Today the number of people who look at the mirror and ask ‘How to be healthy?’ is more than ever. It includes the ones who are fat, thin, diseased, facing joint pain, having acne, and more. The ones who are already healthy search for tips ‘To remain healthy!’ In recent times, it’s almost every person’s dream to be healthy. The term ‘healthy’ still has a different meaning for different individuals. So let’s first start with what ‘healthy’ means, being in a good mental and physical state. Another term that currently got its due emphasis is nutrition ‘Wellness.’ It means a state of being in good health, especially as an actively pursued goal.
We have heard countless sayings on health, wellness, and nutrition. So in this article ‘Healthy Eating: Importance of Nutrition for Wellness,’ we will be highlighting different foods, food habits, health, and wellness dimensions, and nutrition.
What is nutrition and its Role?
The simple definition of nutrition is providing or obtaining food that is necessary for health and growth. Nutrition also means emphasizing on energy building and growth-directing foods. Each day our body goes through wear and tear; nutrition helps in the proper repair of the muscles, nerves, and other body parts. Our body since the first development from cell to old age needs energy for various processes and stages of growth. When we are at the fetal stage, the mother’s womb provides all the requiring nutrients to us. When we get birth mother’s milk does the same for us, and as we grow we start consuming milk, vegetables, fruits, sprouts, non-veg, and more. Nutrition is very important for a pregnant lady as well, there is a special diet suggested by maternity doctors for them.
Our diet is the direct indicator of the nutrition we are having. You can find a nutrition food list on internet, but a good nutritionist and dietician are required to make you know the correct procedure and intake of nutritional foods. To have an adequate amount of carbs, fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals is essential. To timely regularise our snacks and meals. Nutrition foods can also be used in experimenting with healthy recipes. Today there are several healthy recipes online, one can even go forward by being innovative and creative, and he/she can themself have a new recipe altogether. In recent times, if this information/awareness doesn’t reach people, then it can be very troublesome for them.
By healthy and proper nutrition, one should aim a bit fat or too thin body. Malnutrition, i.e., deficiency of nutrients, is a common phenomenon between people who consider eating less and staying slim. Obesity and other diseases that it brings are common knowledge for everyone.
Healthy Eating- Meaning and How to Cultivate it?
Healthy eating is not about strict limitations but a process-oriented lifestyle. It isn’t a feat to accomplish but a journey that you take till the end. It includes healthy eating habits nutrition food, a balanced diet, and specific exercises. Healthy eating is not limited to weight loss but also to complement the growth of muscles, repair internal organs, fight diseases & deformity, recovery from invasive surgeries, and to shape your mental & physical self. So can you cultivate a method of healthy eating?
● Prepare more of your meals- Start cooking more at home, and cutting the consumption of packaged food or eating out. The psychological benefit of cooking at home is that you get in charge of what you put in your body. By this, you avoid the chemical additives, added sugar, and unhealthy fats of packaged and takeout foods too.
● Read the labels- It is always advisable to read the label. As companies are directed to mention all the ingredients, so you will know what you are putting into yourself. Manufacturers might not advertise the type of fats, amount of sugar, and other less healthy ingredients they may use, but they are subjected to mention it on the label.
● Focus on how you feel after eating- This is a step of self-realization and self-evaluation. When you analyze how you are feeling after having a meal, you will know how much food intake can have a difference whether you felt too full for long or heavy even after a couple of hours. Whether you felt light, but still didn’t feel the urge to eat another meal early.
● Think smaller portions- Serving sizes are getting increased when you go out. They know you’ll pack the remaining, and this indirectly increases their sales and your consumption. Eventually, you unknowingly form a habit of eating in bigger portions. So consciously start having smaller portions.
● Limit snack foods in the home- Be thoughtful and alert of the food you keep at home. It’s more challenging to be dedicated to healthy eating if you have unhealthy snacks and treats with you. Buy them before parties or times when you need to have them, and don’t buy too extra.
● Food & water- This point is the most obvious and primary. We mentioned earlier in the article regarding different types of nutrients. Also, everyone knows the benefits of drinking plenty of clean water. So these two are first and unforgettable tips.
Wellness and How Does it Get Affected by Healthy Eating?
As we explained earlier, that wellness is an actively pursued goal of being in good health. As per definition only, one can relate to good health and healthy eating. When you eat right, your body functions well, and you also develop a healthy growth. Everybody part of us requires one or the other specific nutrient in more capacity than another. So isn’t it necessary to have high nutrition food?
Fruits are advised during and after almost every treatment and procedure. Sprouts and protein are known to ensure a speedier recovery of your body. A warm glass of milk before sleeping complements the digestive system and increases the quality of sleep. Caffeine keeps us charged during office hours, and also helps in fighting hangovers. It releases chemicals in the body that induce energy.
It is tested that people who eat fewer carbs and fats have a healthier mind. High intake of antioxidant vitamins, folate, vitamin B-12, and polyunsaturated fats improve the cognitive function. Leafy vegetables are known to improve the digestive system and clear the intestines and colon too! Today genetic nutrition is also a part of wellness treatment. It included tracing your genetics and examining your DNA to know which nutrients react fast with your body. You can also get to know about the nutrients that your body isn’t complementing well.
Apart from this, healthy eating, nutrition, and wellness parameters have also led to outstanding achievements by models, sportsperson, influencers, yoga practitioners, and more. Food is an integral part of one’s life. One can either build the best version of himself or choose to ignore it for the rest of his life.