HEALTH: The word “HEALTH” is used to describe a state of physical, mental, emotional and social wellbeing. It is also referred to as a state of being disease free. It is a state of all round wellbeing with the absence of illness or injury.
NUTRITION: This is the process by which nutrients is absorbed into the body from the food eaten and is used
for repair, growth, energy and to fight off diseases.
1.Drink Water:
Drinking water especially before meals is very important as it helps aid the burning of calories. Water
helps us digest food and keeps the nose, mouth and eyes moist, this is because it forms mucus and saliva. Rather than drinking soda and other sweetened beverages which cause tooth decay, drinking water instead reduces decay and helps clean the mouth.
Our blood which is more than ninety percent water carries oxygen to all parts of the body, that means that water help transfer oxygen throughout the body system.
Dehydration cause wrinkles and other skin problems, therefore drinking water prevents those problems. It
helps regulate the body temperature, digestion is dependent on it and it flushes out body waste in the form of urine. Water dissolves the nutrient in food we eat making it possible for those nutrients to perform their function.
2.Eat Nuts:
These protein snacks are really good for the heart as they help lower cholesterol levels, and they are easy to get, pack along where ever you go and easy to store.
They contain unsaturated fatty acids and other nutrients such as fiber, which also lowers cholesterol levels but also makes you full, and vitamin E, which helps stop plaque development in the arteries which can narrow them and lead to heart attack.
Although good, they also contain a high amount of calories. This does not mean that you should not eat
them, but rather limit the amount you take.
Nuts such as walnut, pecan, almond and hazelnuts are good examples of nuts you should eat.
3.Sleep:
Getting enough sleep is very essential to your health. Lack of good sleep can affect your appetite
and reduce your performance both mentally and physical. Not only that but poor sleep tends to lead to weight gain. People with poor sleeping habits have a disrupt in their appetite hormones (ghrelin which stimulates appetite and leptin which holds back appetite),which makes them prone to eating more foods heavy in calories.
There is an increased risk of type 2 diabetes because of its effects on blood sugar and a reduction of
insulin sensitivity.
Getting a good sleep improves concentration and performance. Poor sleep is known to impair brain function which is why children especially should get a good amount of sleep. Lack of good sleep leads to depression and affects the immune system.
4. Eat lots of Fruits and Vegetable:
Fruits and vegetables are packed with lots of minerals, vitamins and lots of antioxidants. Eating meals rich in fruits and vegetables helps lower blood pressure, can help prevent some type of cancer, decreases risk of stroke and heart ailment, keep digestion in check and give you a healthy appetite. There will be weight loss when you eat non-starchy vegetables and fruits such a apples and leafy greens.
By keeping chopped up fruits of different variety and color in a bowl in your refrigerator where you
can see them or creating a salad with the vegetables, you won’t be able to resist them.
Eating an average amount of fruits and vegetables daily, leads to a very low chance of one developing
cardiovascular disease, especially with leafy greens such as spinach and lettuce, along with citrus fruits
like limes, oranges and tangerine.
Cruciferous fruits and vegetables reduces the risk of breast cancer in women. They also help to
decrease the risk of diabetes and lead to weight loss. Fruits and vegetables contain fiber that are
indigestible which helps calm the bowels by triggering bowel movement and relieve constipation. Eye diseases like macular degeneration and cataracts,(which are both as a result of aging) can be prevented by eating fruits and vegetables.
5. Avoid Smoking:
Smoking is one major factor of health related disease. It leads to lung cancer, chest pains, coughs and asthma which in turn lead to death. Smoking affects the movement of blood in the body. This happens as a result of making the blood thicker.
It reduces the amount of oxygen flow by narrowing down the arteries, increases blood pressure, increases clot formation, which can cause a block in the arteries and veins along with making the heart over work, which can lead to heart failure.
A lot of heart related diseases such as stroke, heart attack and cerebrovascular diseases, which is as a result of damage to the arteries supplying blood to the brain, are all caused by smoking. The carbon monoxide from the smoke makes the heart work faster.
Smoking causes the skin to wrinkle and age quickly as it prevents oxygen from getting to the skin, makes
bones weak, causes stomach ulcer, cause brain damage as a result of rupture in the blood vessel wall and
reduces fertility. Smoking while pregnant leads to miscarriage or stillbirth in women.
All this can be avoided if you do not smoke at all, or if you do, try stopping and the longer you abstain
the lower the risk of any of these diseases happening becomes.
6. Eat Fish:
Fish is highly packed with proteins and contains healthy fat, eating fatty fish like salmon which contains
omega-3 fatty acids, can reduce the risk of heart diseases. Take into consideration that you should avoid dioxins and other contaminants.
They are fermented in the colon by the healthy beneficial bacteria. Gut microbiota are important for your health which is why they should be taken care of. A good way of doing that is by eating lots of fiber and
probiotics like yogurt.
Dietary fiber, which is the combination of both soluble fiber, which dissolves in water (oats, legumes and
fruits),and insoluble fiber, which does not dissolves in water (wheat and vegetables},helps with bowel movement.
By consuming these fibers there is a lower risk of constipation, but too much fiber leads to bloating and loose stooling. Fibers bulk up stool and absorb water.
8. Eat Eggs:
Eggs are extremely nutritious especially the yolk. Both the yolk and white are highly nutritious in
protein, mineral and vitamins. The yolk contains fat soluble vitamins and cholesterol. More than half of the
protein in an egg is found in the white with fats lower than the yolk and vitamin B2.Eggs contain vitamin D,
B6,B12 and minerals.
The yolk contains more fat and calories than the egg white and eggs are said to be a complete source of protein as they contain all the nine essential amino acids. Pregnant women are advised to eat eggs as it contains choline, which is essential for brain development and the vitamin D in it helps protect the bones.
9. Use Herbs and Spices:
Herbs and spices when used in cooking makes the meal tastier while at the same time boosting health. They have high anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects thereby reducing damage to the blood cells because of the phytochemicals they contain.
Chili pepper help increase metabolism and keep blood vessels healthy, cinnamon can be used as a replacement for sugar helping you cut down on risk of blood sugar along with fighting of bacteria, ginger helps to ease stomach upset and turmeric contains an antioxidant called curcumin, which reduces inflammation.
10. Avoid Overcooking or Burning Your Food:
When food is overcooked it becomes harder to digest and loss of nutrients. Burnt food contains carcinogenic substances which causes cancer. Only cook your meat until golden and not brown or burnt. It is also advised to marinate your meat in seasonings.
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