Nutrition plays an integral part in leading a healthy lifestyle and helping reduce the risk of many diseases and conditions. Aiming for optimal nutrition involves choosing foods rich in essential nutrients while restricting sugary drinks as part of a balanced diet plan.
As it’s also essential not to consume too much iron and vitamin D, dietary excesses must also be avoided.
Healthier Weight
Optimized nutrition involves eating more of the foods that support optimal body health. Its many benefits can provide both mind-, body- and spirit wellness advantages.
Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats is one of the best ways to ensure weight management while protecting you against serious, life-threatening illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes or high blood pressure.
“Optimal nutrition” can be difficult to define; here, ten recognized experts provide their personal insights on what constitutes optimal nutrition.
Better Immune System
There are countless supplements and foods claiming to boost immunity, but for optimal immune functioning it takes more than simply pills or foods containing certain substances. A diet low in ultraprocessed food and high in nutrient-rich food provides optimal support by giving immune cells what they need to function at their best.
The immune system is composed of an intricate network of organs, cells and proteins that work together to fight infection (microbes) while also protecting tissues within our own bodies and keeping track of any germs it has defeated to avoid autoimmune diseases. For optimal immunity health to occur it requires eating healthily with appropriate sleep hours and physical activity levels as well as no smoking; additionally certain vitamins or minerals that could interfere with immunity need to be avoided for maximum effectiveness.
Better Mental Health
Diets that include whole foods can help the body function more optimally all around, including the brain. When properly fed with nutrients, our minds become clearer and are better at processing information more clearly, making therapy more successful and deepening understanding of issues in patients’ lives.
Studies are beginning to demonstrate a link between mental health and diet, specifically diet-induced stress relief and mental illness. But this doesn’t imply any particular diet will directly treat mental illnesses; nor should any diet be used as the basis for assumptions or stigmatization either clinically or socially; rather it’s important that it’s considered alongside other treatment options for treatment purposes.
Better Bone Health
Bone health peaks early on in life, yet poor diet and lack of exercise can contribute to bone loss in midlife and beyond. To best support bones, adopting a calcium-rich diet as well as weight-bearing exercises such as walking.
Foods high in magnesium and potassium may also offer benefits, with leafy greens, legumes, nuts and whole grains being excellent sources.
If a medical condition or medication interferes with your ability to get enough calcium, your doctor may suggest taking a vitamin D supplement. Make sure it has been rigorously tested for safety and purity as Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium for bone strength – with 600-800IU being the daily suggested dose.
Better Cardiovascular Health
Optimized nutrition provides numerous health advantages that build upon each other to promote overall wellbeing. It wards off chronic illnesses while strengthening immunity. A balanced nutrient diet also can protect the digestive tract against issues like IBS. Plus it strengthens bones and muscles across the board by providing steady streams of calcium from dairy foods, green leafy veggies, lean meats, legumes, etc. to fuel strong bones and muscles throughout.
This approach to nutrition reduces cardiovascular disease (CVD), by taking steps such as cutting back on saturated and trans fat intake, restricting sodium consumption, and increasing fiber consumption. Furthermore, it allows people to better manage existing health conditions like hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol by tailoring nutrition intake accordingly.
