There is a strong relationship between nutrition and health, and it is best to make the right food choices to ensure you live the best life possible. Good health depends on getting enough to eat and also the right amount of nutrients. A person who does not eat enough of the foods his body needs becomes thin and weak and a person who also does not eat the right amount of nutrients becomes malnourished. But before we go into details, let’s talk about nutrition.
WHAT IS NUTRITION?
According to WHO,
“Nutrition is the intake of food in relation to the dietary needs of the body. Good nutrition (a sufficient and balanced diet combined with regular physical exercise) is a fundamental element of good health.”
Good nutrition indicates the right amount of nutrients for proper utilization for achieving the highest level of health.
There are six different types of nutrients in foods. They are,
- Proteins,
- Carbohydrates,
- Fats,
- Vitamins
- Minerals and,
- Water.
For a healthy body, we require all these six important nutrients. Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are majorly required for bodybuilding and energy; the minerals and vitamins are required for the protection of our body and they give us resistance against the different illnesses and also they are required for carrying out the metabolic actions in the body and keeping the body healthy. Water is also a very important nutrient which keeps our body healthy and lubricated.
Relationship between Nutrition and Health
Good nutrition is the key to leading a healthy lifestyle. We can improve our health if we take care of ourselves. Eating a balanced diet is an important part of good health. We should eat foods that contain six important nutrients which include whole grains, a source of protein (fish, meat, etc), dairy, fruits, vegetables, and water.
Numerous studies have shown that diet is a fundamental pillar in the prevention of diseases, in addition to managing weight, blood pressure and cholesterol, a healthy diet can help prevent and manage a number of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers. It is also important to know that apart from food being the fundamental pillar in the prevention of diseases, it also provides our body with the energy and nutrients necessary to function effectively in our day to day life.
There is definitely no doubt that what we eat is key to achieving and maintaining optimal body function, preserving or restoring health, and protecting ourselves against future illnesses which sums up the phrase ‘you are what you eat’. So how do you watch what you eat;
- The first thing to follow is to control the amount of food and how can you achieve that, by simply eating in portions. When you eat in portions, you can control the quantity of the food you consume as well as quality.
- Secondly, have a healthy style of food.
The bottom line is that you have the power to maintain and improve your health, and reduce your risk of disease by your food choices.
I hope we all enjoyed today’s blog post and take this into consideration when we want to eat, because YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT.
Don’t forget to share this post to your friends and family as they could also learn from this.
REFERENCES
- World Health Organisation, http://emro.who.int
- The World book; Health and Nutrition
