18 | Nutrition Magazine October 20 1 5
By Parveen Sheikh
[email protected]
Opinion
Importance of Good Nutrition
Good nutrition should be part of an overall healthy lifestyle, which also includes regular
exercise, not smoking or drinking alcohol excessively, stress management and limiting
exposure to environmental hazards. And no matter how well you eat, your genes play a
big part in your risk for certain health problems. But don't underestimate the influence
of how and what you eat.
For example, atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) can begin in early childhood, but
the process can be halted ? even reversed ? if you make healthy changes in your diet
and lifestyle. The gradual bone thinning that results in osteoporosis may be slowed if
you consume enough calcium, maintain adequate Vitamin D levels and participate in
weight-bearing exercise. You may be genetically predisposed to diabetes, but keep your
weight within a healthy range through diet and exercise and the disease may never
strike you.
The keys to good nutrition are balance, variety and moderation. To stay healthy, your
body needs the right balance of carbohydrates, fats, andprotein ? the three main
components of nutrition.
You also need vitamins, minerals and other substances from many different foods, and
while some foods are better than others, no single food or food group has it all ? so
eating a variety of different foods is essential.
Moderation means eating neither too much nor too little of any food or nutrient. Too
much food can result in excess weight and even too much of certain nutrients, while
eating too little can lead to numerous nutrient deficiencies and low body mass.