nutrition

What is good nutrition?

Good nutrition means getting the calories we needfor energy and the nutrients we need for propergrowth.

Variety, balance, and moderation are keys to goodnutrition.

Proper nutrition is a key element in leading a healthy lifestyle. Most experts agree that the formula for a fit, healthy body is 80% nutrition, 10% exercise and 10% genetics. No one can control the genetics, but you can certainly control the other 90%.

Consumption of healthy foods is one of the best ways of keeping the body fit. A healthy diet aids in maintaining and improving one’s health.

It involves adequate intake of variety of foods containing adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals, and water.

Serve tasty, fresh vegetables andfruits as snacks. Choose brightcolored foods since they are oftenhighest in nutrients such as vitaminsA and C.

Limit foods that are high in fat, sugar, or salt, and donot provide important nutrients.

• Children younger than 2 need calories and fatto support rapid growth.

• Children over the age of 2 can be served lowfat milk.

• By age 5, children should get no more than 30 percent of their daily calories from fat.

Foods are categorized into three groups, namely go, grow and glow food.

Go foods are foods that provides energy to the body

Foods that belong to this group are primarily rich in carbohydrates.

The food sources of carbohydrates are bread, cereals and grains such as white bread, bagel, whole wheat bread, rice, pasts, oatmeal, barley, etc.

Grow Foods

Foods rich in protein are categorized as grow foods.

Sources of protein are animal meats, poultry, vegetables, and dairy products.

They supply essential amino acids to the body which are necessary in building new proteins as well as repairing damaged muscles.

Glow Foods

Glow foods are foods that contain high amounts of vitamins and minerals. Fruits and vegetables are the primary sources of this food group.

Cauliflower, squash, turnip, orange, mango, watermelon, apple, and pineapple are some of the best examples of glow foods.

The right percentage of carbohydrates, proteins, and vitamins and minerals to be consumed daily are based on the recommended dietary allowance (RDA). Also, you can refer to the food pyramid, a nutritional guideline, for the amount of intake for each food group every day.

Always remember

Be smart enough to choose…

When we..

We gain benefits like..

1. Maintain normal body function

This includes better learning, proper balance and pH in the body tissues, to stabilize and regulate body systems like blood pressure, rebuild tissues, and maintain proper blood sugar levels

2. Maintain healthy weight

This includes proper blood pressures, less likely to allow diseases like Diabetes, heart malfunctions

3. Prevent disease

This includes prevention of cancer, tissue disease, parasitical invasions, bacterial infections

4. Pass along good start to future generations

Healthy babies, immune system, healthy pregnancy5. Provide stress relief

Reduce side effects of drugs, boost immune system, maintain calm and coping abilities

our eating habits are within our power

eat less of the unhealthy carbs

Poor nutrition habits can be a behavioral health issue, because nutrition and diet affect how you feel, look, think and act.

A bad diet results in lower core strength, slower problem solving ability and muscle response time, and less alertness.

Poor nutrition creates many other negative health effects as well.

Obesity

Obesity is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or more. Being overweight puts people at risk for developing a host of disorders and conditions, some of them life-threatening.

Hypertension

Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is called the silent killer, because it frequently remains undetected and thus untreated until damage to the body has been done. Eating too much junk food, fried food, salt, sugar, dairy products, caffeine and refined food can cause hypertension

High Cholesterol and Heart Disease

Poor nutrition can lead to high cholesterol, which is a primary contributor to heart disease.

High cholesterol foods contain a large amount of saturated fat. Examples include ice cream, eggs, cheese, butter and beef

Diabetes

Diabetes also can be linked to poor nutrition. Some forms of the disease can result from consuming a sugar- and fat-laden diet, leading to overweight.

A stroke that is caused by plaque that builds up in a blood vessel, then breaks free as a clot that travels to your brain and creates a blockage can be linked to poor nutrition. Strokes damage the brain and impair functioning, sometimes leading to death. Foods high in salt, fat and cholesterol increase your risk for stroke.

Stroke

Gout

With gout, uric acid buildup results in the formation of crystals in your joints. The painful swelling associated with gout can lead to permanent joint damage.

A diet that is high in fat or cholesterol can cause gout. Some seafood--sardines, mussels, oysters and scallops--as well as red meat, poultry, pork, butter, whole milk, ice cream and cheese can increase the amount of uric acid in your body, causing gout.

Cancer

several types of cancer, including bladder, colon and breast cancers, may be partially caused by poor dietary habits

Limit your intake of foods that contains refined sugars, nitrates and hydrogenated oils, including hot dogs, processed meats, bacon, doughnuts and french fries.

Decreased Mental Function, Development and Immunity

Malnutrition lowers immunity, making it easier to get sick and stay sick.

Even a plus-sized person can be malnourished if she mostly eats nutrient-poor foods.

Other signs of MALNUTRITION

puffy eyes

swelling feet and hands

dry and scaly skinslow-healing

wounds

Hair loss

achy bones and joints

nails that are brittle or curved

Anemia

Fatigue, Dizziness, Tingling

Proper diet and physical activity should be regularly practiced to lower this risks.

SUMMARY..

One key to getting good nutrition regularly is to avoid excess. Balance food intake between the major groups, and eat appropriate amounts.

You need a balance of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other nutrients.

Water is essential to body functioning, moving nutrients into cells, and handling waste disposal.

By providing the proper fuel (food) to your body, you enable it to function at its optimum capacity, keeping you healthy, happy, and fit for years and years, with benefits extending even unto the next generation.