Healthy eating should be prioritized to ensure a healthy body. According to Adams et al., healthy eating is directly linked to numerous health benefits that keep the physical and mental fitness of the body (748). Eating healthy prevents people from getting sick as it enriches the body with essential nutrients for healthy living. Additionally, healthy eating implies choosing to eat natural foods such as fruits, vegetables, meat, and grains rather than eating sugary and fatty foods.
These foods contain proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, and fats, which are crucial for growth and body functioning. However, these foods need to be consumed in proportions, or otherwise, they could lead to eating disorders such as obesity and anorexia. Nowadays, people prefer eating fast foods and processed foods, which have led to great health risks. Generally, we are what we eat, and therefore, we need to consider the foods we feed our kids, families, and ourselves to avoid health issues later on in life.
As human beings, we should eat foods rich in proteins. The protein sources include meat and fish, but they should be consumed proportionally to avoid supplying the body with excess proteins, which in turn cause various body defects. The proteins from these food supplies provide the body with the much-needed energy for the normal functioning of the body. Protein is also significant in body development and growth. Moreover, proteins aid in the maintenance of body weight, stabilization of blood sugar levels, boosting the brain, reduction of brain fog, supporting body muscles and bones, and supporting the reabsorption of essential body nutrients. We need to eat plenty of proteins to keep our metabolism running, stabilize our sugar levels, and heighten our energy levels. In other words, proteins are involved in everybody’s process, and therefore, it is significant to consume rich proteins.
We should also eat foods rich in vitamins. This is because vitamins play significant roles in body repair and development. For instance, Vitamins such as vitamin A reduce inflammation and acne immensely. In this essence, it is clear that vitamins are vital in rebuilding body impurities, which lead to poor skin complexion resulting from acne. Vitamins and minerals also aid in healing wounds and boosting our immune system, hence refraining the body from cases of illnesses (Iijima et al. 639). Moreover, vitamins play a vital role in ensuring healthy eyesight and strengthening body bones and teeth. Healthy tissue development is also boosted by vitamins. It is also essential for blood clotting, the formation of red blood cells, the production of hormones, the regulation of heart operations, and the central nervous system. In this assertion, it is clear that we need to consume enough vitamins for proper and normal body functioning.
For all children, the intake of nutritious food substances is of utmost importance. For the majority of children, the diet should incorporate a mixture of balanced foods that are deemed to provide sufficient nutrients and energy to maintain overall body growth and a healthy body (Willett 536). It is significant to consider a child’s nutritional status and ensure that children take the right and sufficient amounts of essential food nutrients. Adequate food intake should, in turn, be monitored through weight gain and body growth. Young children should be supplied with foods rich in high energy and dietary supplements to surpass all illnesses that come with nutrient deficiency as well as overconsumption. The children’s diet should be based on a good and regular routine in regard to the inclusion of foods from all vital food groups. Foods with fats and sugar contents should also be administered to the children to boost their growth and supplement the body with the required energy to support their increase in metabolic rate as they grow. Moreover, dietary supplements should be given to children with a poor appetite to supply their bodies with similar nutrients found in foods.
We should consider consuming foods rich in carbohydrates; this is due to the fact that carbohydrates fuel the body with adequate energy in higher proportions than fats and proteins (Biermann et al.). Just like other essential food substances, carbohydrates enable normal and proper functioning of our bodies. Additionally, carbohydrates play more significant roles in the body, such as reduction of bloating, preventing heart diseases, and boosting eyesight and the nervous system. Carbohydrates such as veggies and whole grains encompass fibers that reduce constipation by enabling the effective elimination of wastes from the body. Researchers have proven that carbohydrates play a crucial function in reducing the chances of contracting heart complications as they lower the levels of cholesterol in the body.
People should also prefer consuming organic foods rather than processed food. According to current researchers, organic foods are better for both physical and mental health than processed foods. Organic foods contain fewer chemicals and are hence appropriate for consumption, especially by people allergic to chemicals and preservatives. Additionally, organic foods such as milk and meat are rich in certain nutrients than processed ones. In this essence, for healthy living, we should opt for organic foods produced directly from the farm rather than consuming foods manufactured by industries that are rich in chemicals and have altered their nutrient content. Organic foods should also be preferred as they are fresher and full of flavor. Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration insists on the safety of processed foods, most researchers have evidently counteracted this idea by providing proof of the adverse effects that come along with the consumption of such foods. In the United States, processed foods have also been linked to numerous cases of food poisoning and eventual deaths. Some studies show that most of the victims of poisoning and deaths are young children and pregnant women who are vulnerable to toxic poison and adverse food chemicals.
Nevertheless, we should avoid overdependence on fast foods, which leads to adverse health defects. A lot of people prefer fast food without considering the effects they pose on their bodies. Fast foods include pizza, fried foods, and hamburgers, which are mostly consumed due to their sweet taste. Fast food has been termed as the main cause of obesity, especially among children. According to Popkin and Penny, the US has an outrageous number of people suffering from obesity due to the increase in fast foods. Generally, the fast food industry is harmful to society due to the production of unhealthy foods. Fast foods are rich in cholesterol, which causes heart diseases and attacks. The popularity of these fast foods is directly proportional to the popularity of body and heart diseases.
In conclusion, our bodies the essential body nutrients on its own, therefore these nutrients must be ingested in sufficient amounts from foods. Nutritious food furnishes our bodies with nutrients essential for growth and healthy living. Therefore, we should eat foods with enough nutrients to supplement our body’s functioning and metabolism. These essential nutrients include vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, and fats. The shortage of these food nutrients causes severe symptoms of deficiency. On the other hand, we should eat what our enzymes, teeth, and intestines can process. Ultimately, the foods we consume act as the core drivers of various body functions and demands for greater consideration.
Work Cited
Adams, Stephen M., and John B. Standridge. “What should we eat? Evidence from observational studies.” Southern Medical Journal 99.7 (2006): 744-749.
Biermann, Christopher J., and Gary D. McGinnis. Analysis of Carbohydrates by GLC and MS. CRC Press, 1988.
Hunt, S., and J. L. Groff. “Advanced nutrition and human metabolism.” New York (1990).
Iijima, Hideki, Shinichiro Shinzaki, and Tetsuo Takehara. “The importance of vitamins D and K for the bone health and immune function in inflammatory bowel disease.” Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition & Metabolic Care 15.6 (2012): 635-640.
Popkin, Barry M., and Penny Gordon-Larsen. “The nutrition transition: worldwide obesity dynamics and their determinants.” International journal of obesity 28.S3 (2004): S2.
Willett, Walter C. “Diet and health: what should we eat?.” Science 264.5158 (1994): 532-537.
