutrient. Too much food can result in excess weight and even too much of certain nutrients, while eating too little can lead to numerous nutrient deficiencies and low body mass.
Diet plays a vital role in the maintenance of good health and in the prevention and treatment of disease. The human body builds up and maintains healthy cells, tissues, glands and organs only with the help of various nutrients. The body cannot perform any of its functions -- be they metabolic, hormonal, mental, physical or chemical -- without specific nutrients. The food, which provides these nutrients, is thus one of the most essential factors in building and maintaining health.
Nutrition, which depends on food, is also of utmost importance in the cure of disease. The primary cause of disease is a weakened organism or lowered resistance in the body, arising from the adoption of a faulty nutritional pattern. There is an elaborate healing mechanism within the body but it can perform its function only if it is abundantly supplied with all the essential nutritional factors.
Essential Nutrients
Human cells need at least 45 chemical components and elements. Each of these 45 substances, called essential nutrients, must be present in adequate diets. The list of these nutrients includes oxygen and water. The other 43 essential nutrients are classified into five main groups, namely carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals and vitamins. All 45 of these nutrients are vitally important and they work together. Therefore, the absence of any of them will result in disease and eventually in death.
Research has shown that almost all varieties of disease can be produced by an undersupply of various nutrients. These nutritional deficiencies occur on account of various factors, including the harvesting and consumption of vegetables and fruits, the chemicals used in bleaching, flavouring, colouring and preserving foods and the chemical fertilizers, fungicides, insecticides and sprays used for treating the soil.
A Balanced Diet
Research has also shown that diseases produced by combinations of deficiencies can be corrected when all the nutrients are supplied, provided irreparable damage has not been done. A well-balanced and correct diet is thus of utmost importance for the maintenance of good health and the healing of diseases. Such diet obviously should be made up of foods, which in combination would supply all the essential nutrients.
It has been found that a diet which contains liberal quantities of (i) seeds, nuts and grains, (ii) vegetables and (iii) fruits would provide adequate amounts of the entire essential nutrient. These foods have therefore, been aptly called basic food groups and the diet containing these foods groups as optimum diet for vigour and vitality. It is described herein in brief :
(i) Seeds, nuts and grains : These are the most important and the most potent of all foods. They contain the germ, the reproductive power that is of vital importance for the lives of human beings and their health.
They are valuable sources of essential unsaturated fatty acids, lecithin, most of the B vitamins, vitamin C and minerals and they supply the necessary bulk in the diet. They also contain auxones, the natural substances that play an important role in the rejuvenation of cells and prevention of premature ageing.
(ii) Vegetables: They are extremely rich sources of minerals, enzymes and vitamins. Faulty cooking and prolonged careless storage, however, destroys these valuable nutrients. Most of the vegetables are therefore, best consumed in their natural raw state in the form of salads. There are different kinds of vegetables. They may be edible roots, stems, leaves, fruits and seeds. Each of these groups contributes to the diet in its own way.
(iii) Fruits: Like vegetables, fruits are excellent sources of minerals, vitamins and enzymes. They are easily digested and exercise a cleansing effect on the blood and digestive tract. They contain high alkalinizing properties, a high percentage of proteins and facts. Their organic acid and high sugar content have immediate refreshing effects. Fruits are at their best when eaten in the raw and ripe states. They are most beneficial when taken as a separate meal by themselves, preferably for breakfast in the morning.
What is the role of nutrients as an energy providing source for the body?
Energy is needed for the functioning of body. Food is the main source of energy supplement. Nutrients supply energy which are present in the food. The nutrients, which supply the major part of the energy to the body are carbohydrates and fats about 85% to 90% and a small part of energy supply is by proteins which is about 10%.
Does infections of various types directly affect the nutritional status of a person?
Frequent occurring of infectious diseases does affect the nutritional status of a person. Such as in bacterial infection there is increased requirement of proteins and other nutrients. In viral infections a person also develops protein calorie malnutrition; parasitic infections causes anemia and depletion of protein reserves.
What is the difference between malnutrition, under nutrition & over nutrition?
Malnutrition denotes an undesirable kind of nutrition leading to ill health. It results in lack, excess or imbalance of nutrients in diet. Under nutrition is a state of an insufficient supply of essential nutrients. Over nutrition refers to an excessive intake of one or more nutrients, which creates a stress in the bodily function.
What is meant by adequate or optimum nutrition?
Good health depends upon the body condition and for good health adequate nutrition is necessary, which means the supply of the essential nutrients should be in proper amount and proportion. Thus adequate nutrition helps to keep the physical and mental health of the body in a good condition throughout the life.
