Nutrition is a process during which individuals consume food and water to support the functions of their body (USDA, 2023). The body requires adequate nutrients to perform day to day tasks. Therefore, we must see nutrition as fuel that keeps our engines running. For instance, exercising requires certain nutrients to give you strength, as well as to aid in repairing the stress that is caused by exercise. Moreover, utilizing our brain to focus, think and make decisions also involves nutrients.

Have you ever had days where you felt out of it? Maybe you could not concentrate or you felt lethargic even thou you had your eight hours of sleep? When you fail to consume the nutrients that your body needs, your body communicates it to you one way or another whether through feelings of frustration or sluggishness. Consequently, you become to frustrated or weak to complete your daily tasks, which in turn leads to more frustrations. For those reasons, it is important to ensure that the recommended amounts of nutrients are consumed daily.

The sad part is that often times we do not neglect our nutritional intake on purpose. What usually tends to happen is a busy life that does not allow us to slow down and take inventory of the food that we consume. Instead we go on automatic mode and eat the same easy to make stuff every day until our body says that it had enough. Another cause for poor nutrition is extreme dieting which usually entails eating a very low calorie diet. Moreover, some diets have restrictions that are unrealistic and unhealthy.

Nutrition and Consequences of Diet Trends

It is easy to get sucked into the new diets that are trending. Unfortunately, some of those diets can deprive you of nutrients. For example, some diets encourage you to eliminate all carbohydrates. However carbohydrates provide the body with glucose, which is converted into energy and used by the body for daily functions. On the other hand, diets that consist of consuming carbohydrates in excess can be converted into fat that is stored by the body (ACE, 2019). In turn, this can lead to weight gain. Therefore, it is safe to conclude that any diet recommendations that suggest food deprivation or eating certain foods in excess as a means to drop weight quick, is not good for long-term success, let alone for your health.

Although food deprivation may provide quick weight loss results, it can lead to consequences if your body is deprived of the nutrients that are required for daily function. Consuming anything in excess can have negative effects. For those reasons, nutrient awareness becomes imperative. Being aware of nutritional recommendations can aid in navigating through diet trends. Additionally, awareness can aid in deciding which diet is best suited for your particular circumstances.

Nutrition and Busy Lifestyle Consequences

It is no secret that life can be very busy and demanding. A typical day is usually consumed by work. Then, on our day off we are running errands and doing our household chores. This certainly leaves very little time for planning our meals. To make matters worse it takes time to plan our nutritional intake, time we don’t have. As a result our health is negatively affected. Not making time to pay attention to our nutrition can lead to weight gain as well as chronic illnesses such as diabetes and hear disease.

Furthermore, the weight gain can be too much for our body and our emotional health. Having to carry a lot of weight impacts your joints. Moreover, being overweight causes insecurities and a low self-esteem. As a result of weight gain many individuals lose interest in getting together with their friends and seclude inside living a sedentary lifestyle. When you mix poor nutrition and inactivity you really have a recipe for disaster. So, how do you keep up with your nutrition? I would say by finding a balance and staying educated on everything nutrition.

My Philosophy on Nutrition

My personal philosophy is based on balancing your nutrition. The balancing method includes eating in moderation. Basically, knowing your nutrition requirements and eating enough to provide your body with fuel. Also, practicing mindfulness when it comes to nourishing your body is another tactic that can be used to ensure that you are feeding your body with the most nutritious foods. Being mindful of the foods and portion sizes you are consuming and being aware of the nutrients that are provided by those foods is very important.

I also recommend staying informed on nutrition. When I say stay informed I mean read published journals and books on nutrition that are written by dietitians and physicians. I would highly advice staying away from random magazines that are making unrealistic promises. Those magazines do not have your best interest at heart.

You may be thinking that it is too much work to figure these things out. But I assure you that it is not as cumbersome as it may seem. It would be much more cumbersome to follow a restrictive diet. Personally, I am not a fan of restrictive diets unless they are recommended by a physician due to diabetes or other medical reasons. I think that being mindful and proactive about your food intake can make a true difference on your health as well as your mood. Moreover, investing time and effort into informing yourself now, will lead to long-term benefits and a better quality of life.

Conclusion

Improving your nutrition starts by seeking out information and resources that will help you go through the new transition. Educate yourself on the amount of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, sugars, and sodium that you should be consuming or not consuming. Particularly, when it comes to sugar, sodium and fat. When you wake up in the morning, know what nutritional intake you should be striving for. There are recommendations that suggest not exceeding a certain number. Do you know what that number is for you? I have included some evidence-based resources down below to help you educate yourself on your nutritional needs. Also, please feel free to explore other articles in the nutrition section as they may provide a more summarized version of what you are looking for.

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