The food you eat can be either the safest and the most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison. Ann Wigmore

While we hardly ever pay proper attention to the nutritional value mentioned at the back of food wrappers, bad nutritional habits do certainly impact our health and overall wellbeing. We could argue that a lack of nutrition leads to obesity, however, it is also true that what you eat affects your mental health too.

When we talk of nutrition, we talk about all of the substances in food that you consume that get converted into tissue to provide your body with the energy to conduct tasks and to impact mental well-being. That is why the mere mention of nutrition should automatically make us think of that which we are eating.

While we still try to shy away from admitting it, better health is the direct result of improving the nutritional value of what you consume. Speaking to a nutritionist will help you to see that there is a strong link between better nutrition and disease prevention. It is also true that better mental health and emotional wellbeing improves when you improve your dietary habits.

When you eat healthily, you gain the necessary energy to support your day-to-day activities. Despite having enough energy, good nutrition means better immune support. In the long run, eating better could even mean the prevention of chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes.

Check out some of our medicine tutors offering lessons throughout South Africa. Once you understand just how vital good nutrition is, you can start making some better lifestyle decisions too.

It is most important to remember that the food you eat could be like poison, so choose what you eat very carefully.

The best Medicine tutors available
Dr deniela
5
5 (28 avis)
Dr deniela
R350
/h
Gift icon
1st lesson free!
Wandaralis
5
5 (5 avis)
Wandaralis
R200
/h
Gift icon
1st lesson free!
Tooba
5
5 (8 avis)
Tooba
R400
/h
Gift icon
1st lesson free!
Denel
5
5 (8 avis)
Denel
R300
/h
Gift icon
1st lesson free!
Thuto
5
5 (4 avis)
Thuto
R250
/h
Gift icon
1st lesson free!
Netania
5
5 (3 avis)
Netania
R350
/h
Gift icon
1st lesson free!
Vithal
Vithal
R350
/h
Gift icon
1st lesson free!
Nabeelah
Nabeelah
R300
/h
Gift icon
1st lesson free!
Dr deniela
5
5 (28 avis)
Dr deniela
R350
/h
Gift icon
1st lesson free!
Wandaralis
5
5 (5 avis)
Wandaralis
R200
/h
Gift icon
1st lesson free!
Tooba
5
5 (8 avis)
Tooba
R400
/h
Gift icon
1st lesson free!
Denel
5
5 (8 avis)
Denel
R300
/h
Gift icon
1st lesson free!
Thuto
5
5 (4 avis)
Thuto
R250
/h
Gift icon
1st lesson free!
Netania
5
5 (3 avis)
Netania
R350
/h
Gift icon
1st lesson free!
Vithal
Vithal
R350
/h
Gift icon
1st lesson free!
Nabeelah
Nabeelah
R300
/h
Gift icon
1st lesson free!
Let's go!

Importance of Healthy Lifestyle Choices Relating to Nutrition

A healthy outside starts from the inside. Robert Urich

Are you feeling sluggish and like you don't have enough energy to carry out the tasks that you need to? If so, it could be due to the fact that you are not making healthy food choices. A healthier outside does start with what you put inside of your body.

Did you know that Thomas Eddison predicted that doctors of the future would cure diseases not with drugs, but with great nutrition?

With so many advantages of making healthy lifestyle choices pertaining to nutrition, there is no reason why you shouldn't be striving to make better nutritional decisions.

We can suggest a few important healthy lifestyle choices that you can make. Nutritionists agree that the healthiest lifestyle choice that you can make is changing how you eat. You can start by eating food as close to their original state as possible. The reason why eating fresh produce is better is because food that undergo processes and refinement are stripped of all their fibre, minerals, and vitamins.

Another nutrition-based decision that you can take is that of eating more plants. Studies prove that people who enjoy a plant-based diet hardly ever get chronic-related illnesses.

The main suggestion in order to make healthier lifestyle choices related to nutrition is to fall in love with what you eat while fully knowing what nutritional value you will be reaping from the food that you are eating. While making healthy lifestyle choices is important, your mindset plays a bigger role. Don't go making healthy lifestyle choices relating to nutrition in the wrong way. Don't place your focus on eliminating food that lacks nutritional value or dwell on what you shouldn't eat, but rather start by including what you should be eating into your diet.

nourish bowl filled with different coloured fresh fruit and vegetables
Focus on including foods with high nutritional values. Image: Anne Pelzer

Something as basic as making better food choices could mean not having to deal with chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. The healthier lifestyle choices you make, the better your chances are of losing weight too. Taking into consideration your food portion sizes could lead to you being a healthy weight.

