When considering the impact of food on our overall well-being, it’s essential to watch our dietary choices and lifestyle habits. Research indicates that many chronic diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and cancers, aging processes, and our general health are significantly influenced by our diets and physical activity. A well-balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats can enhance mood, boost energy levels, and support long-term health. So, are you making conscious decisions to foster this healthy balance in your daily life? 

What Changed?

Starting off as infants, we’re already provided with careful nutrients such as formulated or breast milk from our parents, a guardian, doctor or nurses. We all were taking in what we should be in order to grow. According to the World Health Organization, “In the first 2 years of a child’s life, optimal nutrition fosters healthy growth and improves cognitive development. It also reduces the risk of becoming overweight or obese and developing NCDs later in life”  (World Health Organization). So, why isn’t this perhaps still a phenomenal recognition as to why our diet should consist mainly of 85% natural and healthy nourishments? Many different perspectives of answers could be answered but, the main change of all to this is due to our evolution of food change worldwide. According to the World Health Organization, “Diet evolves over time, being influenced by many social and economic factors that interact in a complex manner to shape individual dietary patterns. These factors include income, food prices (which will affect the availability and affordability of healthy foods), individual preferences and beliefs, cultural traditions, and geographical and environmental aspects (including climate change)”. Although someones lives can be busy making it easier for them to just grab and go at a fast food place, being able to make and give yourself time to eat healthier options strives the increase of this habit to also continue. It is all about building the schedule and habit into your daily life. As early as the 1970’s, an increase of chronic health issues such as obesity, diabetes and cancers has significantly increased, leading back to our dietary habits according to the National Institutes of Health. This phenomenon has so far not raised much awareness in this day and age, and also not surprisingly changed as this conflict is still in arise. But with half of this problem happening there is also the other half of people that are changing and doing better for themselves. The earliest as from 2019 to 2025, an increase of healthier and more varieties of plant-base, vegan, traditional-diets and digestive cleansing are up in a rise infatuating the more of a well-being lifestyle and influences. 

What To Do

First off, it is important to understand what a diet is. It is not a specific consumption of only healthy foods when you hear others speak of “going on a diet”. It is the specific foods involved within a person’s daily consumption. And within a person’s diet, it also affects them whether positively or negatively as to what and how much they’re consuming. Although there are still many factors as to what may cause the health of an individual or one’s living, the main factor to take and do for ones-self are what they’re putting into their bodies, specifically the type of diet one has. Following a role of nutritions that is most efficient and required for an individual’s health such as consuming proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, water and fats on a daily basis will overall provide you the healthy body that you best can have because before you realize it, health really is wealth. In addition, dietitian Brianna Logas, an expert that was interviewed states that “The first thing that I would suggest for people to do to make sure that their health is good is to start incorporating physical activities such as exercising weekly. Anything that can really make your body move 3-4 times a week is all good even if it’s going on walks you know, and ofcourse it’s also important to find what works for you because everybody’s different. The second thing that I think people should do more often is to see who they’re surrounding themselves with. This includes the sort of friends and families that they’re around and what they’re all doing that may be benefiting each other mentally good or bad. And then the last thing that I would say that all people should be doing is reflecting and trying to be the best version of themselves. And when I say this I mean that everybody should try to be more open minded in life, more kind, more happy, and having self-love. I’ve always believed that when you truly feel the best and are the best, you do truly overcome all other things in life.”

Benefits

Knowing what nutrients are beneficial to you is by trying different things out. There are four main nutrients that an individual should be consuming on a daily basis. The first thing to add are carbohydrates into your diet because it is one the main sources of energy. According to the National Library of Medicine article, “Carbohydrates are the primary source of energy in the diet and are found in the greatest abundance in grains, fruits, legumes, and vegetables.” The second nutrient to add are proteins which includes meat, dairy, fish, eggs, animal, plant, soya products, grains, nuts, seeds etc, “Adequate dietary protein intake is important for maintaining lean body mass throughout the lifespan.” The third nutrient is unsaturated fats, such as fish and plant-foods. “Among the types of dietary fats, unsaturated fats are associated with reduced cardiovascular and mortality risks, whereas trans fats and, to a lesser degree, saturated fats are associated with negative impacts on health, including increased mortality risk.”  And lastly water, due to it being the body’s principal component, constitutes the majority of lean body mass and total body weight and it also consists of micronutrients, trace elements and electrolytes. To make it easier, I suggest carrying around a water bottle or anything that has easy access to water around that you’re able to access every hour of the day further, also encouraging you to take sips when it’s right next to you. 

Now after reading this article, it shows that the choices we make regarding our diet and physical activities significantly shape our overall well-being and future outcomes. Nutrition plays a crucial role in our health, affecting everything from our energy levels and immune function to our mental stability. Similarly, regular exercises to help pump up the heart not only helps our fitness but also contributes to our mental stability and longevity in life.