Do you live to eat or eat to live? Eating is part of your daily activities. As the soul requires spiritual nourishment, the body needs the physical one, which is the role of food in your body.
Before you decide to sit and eat that fries or popcorn or order your favorite meal, it’s good to take time to think of the importance of what you are eating.
Don’t eat for the sake of eating but understand why you have to eat.
Here are obvious reasons why you eat
- To get the energy that supports body functions
- To repair worn out tissues
- Replenish dead cells
- To get the right nutrients responsible for different body functions
- To nourish the skin
- To maintain good physical and emotional health
Despite the numerous benefits when you also don’t take a keen interest in what goes to your mouth, you may end up with serious health challenges, which include
- Weight gain
- Deficiency syndromes
- Risk of lifestyle diseases
- Poor dental health
- Uncontrolled emotions
With all these in mind, whether you choose to overeat or under eat. These are some of the things you need to consider before you put something into your mouth.
- The number of calories
Calories are important to keep the body functions operating at optimum levels. When you consume more than what the body needs, the excess one is stored as body fat, promoting weight gain.
Carbohydrates have the highest number of calories as much as they play the bodybuilding function.
Therefore, always know the number of calories you need in a day and eat with that in mind to not surpass the figure.
An average adult female needs 1600-2400 calories in a day. The amount is slightly higher for males, but this also depends on age and daily physical activities.
- The nutritional value of the meal
What do you gain from the foods you consume? You need to eat for the nutrients that are contained in it.
The quantity of the meal is not important, but the quality is what dictates its significance. Eat food category plays special functions and has different nutritional components.
Taking potatoes and bread is detrimental, for you only get to have carbohydrates.
You need to have vegetables, proteins, minerals, and fat. Here are the functions of the food category
- Carbohydrates: for energy
- Fats: Ideal for soluble vitamins
- Proteins: for the repair of worn-out tissues
Other foods that are important for our body include water and fiber.
- The health standards of the meal
Not everything in the market is meant for your consumption. Some are there for commercial purposes.
Therefore, before you decide to buy something, you need to check the health standards you consume.
Some of the questions you need to ask include
- What is the nutritional value of the foods?
- How are the meals prepared?
- Do you know the level of cleanliness in the food preparation?
- What are some of the chemicals used?
- How healthy are the chemicals used?
- Are there any physical hazards in the foods?
- The negative effects on your health
Age and your body needs determine the kind of foods you should eat. People diagnosed with low sugar levels might need to take sugary foods compared to people with high blood sugar levels.
Therefore as you take a meal, consider the negative effects specific to your body. This requires a physician; for example, you may have to avoid acidic foods to prevent adverse effects when you have ulcers.
Ideally, you need to take food from all the food categories because they have specific nutrients.
Carbohydrates, proteins, and vitamins are the main food sources that you should miss in your meal.
The effect should be the quantity. Half your plate should be vegetables; the rest of the half should be divided between the other two.
Fruits and water are a must, and they may not have a specific quantity. Vary the fruits based on color to maximize the nutritional content.
Always look out for deficiency symptoms before it takes a toll on your physical health.
- Are there other healthy options?
If you crave fries, definitely the fat content may be detrimental to your health. What else can you do to stop the craving?
Are there other food options? Where possible, go for other healthy options. No one has ever died because of food cravings or even fasting. At any one point, always eat what is healthy and nutritious based on your body’s needs.
Saturated fat is detrimental, and that’s why a grill works well to reduce the fat content to healthy levels.
The enclosure is important so you can use last longer. The charcoal grill also helps reduce fat and enhance the taste, which is good for perfect smoke flavor.
- Nutritionists’ advice
The foods might not be sufficient in terms of nutritional needs. At one point, you may be forced to use supplements to cover up for the deficient nutrients.
Do that under doctors/nutritionists’ advice t prevent an overload. For example, you may seem anemic and choose to take iron supplements? Do you know the adverse effects of iron overload?
- Any adverse reactions and allergies
Not all foods are good for your health. Some have allergies, while others react to foods like meat.
Therefore, you have to consider that and any other things with similar nutrients that may cause such a reaction.
Take time and not only pop something in your mouth but let it add value to your emotional and physical health.
