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delreeIt is a common belief that nutrition plays a major role with our health in order to live a healthier lifestyle. To help promote healthier living, we must consume natural grains and healthier foods. People must try to avoid processed food, high starch food, no sugar or artificial flavoring. Exercise is another important factor to maintain a healthier lifestyle. Does Nutrition and Exercise Impact Our Health? It is a scientifically proven fact that our food choices affect our health. The old saying, we are what we eat, is true. Every cell in our body is created from the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe. In addition to nourishing our bodies, food also affects the quality of our lives, our appearance, moods, weight, energy, the aging process and our overall health and well-being. I truly believe that most of the chronic diseases plaguing North Americans today can be extremely reduced with better nutrition and lifestyle changes. But so much of what we are eating today is actually taking away from our health. It is lacking of nutrients and filled with empty calories. We are walking around overweight, bloated, and inflamed, but we are starving for nutrients. For me the best way to fill ourselves up and stay healthy is with nutrient-dense, whole foods. They provide all the vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants and phytochemicals we need to combat most diseases at the same time create balance and optimum health. Whole foods are in the state they are found in nature fresh and unrefined. They contain all the ingredients and tastes nature intended. Nothing is removed. Nothing is added. They are more nutrient-dense, are more flavorful and have none of the chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, hormones, fungicides, artificial flavors, colors and additives that are typically used to increase shelf life of processed foods. The processed foods are filled with salt, sugar, fat, and chemicals that are harming us and making us sick. These are the ones with long lists of ingredients we can't pronounce that come in fancy packaging and were produced by food scientists in huge manufacturing plants. Pretty far removed from nature and your local family farm. A whole foods lifestyle is simply a balanced way of eating that promotes a healthy life. For me the components of a whole foods lifestyle include organic vegetables and fruits, nuts and seeds, grass-fed, pasture-raised animal products, and unrefined oils fresh herbs and spices and sea vegetables to enhance the flavor of meals. Some approaches include whole grains, beans and legumes in their definition of whole foods. So what is the difference between whole food and processed food? A whole food would be a fresh crisp apple versus canned apple juice. A chicken breast raised by your local farmer versus processed chicken nuggets. And a handful of raw almonds versus a packaged granola bar. And eating whole foods can be quite simple. If you're shopping at the local farmers market and eating the whole foods as nature intended, you don't really need to worry about counting calories or portion sizes, because everything you're eating is nutrient dense and beneficial to your health. You can relax and simply enjoy preparing delicious meals that are great tasting and great for you. (Michelle MacLean 2014)
If you pair regular exercise with a well-balanced diet, you'll notice immediate changes in mood and energy levels. More importantly, consistently eating well and exercising will improve your health and extend your lifespan. Daily exercise will also enhance one’s mental well-being and promote healthy musculoskeletal function throughout life. Although habitual physical activity is an attainable goal on the path to a healthier life, more than half of U.S. adults do not get ≥ 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per day at least 5 days per week (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] 2007a). As indicated, significant health benefits can be obtained by engaging in moderate amounts of physical activity on most, and preferably all, days of the week (American College of Sports Medicine [ACSM] 2006). Fitness programs involving progressively increasing intensities of exercise will elicit even greater cardio protective benefits (Swain & Franklin 2006).
Yes nutrition and exercise does impact our health. In order to promote a healthier lifestyle it is important to maintain a healthy diet and exercise on a regular basis.