Why is nutritional care necessary for individuals?
Adequate nutrition not only implies freedom from disease but also helps to improve physical and mental health as well. Hence nutritional care provides the use of nutritional knowledge in planning meals and in the preparation of these meals. It also involves assessment of the existing meal patterns and improving this in an acceptable manner. It is also planned according to the individual’s needs and background. Thus for a good health, nutritional care is necessary for each and every person.
A balanced diet must contain carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins, mineral salts and fibre. It must contain these things in the correct proportions.
Carbohydrates: these provide a source of energy.
Proteins: these provide a source of materials for growth and repair.
Fats: these provide a source of energy and contain fat soluble vitamins.
Vitamins: these are required in very small quantities to keep you healthy.
Mineral Salts: these are required for healthy teeth, bones, muscles etc..
Fibre: this is required to help your intestines function correctly; it is not digested.
Balanced Diets: we must have the above items in the correct proportions.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are the most important source of energy. They contain the elements Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen. The first part of the name "carbo-" means that they contain Carbon. The second part of the name "-hydr-" means that they contain Hydrogen. The third part of the name "-ate-" means that they contain Oxygen. In all carbohydrates the ratio of Hydrogen atoms to Oxygen atoms is 2:1 just like water.
We obtain most of our carbohydrate in the form of starch. This is found in potato, rice, spaghetti, yams, bread and cereals. Our digestive system turns all this starch into another carbohydrate called glucose. Glucose is carried around the body in the blood and is used by our tissues as a source of energy. (See my pages on respiration and balanced chemical equations.) Any glucose in our food is absorbed without the need for digestion. We also get some of our carbohydrate in the form of sucrose; this is the sugar which we put in our tea and coffee (three heaped spoonfuls for me!). Both sucrose and glucose are sugars, but sucrose molecules are too big to get into the blood, so the digestive system turns it into glucose.
When we use glucose in tissue respiration we need Oxygen. This process produces Carbon Dioxide and water and releases energy for other processes.
Proteins
Proteins are required for growth and repair. Proteins contain Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen and sometimes Sulphur. Proteins are very large molecules, so they cannot get directly into our blood; they must be turned into amino-acids by the digestive system. There are over 20 different amino-acids. Our bodies can turn the amino-acids back into protein. When our cells do this they have to put the amino-acids together in the correct order. There are many millions of possible combinations or sequences of amino-acids; it is our DNA which contains the information about how to make proteins. Our cells get their amino-acids from the blood. Proteins can also be used as a source of energy. When excess amino-acids are removed from the body the Nitrogen is excreted as a chemical called urea. The liver makes urea and the kidney puts the urea into our urine.
Fats
Like carbohydrates, fats contain the elements Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen. Fats are used as a source of energy: they are also stored beneath the skin helping to insulate us against the cold. Do not think that by avoiding fat in your diet you will stay thin and elegant! If you eat too much carbohydrate and protein, you will convert some of it into fat, so you will put on weight. You must balance the amount of energy containing foods with the amount of energy that you use when you take exercise.
You must have some fat in your diet because it contains fat soluble vitamins.
Vitamins
Vitamins are only required in very small quantities. There is no chemical similarity between these chemicals; the similarity between them is entirely biological.
Vitamin A: good for your eyes.
Vitamin B: about 12 different chemicals.
Vitamin C: needed for your body to repair itself.
Vitamin D: can be made in your skin, needed for absorption of Calcium.
Vitamin E: the nice one - reproduction?
Mineral Salts
These are also needed in small quantities, but we need more of these than we need of vitamins.
Iron: required to make haemoglobin.
Calcium: required for healthy teeth, bones and muscles.
Sodium: all cells need this, especially nerve cells.
Iodine: used to make a hormone called thyroxin.
Fibre
We do not // can not digest cellulose. This is a carbohydrate used by plants to make their cell walls. It is also called roughage. If you do not eat foods materials which contain fibre you might end up with problems of the colon and rectum. The muscles of you digestive system mix food with the digestive juices and push food along the intestines by peristalsis; if there is no fibre in your diet these movements cannot work properly.
A Balanced Diet
You must have carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals salts and fibre in the correct proportions. If there is not enough protein, you will not be able to grow properly and you will not be able to repair yourself i.e. wounds will not heal properly. If you do not have enough energy containing foods you will feel very tired, you will not have enough energy. If you have too much energy containing foods you will become overweight. If you think that you are overweight you might try taking more exercise to "burn off" some of the excess food which you ate at you last meal.
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