Have you ever wondered why our parents always insist on having healthy food? We all know that healthy food is the key to a bright future. Healthy foods keep you fit, healthy and disease-free; whereas unhealthy foods make you lazy, depressed and cause diseases.
The human body has to carry out many tasks to stay alive and to do so, it requires energy. Energy is obtained from well-balanced, nutritious foods. If the body takes food that is not healthy, the body will not perform the tasks. And if the tasks are not performed properly, we will die eventually. This way food plays an important role in our lives.
Food provides us with essential nutrients like carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals, and vitamins.
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Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of energy. Only one gram of carbohydrate provides the body with seventeen kilojoules of energy. Sugar, milk, and cereals have the most carbohydrates. A person needs about 225 to 325 grams of carbohydrates per day. Our body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose, which is used for energy. Because the brain is the most energy-demanding organ, it uses one-half of all the glucose energy in the body. This means, in the absence of glucose, our brain might stop functioning.
The body’s energy is stored as fats. One gram of fat provides the body with thirty-nine kilojoules of energy. Fats keep us warm. Rich sources of fat are butter and lard. Your body needs around forty-four to seventy-seven grams of fats every day. Eating too many fats can lead to unhealthy weight gain.
Proteins are used by our body for growth and repairment of damaged tissues and cells. They act as building blocks for bones, muscles, and skin. They can be found in fish, meat, and eggs. For an average person, fifty-six grams of protein is enough for each day. But if too much is consumed, you might gain unnecessary weight. Lack of protein may lead to gradual muscle wasting.
Minerals can be found in foods such as bread, eggs, fruits, and vegetables. Our body requires around fifteen different minerals to carry out different functions. Salt is needed when messages are passed along the nerves. Potassium and sodium are used by our muscles. Teeth and bones need calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. Iron can be found in red blood cells.
Vitamins are food components that are vital for growth and health maintenance. Although our body requires tiny amounts of vitamins (one-thousandth of a gram), they are very important. Vitamins are classified as either fat-soluble or water-soluble. The fat-soluble ones are vitamins A, D, E and K. Our body does not need these vitamins daily as they are stored in the liver and fat when not used. The water-soluble ones are vitamins B-complex and C. We must consume these vitamins regularly because they are not stored in the body and must be replaced.
Vitamin A can be found in liver and carrots. They keep our skin and eyes healthy and prevent infections in the nose and throat. The Daily Recommended Allowance (RDA) for vitamin A is 700 to 900 micrograms per day. High intakes of vitamin A can lead to dizziness, coma, or even death.
Vitamin B complex is a large group of vitamins. They are found in whole-foods and eggs. They release energy from food and keep our blood and eyes healthy. An adult needs 1.2 milligrams of vitamin B1, 1.3 milligrams of B2, 16 milligrams of B3, 5 milligrams of B5, 1.3 milligrams of B6, 30 micrograms of B7, 400 micrograms ofB9, and 2.4 micrograms of B12. Vitamin B deficiencies could lead to diseases like beriberi. Vitamin D is known to reduce bacterial infections during pregnancy. So, it also helps prevent preterm birth-giving.
Vitamin C can be found in acidic foods, like oranges and lemons. They help us heal wounds and keep gums and teeth healthy. The Recommended Daily Allowance for Vitamin C is 65 to 90 milligrams each day. Too much can cause diarrhea and heartburn. Lack of vitamin C can cause scurvy.
Vitamin D is found in liver, butter, and sunlight. It makes bones and teeth strong. Vitamin D intake should be within 10 to 20 micrograms per day. Lacking might cause rickets as a result of soft, weak bones.
Vitamin E can be found in spinach and avocados. It is an antioxidant that protects tissues from cancer-causing damage. The Recommended Daily Allowance for vitamin D is 15 micrograms. Lacking can cause nerve and muscle damage as well as the loss of body movement controls.
A healthy diet must include all the nutrients in ideal amounts. Healthy food helps a person to enhance physical wellbeing. These foods not only provide an individual with essential nutrients but also help maintain a strong mental state and live longer. They preserve good overall health by reducing the risk of chronic diseases and help us to maintain a healthy weight. The food choices you make every day affect how you feel and how you perform throughout the day. By making wiser food choices you will eventually live a longer and healthier life.
Healthy foods include home-made foods, especially the ones that contain vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, whole grains and so on. They are all necessary mainly because every type of food has its value. The absence of any of these nutrients may cause diseases.
Healthy foods have innumerable benefits. Maintaining a healthful diet that is free from processed foods limits the intake of excess calories. A diet rich in fruits reduces the risk of certain cancers. Plant-based foods help to regulate hunger. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes act as antioxidants, which protect cells from getting damaged. A diet with adequate amounts of calcium and magnesium is necessary for strong bones and teeth. Eating healthful foods can help a person to lose weight, manage blood glucose levels, and keep blood pressure and cholesterol in range.
It is worrying that obesity among children is growing globally. Children who are overweight or obese are at a higher risk for health problems such as heart diseases, hypertension, and diabetes.
Everyone can switch to a healthier diet by following some simple rules. You need to cut down on the daily intake of animal fats. Unsaturated plant-based fats are a healthier choice. You can limit the regular intake of sugar by replacing snacks like chocolates and cookies with healthier options like fresh fruits and raw vegetables. You must reduce the consumption of salt and high sodium condiments to prevent certain health issues. You should always eat freshly prepared dishes.
When a baby develops, it takes the essential nutrients from the food consumed by the expectant mother. Avoiding colostrum in the first three significant days after birth increases the risk of infection and death among newborns. As it supports the newborn’s immune system and encourages optimum health. From the time of its birth, an infant gets most of the nutrients from breastmilk and other complementary foods. At the age of five, a child’s brain develops rapidly up to ninety percent. Therefore, the child needs proper nutrition to be physically healthy and fit to continue learning.
We all know that too much or too little of anything is bad. That way too much or too little healthy food is also bad. Malnutrition is caused by the improper intake of nutrients. It results from a poor diet where the consumption of nutrients is either too high or too low. Malnutrition includes dietary deficiencies. Some people eat too much of imbalanced food and suffer from malnutrition; while others may suffer from undernutrition. Undernutrition is caused by the lack of specific nutrients. For instance, people who do not eat enough fresh fruits and vegetables, and consume immoderate amounts of alcohol suffer from scurvy, which is the result of a lack of vitamin C. Undernutrition is widespread in the third world countries.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are about 462 million people in the world, who are afflicted by undernutrition, and 159 million of them are infants and adolescents. Children who suffer from malnutrition show a lack of growth. They are usually very touchy and tired. They are engrossed with slow behavioral and intellectual development. Malnutrition can also slow the process of recovery of a wound and also might complicate diseases like pneumonia, diarrhea, and malaria and cause the body to be susceptible to illness. Even with treatment some problems may continue and even be lifelong. Malnutrition during childhood not only leads to long term health issues but also educational challenges and finite work opportunities. This way undernutrition has a bad impact on the children’s future.
A child requires proper nutrition for brain development during infancy and toddlerhood. Improper intake of nutrients will lead to nothing but difficulties in learning and frequent sicknesses during childhood, and long-term illnesses and limited work opportunities during adulthood. We do not want to face such difficulties in our lives. This is why consuming healthy food is certainly important. Your health is the pillar on which your future is dependant.
