When you think about eating a nutritious diet, you probably focus on what is on the plate. Are there enough vegetables? Is there some protein? What about a whole grain? But the fact is that nutrition is not just limited to the food on your plate. It’s really about what is possible in life because of what you put on your plate.
Every March is designated National Nutrition Month®. This year’s theme, “Discover the Power of Nutrition,” speaks to how your quality of life can improve when you prioritize a healthy diet. Nutrients provide the body with what it needs to grow and survive. And the Guiding Stars nutrition navigation system helps you select foods that contain more of the nutrients your body needs, and less of those that don’t support bodily health. Good nutrition has the power to do more than just feed your bodily needs. Eating well also helps put more living into your life—here are a few examples.
You’ll Have More Energy
Let’s face it, life rarely slows down. Having enough energy to live the life you want is important, and it’s easier to keep your energy up when you eat regularly and consume a balanced mix of macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats, and proteins) at meals. It’s true that carbohydrates are your body’s main energy source, but fats and proteins help provide sustained energy and stabilize blood sugar levels. When you have between-meal hunger pangs, address them with a smart snacking strategy. And avoid relying on sugary snacks or caffeine to prop up your energy levels. Balanced eating habits and intentional food choices can add up to abundant energy. So not only will you power through your to-do list, you’ll still have enough “in the tank” for the things you want to do too.
Enjoy a Better Mood and Mental Benefits
It’s well established that the food you eat has an impact on brain function and cognition, mental health, and mood. One reason for this is that the brain relies on energy and nutrients from the diet. For example, the brain’s preferred energy source is carbohydrates. When we don’t eat adequate amounts of carbohydrates, our ability to focus wanes and we can start feeling “hangry.”
Equally important, part of the food-and-brain relationship stems from the internal, two-way communication highway in our bodies called the gut-brain axis. This information pathway transports messages between the digestive tract and the brain. (In fact, the gut is often referred to as the “second brain” because its roles are so important.) In other words, your brain gets reports on the quality of your diet. Keep your gut happy with more produce and whole grains, and less sugar and saturated fats. By doing so, the messages to your brain will be more supportive of your mental health, memory, and more.
Recover From Injury and Illness Better and Faster
Nutrition is an important factor in how quickly your body heals and recovers from an injury, surgery, or illness. It takes a lot of energy for the body to mend muscles, rebuild bones, and fight off invading microbes. In nutrition, energy means calories. So you need to eat enough to support your body’s work through the healing process. (With this in mind, don’t “starve” a fever, or a cold.) Nutrients for healing are wide-ranging—protein, vitamins C, A, E, and D, and minerals such as zinc, selenium, and iron. If you aren’t eating enough food, it’s harder to get enough of these, and healing will take longer.
Your immune system also gets a boost from good nutrition. Concentrate on nutrient-dense dishes that include a wide variety of produce. Colorful fruits and vegetables not only provide important bioactive compounds that support the immune system, they contribute to hydration too.