A well-balanced diet (one that has the right combination of the nutrients we need to sustain life) goes a long way in maintaining health.
These nutrients are carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals,vitamins, water and roughage.
The carbohydrates that are great for us include complex carbohydrates, from plants and tubers, that gradually release sugar into the blood stream...
Sugar is easily burned and thus used as fuel in our bodies for quick energy. However if we eat a lot of simple sugars from doughnuts and cookies, the body, which is incapable of burning all of these sugars, unless we stick to a strict exercise regimen, will store the excess, as fat.
An overabundance of fat cells slows our bodies down and make us susceptible to diseases like diabetes and fibroids.
Proteins are necessary for building strong muscles, bone and tissue. The great thing is that they can be obtained from meat, veggies, peas and beans.
Fats provide the medium for fat-soluble vitamins to be released into the blood stream and for supple cell-walls. But as mentioned above, too much can be detrimental to us.
Water liquefies the blood, helps provides oxygen to our cells and tissues, ensures that our kidneys are well-watered and that there is enough alkalinity in our blood to keep cells and tissue supple and growing.
Humans beings are over 65% water...so this alone shows us how important this substance is to the proper functioning of our bodies.
Us taking our recommended allowance of 6-8 glasses a day should go a long way in aiding this.
Roughage, is the fibrous parts or fruits and vegetable (and yes they include the skins of these foods), that facilitate easier bowel movements and a thoroughly and frequently-cleansed colon.
Thus decreasing the risk of getting colon cancer.
The reality, is, however, that most of us, due to the fact that we work outside our homes, don't feed our bodies with the right nutrients, in the right quantities, for our bodies to function optimally.
This is where vitamin supplements are important.
Ideally, these supplements should also carry essential and/or trace minerals that assist in the absorption of vitamins in supplements, or whose minute presence in our blood, maintain balance in the different systems in our bodies. (E.g. the digestive, reproductive and respiratory systems).
There are combo vitamins e.g. Celebrate Vitamins, that we can take, to ensure that our body is getting its daily requirement of each vitamin and mineral.
Reading the labels of these supplements and ascertaining how much of each daily requirement is included in these tablets, are important...
So is educating ourselves re which minerals and vitamins are needed for the optimal functioning of our bodies and which foods contain these nutrients.
This will enable us to have confidence in how and what we eat, so that we can not only maintain health, but sustain health, thus living optimally.
(I would like to thank LHDumes for the use of her Flickr inset photo, entitled, "Vitamin C - don't forget to get plenty!").
Gillian
Sources Include
1) Article, "What is diabetes?", MedicalNewsToday.com, accessed April 30,2010
2) Article, "What are Fibroids?" eHealthMD.com, accessed April 30,2010
