OPINION: Eat Well to Live Well

“Your diet is a bank account. Good food choices are good investments. Bethany Frankel

Food is a nutritious substance consumed in order to maintain life and growth. Nutrition is one of the vital necessities in human life that has been identified to help in maintaining healthy living. To eat healthy entails taking varieties of food in the right quantity and maintaining healthy body weight. It is a diet that improves overall health of an individual thereby providing essential nutrients such as protein, fluid, vitamins, carbohydrate, fibre that is appropriate for the functioning and wellbeing of an individual.

The Global Nutrition Report (GNR) records 48 percent of the world’s population suffering from poor nutrition and about 25 percent of the world’s population now struggle to eat ‘safe’ nutrition and sufficient food, UN report says.

A healthy eating is one in which macronutrients are consumed in appropriate requirements to assist energetic and physiologic needs without excess intake, which equally provides essential micronutrients and hydration to meet the needs of the body. Macronutrients are under the classes of carbohydrate, protein and fats while micronutrients are the vitamins and minerals. Studies have linked increased whole grain intake to a reduced risk of coronary heart diseases, stroke, cardiovascular disease and cancer as well as decreased risk of mortality.

In an interview with a Dietician Gertrude, she acknowledged that fresh fruits, and vegetables supply necessary vitamins, energy as well as dietary fibre that has positive effects on gastro intestinal function. She advices people to have time to prepare healthy meals, saying if you have no time for healthy eating, that you should prepare for time for illness.

Dietary proteins provide a source of amino acids which are derived from animals (meat, fish, eggs) and plants like (legumes, soya products, nuts, grains). Adequate dietary protein intake is important for reducing risk of fracture for the aged, building worn out tissues and keeping lean body mass for weight control. Unsaturated fats are found in varieties of food like derived oil from plants, nuts. Unsaturated fats are associated with reduced cardiovascular and mortality risks whereas saturated fats are associated with negative effects on health.

Water is a vital necessity for human living. Water does not only provide hydration to the body system but also carries micronutrients and helps in the functioning of the body systems like the liver and kidney. It has been proven to maintain health and prevent diseases by helping both the digestive system and other internal organs to function well for the wellbeing of individuals.

Public health is declining because of chronic related diseases but these diseases can be reversed or prevented with a sustainable behaviour change to healthy eating.

Do you think you eat healthier when you make your own meals? Let me know your view in the comment section.