Nutrition is Life
With the plethora of diet trends—ranging from keto and Mediterranean to carnivore and vegan—it's easy to get caught up in the latest fads. Or even the old fashioned ‘model diet’ of orange juice and cotton pads (don’t get any ideas with that one!).
But no matter which trend catches your eye or what your friends or family are eating, the basics of nutrition remain unchanged. Our bodies need a balanced array of nutrients to support brain function, maintain energy levels, and keep everything running smoothly.
THE ISSUE OF NUTRITION
According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025, suboptimal current intake patterns among children and adolescents and inadequate physical activity contribute to overweight and obesity in this life stage and risk of chronic disease (e.g., type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease) later in life. Changing this trajectory is crucial because dietary patterns established during this life stage tend to continue into adult years.
Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025
HOW FOOD SUPPORTS HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
At the heart of any healthy diet is a commitment to providing your body with the essential vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats, and carbohydrates it needs. So, while exploring different dietary approaches can be intriguing, staying focused on these nutritional fundamentals will help ensure your well-being and vitality.
Your Physical Health:
Strong bones and teeth: A diet rich in calcium and magnesium can help keep bones and teeth strong, reducing the risk of bone issues like osteoporosis later in life. Calcium can be found in dairy products, sardines, canned salmon, dark green vegetables, and calcium-fortified foods.
Improved heart health: Nutrition can help prevent cardiovascular diseases and blood pressure-related abnormalities.
Weight management: Nutrition can help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
Improved athletic performance: Proper nutrition is essential for maximizing athletic performance. Athletes may need to focus on specific vitamins and minerals, such as iron, vitamin D, and zinc, to help them feel less sluggish and fatigued during workouts.
Improved muscle mass: Nutrition can help strengthen muscle mass.
Improved balance: Nutrition can help improve balance, making it easier to perform daily activities and reduce the risk of falls.
Your Mental Health:
your brain requires a constant supply of fuel. That "fuel" comes from the foods you eat — and what's in that fuel makes all the difference. Put simply, what you eat directly affects the structure and function of your brain and, ultimately, your mood.
According to Dr. Eva Selhub, writing for Harvard Medical School, if substances from "low-premium" fuel (such as what you get from processed or refined foods) get to the brain, it has little ability to get rid of them. For example, diets high in refined sugars are harmful to the brain. In addition to worsening your body's insulin regulation, they also promote inflammation and oxidative stress. Multiple studies have found a correlation between a diet high in refined sugars and impaired brain function — and even a worsening of symptoms of mood disorders, such as depression.
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps regulate sleep and appetite, mediate moods, and inhibit pain. Since about 95% of your serotonin is produced in your gastrointestinal tract, and your gastrointestinal tract is lined with a hundred million nerve cells, or neurons, it makes sense that the inner workings of your digestive system don't just help you digest food but also guide your emotions.
Simply put, eating nutritious foods can alter your brain functions and mood.
SO WHAT SHOULD YOU EAT?
Great question. As many people as there are, there are diet options. I have based my diet and well-being on the most studied, researched, and proven method of the ‘Blue Zones,’ more commonly known as the Mediterranean diet.
Specific nutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acids in fatty fish, flax seeds, and walnuts, boost brain health and help combat mental health issues.
According to Dr. Eva Selhub, studies have compared "traditional" diets, like the Mediterranean diet and the traditional Japanese diet, to a typical "Western" diet and have shown that the risk of depression is 25% to 35% lower in those who eat a traditional diet. Scientists account for this difference because these traditional diets tend to be high in vegetables, fruits, unprocessed grains, fish, and seafood and to contain only modest amounts of lean meats and dairy. They are also void of processed and refined foods and sugars, staples of the "Western" dietary pattern. In addition, many of these unprocessed foods are fermented and, therefore, act as natural probiotics.
This may sound implausible, but the notion that good bacteria not only influence what your gut digests and absorbs but also affect the degree of inflammation throughout your body and your mood and energy level is gaining traction among researchers.
However, whatever diet you implement into your daily routine, here are the main food groups you should be getting.
FRUITS & VEGETABLES
At least nine different families of fruits and vegetables exist, each with potentially hundreds of different plant compounds that benefit health. This means they are not only super Instagrammable but also irreplaceable in your diet.
THINK:
dark green vegetables, including broccoli, spinach, kale, collard greens, and bok choy
red and orange vegetables, such as carrots, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, red chili peppers, and tomatoes
beans—such as garbanzo, red, black, or pinto beans—as well as peas and lentils
starchy vegetables, such as white potatoes, plantains, corn, and yucca
cauliflower, onions, green beans, and zucchini
Apples, pears, bananas, nectarines
Oranges, mandarins, lemons, grapefruits
Berries
Even dried fruits like raisins, dates, prunes, apricots
Why Fruit & Vegetables?
