What is nutrition and nourishment and why do we need it? There are those that still think good nutrition or nourishment comes simply out of a packet!
The multinational food companies have almost made the phrase their own. Often, mistakenly so!
Nutrition is basically the supply of food (energy) to the trillions of cells that make up the human body. In fact the same goes for all cells in animal and plant kingdoms. Without nutrition, cells cannot survive. Nutrition is the most important provision that sustains all life. All systems of life need nutrients to live. The provision of these nutrients is basically what nutrition is.
All cells in the body require a supply of energy. The blood stream transports most of the energy around the body. It reaches all the vital organs such as the brain, the heart, the liver, and the kidney. In fact, the body and all of its parts need energy to renew and sustain themselves.
Nutrients Essential for Good Nutrition
You can find the nutrients essential for good nutrition contained in the foodstuffs we eat and drink. Nutrients consist of a wide range of substances processed from the foods we eat – or supplied by our bodies. Some activities undertaken by the body itself will also produce some nutrients.
We need some nutrients in plentiful supply and in regular doses. For example, macro-nutrients lessen the effects of Free Radicals. Whereas, we need others (micro-nutrients) only in small doses and not necessarily as a daily intake.
Different foods supply different forms of nutrition. This is one of the reasons why we need to eat a varied diet. A good balanced diet is essential for living a prolonged and healthy life.
Everything we eat gets transformed into assorted chemicals. They are then made available for the body to use in processes like:
- Renewing old cells
- Generating new cells
- Providing the basic materials for cell life to sustain itself
Without proper nutrition, cells will not thrive. They may survive for a time, but that is NOT thriving. Not least is the importance of good nutrition to form energy. Without energy, the body cannot function. Energy – as used by the body – is not simply the ability to get up and go!
Nutrition and Food: Healthy Foods
More or less, all foods have the potential to provide nutrients. Even so, that does not necessarily make those foods nutritious. Most foods only supply a limited amount of the nutrition we need. To class a food product as nutritious, it must be capable of providing some of the basic raw materials that provide the body with suitable nutrition.
Our bodies require a wide range of nutrients. An even wider range of foods provide the body with the nutrition that it requires to carry out its life-enhancing capabilities. In fact, there is a strong relationship between free radicals and aging.
In most cases, good nutrition leads to a fit and healthy prolonged life. Yet, the effects of poor nutrition can reduce the likelihood of sustaining a meaningful life. You can see the effects of bad nutrition in everyday western life, with the reverse effect of obesity all too visible.
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It might surprise you but poor nutrition is not only confined to African countries. It is also prevalent in so-called developed western nations. The way our food gets processed, and the manner in which we eat it, are plainly evident in all walks of life.
Poor nutrition is not simply about thin emancipated souls. It is also one of the main causes of obesity. Together, with a wide range of preventable diseases, they shorten our lives. Often, they make our lives a miserable catalogue of preventable illnesses. This then, is the importance of nutrition!