A Complete Guide To Nutrition, Food And Health

1. What do we understand about nutrition?

Nutrition is the process where we get the necessary food for our physical growth. It is the science of food which is related to health. Lack of nutrition can cause complex diseases like diabetes, heart diseases and osteoporosis. Nowadays we are more cautious on how to prevent diseases rather than let the disease affect us and then we try to cure it. The most common nutrient deficiency is Vitamin C deficiency.

A poor diet which lacks the nutrients beneficial for our body can directly affect us both physically and mental health. Children are highly prone to the negative effect of bad nutrition. For them, bad diet can cause poor dental health. It is always better to avoid foods which are high on processed sugar and fat. Instead, you can replace their snacks with varieties of nuts, fruits and veggies instead of candies, burgers and chips.

2. Food and health: 

Food is essential part of our lives as this is our primary requirement. This needed to feed our physical and mental energy. There is a common saying, we are what we eat. So it definitely matters what we eat as it effects our efficiency of mind and body. Balanced diet means the balance of proteins, fats and minerals in our food. That is the reason dietitians always suggests us to have balance diet which is are the best foods and minerals.

The physical structure of food changes during consumption which alters the nutrients and other components are delivered to the body. As a common man, we have very little knowledge about how food effects our mind and body.

We get our energy from food but at times we tend o overeat. If you eat more even when you are not hungry then it reduces the benefits of food To digest more food, the digestive organs needs to work more. In that way our body loses its energy and body organs are deprived of energy. Thus, the organs become weak and fails to perform their regular functions. It is always better to give your digestive system a rest at least once a week. Thus you will get rid of the toxins from your body as the digestive organs are getting rest.

3. Types of food you should eat:

Fruits and vegetables:

Always prefers fruits and vegetables which are seasonal and fresh. It will be cheaper as well. Frozen fruits and vegetables are a good option only when you have time to shop from fresh ones.

Grains:

Grains include rice, barley, millet, maize, wheat, oats and cous cous. They are used to make bread, noodles and pasta. Whole grain food provide you more vitamins and minerals and fibre. Refined grains are white rice and white flour.

Carbohydrates and sugar:

It’s a common belief that rice and potatoes are carbs. But these are only examples of a vast food range which are carbohydrate rich. There are few more food items which has carbohydrates, such as, Grains, fruits and vegetables, sugary food items.

Dairy:

Dairy foods are rich in calcium which is essential for your bones. A healthy amount of calcium reduces the risk of osteoporosis. Milk, Curd, cheese, yogurt, ice-cream and butter are a considered as dairy products.

Salt:

Processed food is the main source from where we get the maximum amount of salt. Excess amount of salt intake can increase blood pressure as well as heart diseases. 

Fats and oil:

Fats are essential part of our diet but like anything else, don’t overdo it. Omega-3 and Omega-6 fats are good for health. But saturated and trans fat can harm your health.