Proper Nutrition For You and Your Family

A lot of people believe that they are getting the proper nutrition. But how sure are they? And how do you know that you are getting all the nutrients that your body needs?

Okay, first things first. Let’s settle the difference between diet and nutrition. A lot of people get confused between these terms and use them interchangeably, but they are distinctly two different things.

Diet refers to the foods you eat. They can be classified as “good” or “bad” depending on their effects to your overall health. Good foods include nutrient-dense whole foods such as whole grains, nuts, fruits, vegetables, low fat dairy, lean meats, fish, and eggs.

On the other hand, bad foods refer to anything that is calorie-dense but nutrient-deficient. These may include packaged and processed foods including processed meat, grains and oils, sweets and pastries, and various snack items, among others. Carbonated and caffeinated drinks such as soda and coffee are also included in this list.

Now that it’s settled, it’s time to define what nutrition really is. Simply put, nutrition is the process whereby the nutrients from the foods you eat are absorbed by the cells in your body. But before these nutrients reach their destination cells, they undergo a lengthy process. Here ‘s how it goes.

1. Diet

Everything starts with your diet. Eating nutritious whole foods greatly increases your chances of getting the proper nutrition your body needs. And remember, garbage in, garbage out. What you put in your body will definitely show in one way or another!

2. Digestion

The foods you eat need to be broken down into the smallest parts possible to make sure they are ready for the next stage. And this starts as you chew your food. There are some easy ways to improve your digestion and believe me, doing so will be good for you.

3. Absorption

After the foods are digested and broken down into simple nutrients (simple sugars, amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, etc.), they pass through the intestinal linings and are absorbed into the blood stream. Now, they are ready to be supplied to their destination cells.

4. Circulation

The circulatory system has the primary responsibility of ensuring that the nutrients reach their final destination. If the circulatory system is impaired, such as when you have blood pressure and cholesterol-related problems, your cells may begin to starve.

5. Assimilation

Okay, the nutrients have now reached their target cells. Now, they need to enter the cells for them to be utilized. It doesn’t do any good if the nutrients stay outside your cells, right? So, make sure that your cells are assimilating nutrients properly.

6. Elimination

Now we get to the end of the line, the part where all the waste is eliminated. This stage begins with excretion at the cellular level, and is eventually completed as the waste materials leave the body through the skin, the lungs, the kidneys and the colon.

Hopefully that breaks the entire process down into understandable steps and helps you to see that every stage in this very important process can be improved by eating good, healthy foods.

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