“To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art. ” – La Rochefoucauld When it comes to the subject of good nutrition, it is nothing that you haven? t heard before. Hippocrates once said, “Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food. ” Good nutrition today is more imperative than ever. At least four leading causes of death in the United States. , heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes, are directly related to the way we eat. Even though there are many wrong diets out there, eating right is among the cornerstones of health.
Food alone, of course isn’t the key to a longer and healthier life. It is often said that good nutrition should be part of a healthy lifestyle. This includes frequent exercise, no smoking, no drinking alcohol excessively, stress management, and restraining exposure to environmental hazards. Sometimes though, no matter how well you eat, your genes can play a considerably large part for certain health problems. Never underestimate the influence of how and what you eat.
Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) for example, can begin early in childhood, but the process can be halted, sometimes even reversed, if you make healthy changes in your diet and lifestyle. The constant bone thinning that results in osteoporosis may be slowed if you consume enough calcium, keep up sufficient Vitamin D levels and contribute in weight-bearing exercise. You may be genetically prone to diabetes, but keep your weight within a healthy range through diet and exercise and the disease may never strike you.
The keys to good nutrition are balance, variety and moderation. To stay healthy, your body needs the right stability of carbohydrates, fats, and protein. These are the three main components of a healthy nutrition. Your body also needs vitamins and minerals from many different foods. While some foods are better than others, no single food or food group has it all. Eating a variety of different foods is vital. Moderation means eating neither too much nor too little of any food or nutrient.
Too much food can result in excess weight and even too much of certain nutrients, while eating too little can lead to numerous nutrient deficiencies and low body mass. The healthier you eat, the longer your life span becomes. There are many important things in life to pay close attention to, and nutrition is on top of the list. Everything I have presented to you is hard motivation and specific guidelines to follow. “The wise man should consider that health is the greatest of human blessings. Let food be your medicine. ” – Hippocrates.