The things we eat can have tremendous effects on our health. We can link some foods to causing diseases as well as link foods to helping us fight many diseases. Most people know that too much fat can block arteries, which can lead to a heart attack or a stroke. Most people know that being overweight can lead to diabetes. Most people know that certain processed foods can lead to cancers. Most people know of relatives, friends, or loved ones who developed an illness because of their lifestyle and the foods they eat. You might not have given much thought to proper nutrition. In fact, there are few people who give their bodies the right amount of all the nutrients. We are fortunate that our bodies, a lot of the time, can regulate themselves to get what they need and get rid of the things they do not need. We still, however, have to help our bodies because our bodies can only take this imbalance for so long before we start paying the price of poor nutrition.
To incorporate proper nutrition effectively into our lifestyle, we need to remember why we decided to live a healthy lifestyle and realize that to do that, proper nutrition should be a part of it. At its very core, proper nutrition is giving our bodies the right amounts of the essential ingredients our bodies need to live on. These are:
• Water
• Carbohydrates
• Proteins
• Fats
• Vitamins
• Minerals
How do we get these in the right proportion? The figure below shows the food pyramid developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
In using this pyramid, we should eat more of the foods at the bottom of the pyramid and less of the foods at the top. Remember, it does not say “do not eat the foods at the top,” just that we should eat less of them. This is important because our bodies need all the components mentioned above. Fats, for example, are needed by our bodies to maintain our brain function and other vital activities. If we totally eliminated fat in our diet, we would not function as well. Any attempt to deprive your body of any of these essential foods can have serious consequences. Another good example is when you deprive your body of carbohydrates (which is what happens when you go on an all-protein diet). Since carbohydrates are the main source of energy for the body, without them your body will start burning fat to release energy. This might sound like an answer to weight loss but, when your body breaks down fats to release energy, it produces substances that, in large enough quantities, can actually lead to comas and even death. So, to attain proper nutrition, resolve to eat more of the foods at the bottom of the food pyramid and less of the foods at the top.
To incorporate proper nutrition effectively into our lifestyle, we need to remember why we decided to live a healthy lifestyle and realize that to do that, proper nutrition should be a part of it. At its very core, proper nutrition is giving our bodies the right amounts of the essential ingredients our bodies need to live on. These are:
• Water
• Carbohydrates
• Proteins
• Fats
• Vitamins
• Minerals
How do we get these in the right proportion? The figure below shows the food pyramid developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
In using this pyramid, we should eat more of the foods at the bottom of the pyramid and less of the foods at the top. Remember, it does not say “do not eat the foods at the top,” just that we should eat less of them. This is important because our bodies need all the components mentioned above. Fats, for example, are needed by our bodies to maintain our brain function and other vital activities. If we totally eliminated fat in our diet, we would not function as well. Any attempt to deprive your body of any of these essential foods can have serious consequences. Another good example is when you deprive your body of carbohydrates (which is what happens when you go on an all-protein diet). Since carbohydrates are the main source of energy for the body, without them your body will start burning fat to release energy. This might sound like an answer to weight loss but, when your body breaks down fats to release energy, it produces substances that, in large enough quantities, can actually lead to comas and even death. So, to attain proper nutrition, resolve to eat more of the foods at the bottom of the food pyramid and less of the foods at the top.
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