It’s national nutrition month and it’s about time we talked about one of the most important issues in society today; food. Yes, we just declared food and proper nutrition matters of national interest.
You probably hear “you are what you eat” about every other day of your life and it can get a little annoying. But it’s a fact and however much you may want to fight it, that extra scoop of ice cream or that lifetime diet of junk will eventually catch up with you.
We’ve all seen the “eat this; don’t eat that” list when it comes to nutrition. But, what does that really mean for us–aside from putting restrictions on our diet? Not much. So, let’s take a different approach here. Let’s discuss what nutrition is, the components that make up a healthy diet and the amazing benefits that come with great nutrition and a healthy lifestyle.
What is Good Nutrition and Why is it Important?
Nutrition has many definitions depending on whether you are a scientist, nutritionist or self-proclaimed food lifestyle guru. In a nutshell, it refers to the process of providing your body with all the nourishment it needs to survive and function optimally.
Good nutrition is not just about sticking to a certain diet or eating what is considered “clean” food. It is a multifactorial concept which includes:
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Constituents. Good nutrition is about including all the important nutrients. These are carbohydrates, proteins, fats, water, vitamins, and minerals. In addition to phasing in healthier foods, consider incorporating more superfoods into your diet, such as fungi and super blue-green algae.
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Proportion. The other very important component of good nutrition is ensuring a decent balance between all these important components. Contrary to popular belief, there is no ultimate, one-size-fits-all, ratio. Many individual factors come into play. For example, as a bodybuilder, you would require a lot more carbs and protein than someone trying to lose weight.
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A healthy balance. Too much of anything can be a bad thing and this also goes for good food. Diversity in the foods you consume is therefore a very important aspect when it comes to ensuring that you are getting good nutrition. What is important to understand here is that both extremes matter, so you should aim to hit that sweet spot in the middle if you wish to have a healthy diet. Make sure you are eating foods with different nutrient profiles, therefore giving your body a bit of everything it needs.
- Timing and frequency. Your body doesn’t require a constant intake of nutrition, meaning we don’t need to spend our entire day eating. Rather, it has its reserves and will use them up as it waits for the next programmed meal. This is not to say that you starve yourself because your body is a big boy/girl and can take care of itself. However, it is important to learn your body’s hunger cues and learn to respect them.
How Does the Body Utilize Nutrients?
Every component of what makes up a balanced diet plays a different role in ensuring that our bodies function at optimal capacity. The body will access the resources during digestion and absorption in the gut. Whatever is extracted is then transported to the liver for processing where what is needed is taken to the required tissue and what is excess is stored in different forms.
Once the specific tissues get the nutrients they need, work goes on as usual and you get to function as a healthy human being.
With that, providing your body with quality nutrition makes a great difference when it comes to quality of life.
According to research from several groups including the University of Minnesota, good nutrition plays a tremendous role in multiple aspects of your existence and in the quality of your life. Here are some of the perks you can look forward to when you make consuming a whole foods diet a daily habit.
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Maintain healthy weight. Here, all the factors including components, frequency, balance and proportion play a role. Watching what you eat is easily one of the most effective ways to ensure you maintain a healthy weight.
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Skin health. Your skin is often a reflection of what is going on inside your body and this includes the nutrients you are feeding it. Although it’s not written in stone, poor nutrition is often associated with issues like skin breakouts, dryness, and aging. By feeding your body important nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and proteins, you provide your skin with the building blocks it requires to get and stay healthy.
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A constant supply of energy. Energy, it’s a challenge most face on a daily basis. The good news, proper nutrition is a great avenue to overcome that challenge. As a part of the Standard American Diet, we are used to loading up on caffeine and sugar every morning only to find that we crash shortly after. The problem? These two things are not nourishing the body, they are simply providing a jolt followed by a low. Remember, our bodies require nutrients to thrive. With good nutrition, including healthy carbs, proteins, fats and so on, you have a constant supply of energy as the food slowly releases the complex sugars.
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Rejuvenation. Nutrients like proteins, vitamins, and minerals play a huge role when it comes to repairing tissues. They help with effectively healing and rejuvenating the entire body for a healthier and better functioning set of systems.
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Boost immunity. A variety of nutrients have been noted to help with improved immunity including Vitamin A and Vitamin C. They serve as resources in the body’s natural defense processes.
- System flushing. Providing the body with quality nutrition allows systems to function properly, including waste elimination. Just as we shower daily to remove dirt and grime, our internal system requires cleaning and waste elimination as well. Providing your body with quality nutrients and plenty of water helps your body remove waste and toxins.
Supplement for Peace of Mind
Life is busy and demanding. Today’s society and culture demand a lot from each and every one of us on a daily basis. It can be tough to ensure we are getting every vitamin, mineral, phytonutrient, essential fatty acid and so on each day. And, it’s not enough to say “oh well, I will get those nutrients tomorrow.” Our bodies not only need, but require, these nutrients day in and day out to function properly. That’s where supplements come in: providing us with peace of mind, knowing that we are providing our bodies with the nutrients they require to keep us at our best for the challenges we face daily.
There’s more to this story though, because it’s not enough to grab an old supplement or multivitamin off the shelf and call it good. There are far too many synthetic pretenders out there that don’t do our bodies any good.
Rather, it’s a time to turn toward quality, third party tested, whole food supplements. After all, we are talking about feeding the body with quality nutrients it can recognize and utilize. Our recommendation, organic Wild Microalgae™.
A near-perfect superfood and rare type of blue-green algae, organic Wild Microalgae is nature’s nanotechnology. It delivers a vast array of micronutrients that supercharges your body’s ability to maintain superior overall physical well-being. Organic Wild Microalgae is filled with phytonutrients, plant-based proteins, minerals, essential fatty acids and a wide spectrum of micronutrients. In short, it’s a whole superfood supplement that helps to ensure you feed your body the nutrients it craves and deserves on a daily basis.
Live the #NewEarthLife
Feeding your body with high-quality whole food goodness, it's what we call living the #NewEarthLife. It’s not about being perfect, rather, it's about making small daily changes that allow each and every one of us to live our best possible life. Ready to start making shifts in your life? Try our favorite superfoods!