Wellness covers a wide range of states of being. These include psychological, emotional, and physical states. The popular saying that “food is medicine” is quite fitting. Food is not only good for the body but for the soul, too. A healthy diet prevents malnutrition and some Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) [1].
How we choose to nourish our bodies affects how we work throughout the day. We always want to feel our best so we can effectively execute our tasks at work and at home with our friends and families. The last thing you want is to feel lethargic, especially when in situations that require utmost focus.
To avoid the midafternoon slump, when fatigue mostly creeps, health experts recommend eating a small lunch and avoiding refined sugar and white starch.[2] Refined sugar and white starch cause blood sugar to spike, which causes a temporary rise in energy followed by lethargy.
Hydration is important for our well-being and is something most people forget to prioritise. How much water does one need to consume in a day? Eight glasses of plain water are recommended, without including other sources of hydration. Drinking water has numerous benefits, such as regulating body temperature, protecting organs and tissues, and carrying nutrients and oxygen to cells, among others. If you have a hard time meeting your daily water requirements, try setting an alarm on any of your smart devices to remind you to drink some.
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advocates for the following ways to nourish your body[3]. The first is to increase fibre intake to aid digestion, keep the feeling of fullness longer, control blood sugar and lower cholesterol levels. When working, sometimes we feel the urge to snack frequently, and those snacks leave us wanting more. Having a breakfast full of fibre keeps one fuller for longer, and reduces the need to eat between meals.
Another recommendation is to increase calcium and vitamin D consumption. These two work together to improve bone health. Lack of or inadequate calcium and vitamin D in the body can put one at risk of osteoporosis in the future [4]. Our bodies can make vitamin D from the sun, so scheduling a morning or evening walk benefits our bone health. Vitamin D from the sun is not enough for your body; make sure you are eating food like eggs and fish, which are rich in it.
Reducing the amount of sugar, sodium and saturated fats in the diet is important. This is because these three are linked to NCDs such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol when taken in large amounts. After a long day of work, it is common, for most people to feel that preparing a meal is difficult. A quicker solution towards access to sustenance is by ordering fast food. The majority of fast food is full of saturated fat, sodium, and some have large amounts of sugar. To avoid falling into temptation, preparing enough food for the week lets you make healthier food choices.
The food choices you make impact the quality of your life. Some of the bad choices may feel good in the moment, but when repeated, they become harmful. Make decisions you will not regret and that your body will reward you for it.
[1] https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/healthy-diet
[2]https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/eating-to-boost-energy#:~:text=The%20tried%2Dand%2Dtrue%20advice,depleted%20and%20craving%20more%20sweets.
[3] https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/features/healthy-eating-tips.html
[4]https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/osteoporosis/osteoporosis-what-you-need-to-know-as-you-ag