What is Nutrition & Why Does it Matter?
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by
PHS
Have you ever heard the expression, “You are what you eat”? People say that because we gain nutrients out of the food we are eating and this plays a role in our how our bodies function. Nutrition can refer to the study of how these nutrients affect our bodies or the process of taking nourishment itself. Either way, it’s a pretty important topic for our overall and long-term health.
We use up nutrients every day through our day to day living, so it’s important that each day we are replenishing our bodies with the right balance of foods and liquids to feed our body’s needs.
Malnutrition Can Cause Serious Health Problems
One of the most important keystones to why nutrition is so important is that a poor diet will place stress on our body’s ability to function. Our bodies are like a machine, we have a lot of different moving parts and pieces that each perform important jobs. Just like a machine needs oils and lubricants to keep the gears turning smoothly, nutrients from food help our blood flow to our muscles and our brain to fire neurons. When the body doesn’t get all the nutrients that it needs, it slows our bodies down.
Nutritional deficiencies can range in severity but cause some real health problems such as preventing our blood from properly supplying our body with oxygen or keep us from absorbing any calcium that keeps our bones strong. If this continues it can do some serious damage to our bodies that may be irreversible. Poor nutrition can increase the risk of chronic illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, hypertension, osteoporosis, or others.
Good Nutrition Helps Us Cope
So we know that eating poorly can have some negative effects but are there any benefits to eating well? Absolutely!
What foods we have available, or choose, to eat can impact the amount of energy we have and how good we feel or don’t feel throughout the day. Good nutrition is critical in our ability to cope with stress, fatigue, and frustration. Our brains are more adaptable when we are well nourished. We have better attention spans and it’s easier to remember things.
A balanced diet also helps us feel good emotionally. Have you ever felt cranky after skipping a meal? Or how about the crash after a big sugar binge? This can happen because our body is running low on on calories and that makes it hard for our bodies to sustain our energy. When we feel low on energy, it can be harder to maintain a good mood. Eating a balanced and healthy diet helps level out swings in our mood a bit. Not to say that a perfect diet will keep us from ever experiences changes in mood but the changes will feel less dramatic and impactful than they do when we aren’t eating well.
Nutrition is Critical for Mental Health
Nutrition is an important part of our lifestyle and our ability to cope. Those who struggle financially don’t always have the resources to be able to eat healthy. Anyone struggling with their mental health or addictions can also face extreme challenges finding the resources to have a balanced diet. Progressive Housing Society works with clients who face many of these struggles. We try to connect clients with resources and knowledge that helps make a difference in their day to day lives. Many of the resources we provide are donated by our community. Find out how you can get involved and donate to help someone today!
References
Case-Lo, C. (2013, 05 09). Food & Nutrition. Retrieved from Healthline: https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition#good
Newman, T. (2020, 01 09). What is nutrition, and why does it matter? Retrieved from Medical News Today: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/160774.php
School of Health. (2019). What is Nutrition? Retrieved from The School of Health: https://www.schoolofhealth.com/nutrition-courses/what-is-nutrition/
Shiel, W. C. (2019). Medical Definition of Nutrition. Retrieved from MedicineNet: https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=4602
World Health Organization. (2020). Nutrition. Retrieved from World Health Organization: https://www.who.int/health-topics/nutrition
