Eating well is not about strict diets, or depriving yourself of the foods you enjoyed. Relatively, it’s about feeling good, having extra energy, improving your well-being, and boosting your mood. Through centuries, we have acquired a wealth of information about the use of food to ensure the growth of children and youth, to maintain good health through life, to meet the special needs during pregnancy and lactation, and to use it to recover from illness. You may have known that certain foods are very important for maintaining good health, while others are harmful. Food is also defined as anything eaten or drunk, which meets the needs for energy, building, regulation, protection of the body, and survival. In essence, food is the raw material that our bodies are made of. Eating the right kinds and quantities of food can ensure good nourishment and well-being, which may be manifested in our appearance, efficiency, and emotional well-being. Eating delicious food, especially if you are with companions, is one of the pleasures of life. We all know that individuals who eat healthy, balanced diets are likely to have: a bounty of energy to work and appreciate themselves, fewer infections, and other ailments.
Children who eat well usually grow well. Women who eat well are likely to deliver healthy babies. These are among the reasons why it is important to know which combinations of nourishments make great meals and what diverse foods that different members of the family need. Food is something that provides nutrients. These are substances that give vitality for activity, development, and all functions of the body such as breathing, processing food and keeping warm, materials for the development and repair of the body build, and for keeping the immune system active that allows normal functioning of our body systems to go on well.
Here are the two major classifications of nutrients to consider when eating:
- Macro (big) nutrients that we need in large amounts. These are carbohydrates (starches, sugars, and dietary fiber), fats, and proteins.
- Micro (small) nutrients that we need in small amounts. There are many of these but the one’s utmost expected to be lacking in the diet are minerals – iron, iodine, and zinc, and vitamins - vitamin A, B-group vitamins (including folate), and vitamin C.
The amounts of different nutrients a person need vary with age, sex, activity, and whether menstruating, pregnant, or breastfeeding. Needs also vary during sickness and recovery. Truly, we do need to eat well because nutrition is directly related to health, and its effects are cumulative. Good nutrition is generally reflected by good well-being. Poor nutrition can result in deprived health and disease and poor nutrition habits contribute to diseases like atherosclerosis, osteoporosis, obesity, and some cancers. To be well-nourished, individuals must eat foods that comprise the six essential nutrients: carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals, vitamins, and water. These nutrients give the body vitality, build and repair body tissue, and control body processes. When there's an extreme need for particular nutrients as in a deficiency, diseases may develop. The most perfect way to determine deficiencies is to do a nourishment assessment.
With adequate knowledge and the right information on nutrition, the wellbeing of each individual will be safeguarded. Although knowledgeable friends and other family members are good sources of information, professionals with expertise on nutrition are still considered the most effective and reliable sources of information. So, no matter what your age is or your previous food intake habits, it has never too late to modify your diet and improve the way you feel, think and eat. Seek advice to the ones most knowledgeable to nutrition and take the opportunity to make use of whatever reliable source of information available. Try visiting our Facebook page for more relevant information and stay fit and nutritionally healthy at https://www.facebook.com/nnczampen
PNFP- Karla P. Calapardo, RND
References:
1. Why we need to eat well- The Family Nutrition Guide
