Why Diet Matters
We commonly hear the phrase “you are what you eat” and that’s because diet, along with lifestyle has been largely associated with health throughout every stage of life from developing babies to elderly. Ultimately a healthy diet contributes to a healthy fulfilling life.
But why is this? The human body is a continuous series of molecular transformations that require specific nutrients to function. Take magnesium or zinc for example, both elements are known to be involved in over 300 enzymatic processes each, which include blood pressure regulation, taste, energy, sleep, to name but a few. Nutrients like these come from our diet and body functions are dependent on the availability of nutrients in our food. So important is diet that long-term nutrient insufficiencies can contribute to the development of chronic health conditions. Even short term insufficient nutrient intake impacts body processes so sleep quality may deteriorate, or stress becomes difficult to manage for example.
We are living longer which might suggest we have the right diet. But actually health conditions that develop as a result of lifestyle and diet are on the rise – big time! For example, type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity, all of which incur a huge healthcare cost. Each year a staggering £8.8 billion is spent to treat cases of type II diabetes. By the year 2035, it’s estimated that 5 million people in England will have the disease, which can also affect vision, kidney health, heart disease and incidence of stroke. One of the leading factors for type II diabetes is diet and the Western diet, prevalent in developed countries, can have a negative impact. This diet is highly calorific but considered to be malnourished. Commonly full of simple carbohydrate foods, such as sweets, cakes and white bread, as well as highly processed meats, this type of diet is high in hydrogenated fats and salt. As a consequence, the Western diet is often correlated to poor health outcomes. A good test for bad foods is to check the ingredients list. If it includes items you’ve never heard of and that are difficult to pronounce, its likely highly processed.
But what is the right diet? Variety is the key but in truth, it is not healthy to think that there is a perfect diet. Everyone can assess their own diet for opportunities to tweak and alter food choices to improve total nutrient intake and in part three of this series, we share some tips that will help to get the most nutrition from food.
Its hard to know if you’re getting all the nutrients you need from your diet. Chances are you have experienced a day when you wake up and your face is puffy, your stomach is uncomfortable, or your brain feels foggy. These are all indications that what you ate in the previous few days may have been difficult for your body to digest and possibly had inadequate nutrient density. However, a poor diet in the long term can result in prolonged tiredness, difficulty in recovering from exercise, an increase in stress and a decline in sleep quality, besides frequent infections, poor skin condition or lowered mood.
Ultimately, an ongoing feeling that you are not ‘100%’ indicates your diet needs some adjustment. Potentially taking a multivitamin when you don’t know what nutrients you are lacking can support a healthy diet.
Signs you don't have the right diet can include sleep issues, lethargy, poor skin condition, infections, low mood, poor digestion, increased stress, slower brain function, and reduced recovery from exercise.
What you choose to eat is extremely important in contributing to health outcomes. In truth, every single body process is reliant on nutrients to function, and so, what you eat influences the level of health and life fulfillment, consequently, food selection and choice is a major Public Health priority.
Click here to continue to part two of this series, where we examine the powerful effect of diet on different body processes, including immunity, brain health, heart health, energy and mood.
Others in this series:
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This article is for information purposes and does not refer to any individual products. The information contained in this article is not intended to treat, diagnose or replace the advice of a health practitioner. Please consult a qualified health practitioner if you have a pre-existing health condition or are currently taking medication. Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied and balanced diet.
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