Boost your Immunity and Improve Your Health by Choosing the Right Nutrition
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September 12, 2022
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You are what you eat!
You’ve surely heard this before. You’d also have gained an understanding of what balanced nutrition is from one of your books in school. But, somehow, as life progresses and our time and attention are diverted towards other aspects, we tend to ignore the most vital aspect of life – Our Health, and it can be improved and maintained by fuelling our body with the right foods, and this can only happen with proper nutrition.
Nutrition is the building block that sustains healthy living. As per the definition of the word, it is the process of obtaining the necessary food items for optimum health and growth.
According to the Global Nutrition Report 2021, India is consuming a poor diet. The data collected refers to a comparison of dietary intakes of adults aged 25 years and over. This data clearly shows that Indians are largely consuming whole grains and ignoring essential food groups such as legumes, nuts, fruits, fish, and dairy that are ideal for the growth, development, and prevention of various non-communicable diseases (NCDs)
The COVID-19 pandemic increased the global nutrition crisis as the global population was staying indoors and consuming the bare essentials, ignoring the requirement to maintain balanced nutrition for all age groups. Lack of exposure to direct sunlight and Vitamin-D deficiency were some of the common issues observed during the lockdown. Furthermore, limited access to fresh leafy greens and nutrient-rich vegetables aggravated metabolism disorders and caused lifestyle diseases such as obesity, type-2 diabetes, cardiac disorders, and more. The burden of growing malnutrition among children increased the need for global nutrition awareness around the world.
Important role of Dietitians and Nutrition Experts
A dietitian is a highly skilled professional in the field of dietetics with a focus on improving the food choices of individuals from various age groups. Dietitians can also educate patients with different types of diseases to follow a personalized diet plan that will help them improve their health.
Nutrition counseling has many benefits, and this is the reason why it has become an important feature of a comprehensive wellness plan.
Benefits of Nutrition Counseling
Managing Health Conditions – Nutrition counselors will help you with a sustainable diet plan that matches your lifestyle and choice of food. Depending on your levels of activity throughout the day, a dietitian will be able to help you with a diet plan that will help you if you have conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, obesity, allergies, and even cancer. The efficient meal substitution will allow you to suppress food cravings that could cause grievous harm to your body’s natural functioning.
Improvement in Quality of Sleep – It is usually poor eating choices or overeating that ruins the quality of sleep. Excessive caffeine consumption at odd intervals during the day can also ruin your sleep pattern. Health conditions such as insomnia and obesity can impact the timing and quality of your sleep. Nutrition counselors thoroughly study all these patterns and offer an effective plan that can help improve the quality of sleep.
Weight Loss – There will be moments in your fitness journey where your workout routine would be on point, and still, your weight loss journey would be derailed due to a lack of proper nutrition. In such instances, nutrition counselors will assist you and bring your weight loss journey back on the right path by studying your food intake pattern and suggesting a diet plan that keeps you satiated while helping you stay in a calorific deficit. These types of tweaks to your food choices will improve your chances of losing weight the healthy way.
Enhanced Immunity – The severity of the pandemic tested the immunity of the healthiest individuals. This is where the nutrition counselors had to step in and educate the masses on the importance of consuming a nutrient-rich diet. A diet rich in zinc, iron, and protein offered an adequate boost of immunity to fight contagious diseases.
National Nutrition Week 2022
Celebrating the trend for the 40th year since its inception, the Indian government has vastly enhanced its efforts to ensure that its citizens understand the importance of living a healthy and happy lifestyle. The COVID-19 pandemic made everyone realize that improving one’s natural immunity was absolutely essential for survival and that choosing the right nutrition was the key to evading various health challenges. Now, as we live in the post-COVID era, dietitians have been able to identify and suggest the best choice of food and diet plans for all age groups, ensuring improved immunity and resistance to non-communicable diseases. Additionally, dietary requirements change as people get older, and this makes it essential to understand which food provides adequate nutrition on the basis of your daily activities.
Nutrition for Adults (20 to 40 years of age)
Adults falling in this age bracket are more inclined to pay more attention to their careers, and this is where nutrition takes a back seat. People get accustomed to a faster-paced lifestyle and ignore the traditional health habits that they followed growing up in their homes. Increased craving for sweet treats, caffeine, and junk food is observed at this age as people spend less time waiting for their food to be cooked, and fast food becomes the optimum choice. These food choices lead to an increased intake of empty calories that don’t contribute to providing essential nutrients required by the body. And extended consumption of such food greatly increases the risk of various lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, obesity, hypertension, osteoporosis, and many more that eventually transform into life-threatening diseases. A diet rich in nutrients such as iron, calcium, and protein is highly recommended for adults in this age range.
Nutrition for Middle-aged Adults (40 to 60 years of age)
It is during this age range that the metabolism rate slows down to a large extent and the significance of incorporating phytonutrients and antioxidants is necessary to sustain healthy living. Adding fibre, protein, calcium, and complex carbohydrates becomes mandatory in this age range. Furthermore, it is advised that people within this age range should be physically active as this would ensure positive joint mobility and muscle flexibility. Avoiding fried and fatty food minimizes the risk of heart diseases and enables individuals to live active and healthy life.
Most of the health risks can be avoided if we spend more time educating ourselves on the benefits of nutrition and wellness. The most ill-disciplined food choices are made during the 20s to 40s age range of our adult life, and we should learn to switch to a healthier diet at an early age to prevent unavoidable lifestyle diseases as we grow old. A few simple steps can steer your health goals in the right direction. All you have to do is choose the right nutrition and make those small, measurable, and significant changes to your food choices and diet plan.