Year in and year out, the number one thing that everyone says is “Next year I am going to start prioritizing my health!”. This is an incredibly important goal as a person’s health is of utmost importance. However, many people struggle to achieve proper nutrition in their everyday lives. Contrary to what you may think, this is often not because of a failure to work out, but rather because they are not dieting correctly.
Here are Top Ten Reasons to Make Good Nutrition a Priority
Because Nutrition is a baseline of every body cell and its normal physiological functioning, nutrition services should be prioritised in order to step up and curb the nutrition gaps.
1. Good Nutrition Prevents Disease, especially non Communicable diseases.
Disease prevention is one of the greatest benefits of prioritizing good nutrition. Good nutrition ensures that your body has the nutrients it needs to function properly, which includes fighting of disease such as Diabetes, Coronary heart disease and cardiovascular diseases. Every year, NCDs kill 41 million people, and contribute to 74% of the global mortality burden. According to research conducted in March 31 2021.
2. Good Nutrition breaks malnutrition on all ages.
Uganda has an enormous burden of nutrition with over 29% of children aged 6-59 months stunted (short for their age), 4% wasted (thin for their height), 11% underweight (low weight for their age), and another 4% overweight (high weight for their age), according to the 2016 Uganda Demographic survey.
This is due to poor exclusive breastfeeding below 6 months, mixed feeding and lack of nutrition guidance on priority feeding methods to children.
3. Good Nutrition Improves normal physiological functionality of the body.
Good nutrition is essential to keeping current and future generations healthy across the lifespan. A healthy diet helps children grow and develop properly and reduces their risk of chronic diseases. Adults who eat a healthy diet live longer and have a lower risk of obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers. Healthy eating can help people with chronic illnesses manage these conditions and avoid complications.
4. Good Nutrition Increases Energy and immunity.
A balanced diet, as well as exercise, helps your body relax and sleep easier. Sleep is a huge part of keeping your body healthy, as when you sleep, your body starts to repair itself. This is how muscles are formed. You work out, which breaks the muscles down, then when you sleep, your body takes the good nutrients you have given it to repair the body and build muscle.
5. Good Nutrition Improves Self-Worth
This is a huge aspect of life as it has such an impact on relationships, work, and how you feel about yourself. Naturally, we tend to feel better about ourselves when our body feels good. The best way to do this is by feeding your body what it needs. When your body has all the nutrients it needs, it can function optimally, providing you with energy and a good-to-go feeling.
6. Good nutrition Improves reproductive health outcomes.
Women tend to get pregnant when young and have low birth-weight babies, which predisposes children to malnutrition. Repeated childhood infections such as diarrhoea and low breastfeeding rates also lead to wasting and stunting. Families are either too poor, or do not know how, to give their children a healthy diet.
7. Good Nutrition Offers Independence
How does independence change with nutrition? Well, a proper diet will ensure that you do not need the help of any others to do any task. Individuals who overlook good nutrition for quick and easy junk food can end up becoming so unhealthy that they need assistance to do simple things, such as going grocery shopping or even driving.
8. Good Nutrition Supports Local Business
This is a strange one right? How can eating healthier help local businesses? Well, the best food for you is the freshest food available. This means that shopping at stores or farmers’ markets that serve local, fresh produce is the best. If you choose to add other healthy mental and physical habits into your routine, you can also help local gyms and therapists.
9. Good Nutrition Supports Food Culture
When you choose to start prioritizing good nutrition, you are welcoming a wide range of culture into your life. However, bringing in other culture’s food can help you achieve your goals
10. Good Nutrition Positively Impacts Those Around You
We all have seen someone or know of someone who changed their life by starting to exercise regularly and by prioritizing a good diet. Their transformation is inspiring, and their positive outlook on the change can impact those around them. Maybe you have a friend or family that has the same struggle with health as you do. Choosing to prioritize good nutrition, along with exercise, may not only change your life for the better but can for them too.
Start Prioritizing Good Nutrition Today!
You can also go talk with a nutritionist for tips on getting started on your journey towards good nutrition. They will be able to analyze your current diet and give suggestions on what you need to add or cut back on. If you are seriously lacking in certain nutrients, you can also consider added health and wellness supplements.
Authored by Kamara Daniel Clinical and Community Nutritionist
Socials: @KamaraDaniel3 | 0789407848 WhatsApp.
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