An effective diet is at the foundation of optimal nutrition. To do this, select foods rich in vitamins and minerals while being low in sodium and fat and high in fiber content.
Nutritional science has invested substantial resources into investigating the effects of individual macro- and micronutrients, with both heroes and villains emerging. But taking an holistic approach to food and nutrients provides multiple health advantages.
Healthy Weight
Optimized nutrition helps you reach and sustain a healthy weight, which reduces your risk for serious health conditions. Furthermore, optimal nutrition fosters stronger immunity by providing your body with essential vitamins and minerals like selenium, iron, vitamin C, vitamin D zinc and protein which serve as natural immunity boosters and speed up wound healing processes.
Food that provides your body with essential minerals – like whole grains, vegetables, legumes, fruits, and nuts – provides energy at the cellular level whereas eating just enough for survival can leave your cells starved of nutrients and organs struggling for support.
optimal nutrition can also contribute to strong bones and muscles by providing your body with essential calcium-rich dairy foods, green leafy vegetables, fish and other nutritious sources that provide necessary bone-building nutrients.
Strong Bones
Bone is a dynamic tissue, constantly remodeling. That is why maintaining bone health through diet and exercise is so essential.
Optimized bone health is critical to mobility and quality of life. Although genetics has an immense influence over our bones’ shape and their response to mechanical loads or weight bearing, food choices also play a significant role in shaping bone strength and density.
Dieting to promote healthy bones begins with eating a diet rich in nutrient-rich foods such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, nuts and seeds. Such an approach will promote bone and joint health while decreasing fracture risks and osteoporosis risks.
Maintaining bone health requires more than calcium and vitamin D alone; other essential nutrients include magnesium, phosphorous and potassium as well. Smoking cessation, alcohol control and physical activity are all integral parts of maintaining good bone health; additionally incorporating supplements designed to support it can be helpful; speak to your physician or registered dietitian about which ones might work for you.
Healthy Muscles
Muscles are soft tissue pieces that help you move, support your body, and perform other essential tasks. Muscles work alongside bones as part of an interconnected musculoskeletal (muh-SKUL-oh-skee-tl) system; most muscles can be controlled directly; however some such as those found in your heart and stomach may work independently of you without even realizing.
Muscle health is vital to playing sports, lifting heavy items and everyday activities. Muscles also serve to protect joints and bones against injuries.
Muscle loss may occur naturally as we age, but nutrition and exercise can slow or stop it altogether. Eating enough protein, vitamin D and physical activity is the best way to keep muscles strong.
Even though everyone gets sore muscles sometimes, persistent soreness or weakness in your muscles could be an indicator of serious health problems. Seek assistance from healthcare provider if this happens to you – they can recommend exercises, movements and other ways to keep your muscles strong and healthy.
Mental Health
Optimized nutrition refers to consuming food components that promote normal physiological functions and lower the risk of disease, with many different influences such as individual biological variation, gender and age considerations, external and internal stresses as well as stress relief measures being influential factors.
Observational, epidemiological and clinical studies as well as experimental proof-of-principle trials are helping to shed light on how diet and nutrition influence mental health. With its advent comes Nutritional Psychiatry’s promise for developing preventative and therapeutic dietary interventions.
An eating plan rich in whole food nutrients can improve mood, increase cognitive performance and lower the risk of neuropsychiatric disorders by reducing excess inflammation; increasing energy production at the cellular level through mitochondria; feeding gut microbiomes with essential food sources; and providing key nutrients necessary for brain health promotion. A balanced diet comprising vegetables, fruit, legumes, nuts & seeds, fish olive oil & high quality proteins will do just this.