While evaluating one’s lifestyle choices, it is important to consider the fact that we live in a time where our behavioral choices, taste, and preferences directly affect our health (Ragin, 2015). For instance, in the wake of American consumerism in the 20th century, eating habits have shifted from the traditional balanced diet – protein, carbohydrates, and vitamins – towards the more preferable fast foods, which are conveniently available through the popular dial-a-delivery system. With this shift in eating habits comes the inevitable risk of diabetes, cancer, and other lifestyle diseases. It is a common belief that nutrition plays a major role with our health; we are what we eat. In order to live a healthier life, nutritionists urge people to adopt a balanced diet. The role of proteins is body building, vitamins repair worn out issues while carbohydrates give the body energy. Every one of these is important and in equal measure too. Health experts also note that to promote better living, we must eat natural grains and healthier food. This implies reducing process foods or high starch food; no sugar or artificial flavours and exercise is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Nutritionists in the University of Columbia conducted various surveys throughout America in bid to observe people’s feeding patterns. The goal of the surveys was to understand people’s feeding habits as well as what influences feeding choices. As it turned out, the modern American society is a consumer society bent more on consuming ready to eat foods as opposed to organic foods. This may be attributable to a number of factors among them ignorance of the right food combination. Due to lack of awareness, some people have no idea what a balanced diet is, for example. Even those who do are reluctant to adopt that feeding pattern since fast foods are more convenient. As a result, there is an emergent food crisis that is fast spreading throughout the world, as McDonalds, Tacos, and Burger King continue to pour millions into consumer advertising citing convenience.
It has been said in less than formal terms that ‘we are what we eat.’ According to Dr Annabel Michel of Stanford University, culinary deviance becomes the American society. This deviance, occasioned by ignorance, exposes us to health risks and other eating disorders. For instance, consumption of fast foods exposes us to obesity, bulimia, and other lifestyle diseases such as cancer and diabetes in the long run. Even as people continue to die of these diseases, the society is still so ignorant as if we are on a death wish. Numerous dietary awareness campaigns are seemingly not having any effect as consumers continue to succumb to the allure of fast foods and beverages. For instance, soda is more popular than milk yet the health benefits and risks of both beverages are so obvious. Artificial sugars present in soft drinks have the risk of cancer and diabetes. Natural sugars are safer than processed ones.
In order to curb this pervasive trend, Dr Michel advises that we adopt covert self-control as a behavioral technique. This begins with – not only the knowledge – but also the realization that optimal health always comes first. Once people learn to value their health and that of their loved ones, they will appreciate the need to shift from fast foods and soft drinks and consumer organic foods instead. As a behavioral model, covert self-control takes a lot of willpower from the subject (Ragin, 2015). It is all in the mind; one needs to believe they can do it then show initiative and resolve in their commitment towards achieving the fundamental goal.
As behavioral psychologists explain in the Health Belief Behavior Change Model, a person’s belief about the projected benefits of optimal health drives them to indulge in health promoting behavior and lifestyle. The health belief model helps patients develop heath promoting lifestyle choices (Ragin, 2015). Using the health belief model, people can learn about the seriousness and severity of lifestyle diseases. This way, it becomes easier to understand our vulnerability if we do not prioritize retaining optimal health. Medical experts explain that the biggest concern regarding healthy living is that people are ignorant of the real danger facing them. Seemingly, people tend to have misguided priorities,
It is vital therefore to develop a profound consciousness regarding the nature of our health. This comes as a priority since everything else could always wait whereas optimal health cannot wait. Health is the most important aspect of human life. In fact, health experts now believe that individual health is the determinant of other aspects of life. For instance, healthy people also have a healthy state of mind and clear conscience. The correlation between health and mental state is a proven hypothesis. People must start by observing their feeding habits and ensure that they encourage their friends and family to do the same since it is true indeed that ‘we are what we eat.’ This also comes with the awareness of the projected benefits of optimal health, which include longevity and happiness (Ragin, 2015).
References
Health Diet Definition, Healthy Diet Tips What Makes A (n.d) Retrieved from http://www.healthy-dietpedia.com/Healthy-Diet-Definition.htm1
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2007a. U.S. physical activity statistics. http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/PASurveillance/StateSumResultV.aasp; retrieved June 20, 2007.
American College of Sports Medicine. 2006. ACSM’s Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription (7th ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Swain, D.P., & Franklin, B.A. 2006. Comparison of cardio protective benefits of vigorous versus moderate intensity aerobic exercise. American Journal of Cardiology, 97, 141–47.
Ragin, D. (2015). Health Psychology: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Health. New York: Pearson