There is compelling evidence that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can lower the risk of heart disease and stroke. A meta-analysis of cohort studies following 469,551 participants found that a higher intake of fruits and vegetables is associated with a reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease, with an average reduction in risk of 4% for each additional serving per day of fruit and vegetables.
When researchers combined findings from the Harvard studies with several other long-term studies in the U.S. and Europe and looked at coronary heart disease and stroke separately, they found a similar protective effect: Individuals who ate more than five servings of fruits and vegetables per day had roughly a 20% lower risk of coronary heart disease and stroke, compared with individuals who ate less than three servings per day.
A more likely possibility is that some fruits and vegetables may protect against certain cancers.
A study by Farvid and colleagues followed a Nurses’ Health Study II cohort of 90,476 premenopausal women for 22 years and found that those who ate the most fruit during adolescence (about three servings a day) compared with those who ate the lowest intakes (0.5 servings a day) had a 25% lower risk of developing breast cancer. There was a significant reduction in breast cancer in women who had eaten higher intakes of apples, bananas, grapes, and corn during adolescence and oranges and kale during early adulthood. No protection was found from drinking fruit juices at younger ages.
2. PROTEIN FOODS
Protein is not only for ‘gym bros.’ Proteins are the building blocks of life. Every cell in the human body contains protein. The basic structure of a protein is a chain of amino acids.
You need protein to help your body repair cells and make new ones. Protein is also essential for growth and development in children, teens, and pregnant women.
THINK:
Animal sources of protein include
lean beef, pork, lamb, chicken, and turkey
seafood, including salmon, shrimp, and other shellfish and fish
eggs
milk, cheese, and other dairy products
Plant-based sources of protein include
some vegetables, such as beans, peas, and lentils
soy products, such as tofu
nuts and seeds
Why Protein?
Protein is essential for building bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, blood, and hormones. It contains nutrients called amino acids that are important for growth and health. Many foods high in protein also provide iron, zinc, and other key nutrients.
3. HEALTHY FATS
According to Biotic Research, contrary to what some people believe, the idea that fat is bad for you — as well as fat will make you fat — are both common misconceptions. The truth is that your body needs fat to function. This macronutrient is a major source of energy and so much more. These essential fatty acids help keep you warm, are necessary for your body to absorb important nutrients, and play a crucial role in some of your body’s everyday functions.
THINK:
-Monounsaturated Fats
Plant-based oils like olive oil and sesame oil
Nuts, such as peanuts and cashews
Avocados
Seeds, such as pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds
-Polyunsaturated Fat
Flaxseeds
Fish oil
Sunflower oil
Nuts, like walnuts and pine nuts
Why Healthy Fats?
Support Optimal Cholesterol Levels
Studies show that healthy fats like omega-3 fatty acids (found in fatty fish) are great for maintaining healthy cholesterol levels. Consuming these fats might help maintain healthy cholesterol levels and improve heart health.
Promote a Healthy Body Composition
Are you aiming to shed some of those unwanted pounds? Eating foods rich in healthy fats can help. Consuming sufficient amounts of healthy monounsaturated fats may promote fat loss. Thus, it’s an excellent diet alternative for people who struggle to comply with the high-carb, low-fat (HCLF) diet.
Support Healthy Inflammatory Pathways
If you’re familiar with the Mediterranean diet, you’ll know it’s a diet rich in foods containing high monounsaturated fatty acids. One study confirmed that adults who followed this diet have shown an improvement in healthy inflammation and coagulation markers. Healthy fats can help benefit inflammation pathways.
Optimize Brain Function
Good fats like omega-3 fatty acids play an essential part in brain development.
4. GRAINS
Grains such as oats, barley, farro, and brown rice are excellent sources of fiber and several B vitamins. Minerals like calcium, potassium, and magnesium are also found in several grains and help your body build strong bones and muscles.
Think:
whole grains: oatmeal, rice, wild rice, whole-wheat bread, whole-wheat pasta, bulgur, buckwheat, barley, quinoa
Why Grains?
According to Mayo Clinic, healthy grains contain many essential vitamins for the human body.
The bran from any kind of whole grain is a good source of fiber. Nutrients in whole grains vary. They may include the following nutrients and others:
Vitamin A.
Vitamin B-1, also called thiamin.
Vitamin B-2, also called riboflavin.
Vitamin B-3, also called niacin.
Vitamin B-6, also called pyridoxine.
Vitamin B-9, also called folate.
Vitamin E.
Iron.
Magnesium.
Phosphorus.
Selenium.
CONCLUSION
Eating is important. Especially in a world where many are malnourished, and statistically, most eating disorders happen before the age of 18. Researching and finding a sustainable, healthy pattern for your life is important. It is nearly impossible to feel the best and perform to your highest ability, both physically and mentally, if you have not nourished your body. There is a reason why humans can only last three weeks without food. Enjoy yummy, fulfilling food, mix in some ‘treats’ now and again, and see how you set your body up to win at life!
