We have heard of nutrition and how it builds us. We may directly refer to the food we consume as the only focal point for providing us with nutrition on a pro-rata basis. This is not an accurate definition, as nutrition is the combined result of whatever food we consume, along with the process the body undergoes to convert this same food to energy and several crucial components that the body needs.
This means you need to consume food that is rich in nutrients and also keep a lookout ensuring the digestion and metabolism process of converting food into useful nourishment.
About the Nutrients
Let’s get into the details of nutrition- Micronutrients and Macronutrients. The macronutrients are the ones your body needs in larger quantities, like Carbohydrates, protein, and fats. Carbohydrates are a quick source of energy and proteins are the building blocks of the body. In case of any wear and tear, proteins provide healing and aid in growth and development.
Fats on the other hand are significant components to pump up the body tissues and functions as they are a source of high energy as well.
Micronutrients are the ones that your body needs in less quantity for example vitamins and minerals. Yet, these are necessary for fundamental body functions. A point to note is that these vitamins and minerals are not prepared by the body itself.
Hence, you have to consume these in food to fulfil the requirements. The point to also recall is that the body cannot store vitamins because they are soluble in water. Therefore, our food has to be balanced to ensure it provides the body with its daily allocation of nutrition.
Deficiencies and How to Manage Them
We have to give due credit to our erratic dietary habits and lifestyle that may lead to a deficiency of specific nutrients in the body. To fill these gaps we need to make alterations in our diet and lifestyle along with taking external supplements to cover up the deficiency. We could be thereby in a state of malnourishment.
However, nowadays, we can observe a novel type of malnourishment where people are over-nourished with certain nutrients and undernourished with other nutrients. That is to say, an obese person may be seen as over nourished with carbohydrates and fats. But they may be fostering undernourishment with proteins, vitamins, and minerals like iron or calcium. This is where the urgent need to consume a balanced diet becomes a prerogative and not just an option to reach a healthy state of body and mind.
Balanced Diet- A Gamechanger
Many of us might have heard of the term, balanced diet, but may not know the exact way to work around it. So, if you are unsure of how to formulate that diet, just remember to take it as per your lifestyle and profile. It would be beneficial to seek advice from a physician or a nutritionist. You might have to undergo several diagnostics to identify the deficiencies in time and respond to them immediately. Nutrition is a very serious topic and one needs to give this to the body in the right time and proportion accordingly.
The Do’s and Don’ts in a Balanced Diet
Ideally, a healthy person should include complex carbohydrates like fruits, salads, and whole grains. It would benefit to avoid refined carbohydrates like sugar, sweets, and starch in the diet. The diet should be rich in sources of proteins like dairy products such as milk, pulses, eggs, and non-vegetarian foods. Good fat sources such as Ghee, olive oil, flax seed oil, and others should be included in the diet regularly, and of course, in moderate quantity. Try avoiding deep-fried foods and saturated fats like vegetable ghee.
This said another crucial component that also plays a vital role in gut functioning and the body is adequate quantity of fluids and roughage. These are as important as the micro and macro nutrients that we just spoke about at length above.
Finally, balance is the key and moderation is certainly the priority. Having everything in perfect balance will bring harmony and fill in the gaps in nutrition we spoke about. Anything consumed in excess or paucity will not work for your health. It’s time you take your health by its reins and calculate your needs while planning the diet and supplement intake accordingly.
Shared By : Dr Pranit Ambulkar
Netsurf Communications Pvt. Ltd