You can feel far less anxious if you enjoy a diet rich in vitamins and minerals. Emotional health does truly start once you place further importance on making healthy lifestyle choices. It is best to start making better lifestyle choices for your children when they are at a tender age. This is of utmost importance as good nutrition and healthy lifestyle choices lead to growth and development.

Read about the latest health and medical research of the last decade.

Importance of Nutrition and Why You Need Certain Nutrients?

In order to reap some of the health benefits of good food, you need some food guidance on the benefits each food provides.

You may by now understand the importance of good nutrition. Since good nutrition is so beneficial, let's look at certain nutrients that ought to be included in your diet.

bowl filled with avocado, fresh chillies, coriander, rice, peanuts and lemon
Colour equals nutrients. - Image: Yoav Aziz
  1. Protein is great for bone development and is good for your skin and hair.
  2. Carbohydrates provides energy to your body and is essential for your nervous system and brain health.
  3. Fats are responsible for supporting bodily functions. The calories in fat are important to provide you with the energy that you need to carry out daily tasks.
  4. Vitamins keep you healthy while preventing you from contracting diseases.
  5. Minerals support your body function and helps you grow strong teeth.
  6. Water is necessary for you to live, and it improves your mood. It flushes out toxins from your body too.

You are taught about a balanced diet from primary school and there is a reason why so much emphasis is placed on eating all the colours of the rainbow. Now that you understand why good nutrition is stressed upon, let's look at healthy nutrition tips.

Healthy Nutrition Tips

If you keep good food in your fridge, you will eat good food. Errick McAdams

While we are advocating that you make better healthy lifestyle choices, we understand that it is difficult to change your lifestyle immediately and drastically. Hence, we will share some basic healthy nutrition tips to consider.

Start with subtle nutrition changes like eating your greens first. If you don't feel full when just eating greens, it's okay. Having your greens as a starter means you are getting the nutrition you need, and it will result in you eating less thereafter.

Reduce your food intake by changing the size of the plate that you use when eating. A smaller plate means that you will dish out less. Also, eat slower so that you eat less instead of more. The slower you eat, the less you eat.

Stop drinking fizzy drinks. You can begin by reducing the number of fizzy drinks that you drink in a day, until you barely ever drink fizzy drinks.

scientist wearing surgical mask and gloves, holding up a sample
Nutrition provides protections against some lifestyle diseases. - Image: Ani Kolleshi

Resort to grilling your food as opposed to baking and frying your food. Try to use less oil when you cook. Create a meal plan and work on eating more at home as opposed to eating out at restaurants. A meal plan is an excellent strategy if you wish to work towards eating healthier and making healthier food choices.

Good nutrition will prevent 95 percent of all diseases. Linus Pauling

While we can guide you to make better nutrition choices when it comes to food, the person who will be able to raise the red flag and curb improper nutrition habits is your doctor. It is important to speak about your weight, diet, cholesterol, glucose, and overall wellbeing with your doctor when you go for your annual check-up. Your doctor (with the help of some blood tests) will be able tell you where you are going wrong with regards to your nutritional habits and your diet.

Your doctor will also provide you with some suggestions on how you can improve your health with better nutrition, and what lifestyle diseases can be prevented through better nutritional practices.

doctor in lab coat and mask applying a colourful plaster to patient's arm
Your doctor can guide you in making better nutrition choices. - Image: CDC

If you're interested in recent advancements in medicine, personalised medicine, and gene editing read our other articles in this series.

You too can ensure that you establish the link between good food and nutrition. Keep a record of what it is that you eat. You can use a food journal to track your daily diet. Make note of how certain foods make you feel. Food that makes you feel bloated and food that makes you feel down are certainly bad for you. Try to cut down on these types of food completely. Make note of the types of food that makes you feel more energetic and happier. These types of food are good for you, and you should include more of these types of food in your diet.

By taking note of which food groups work for you and which types of food doesn't, you can make sure to increase the nutritional value that you gain from food by eating the right kinds of food. Once you make better food choices, you will see how much nutritional benefit you will reap.

Résumer avec l'IA :

Enjoyed this article? Leave a rating!

5.00 (1 rating/s)
Loading...

Laila Abramjee

Laila is an enthusiastic English educator and a fun-filled freelance writer. She has accomplished her dream of getting her first book published and has managed to write over 1 000 000 words since beginning her freelance career. In her free time, she is a travel blogger who explores all South Africa has to offer.