Paper Example on Nutrition: A Vital Key to a Healthy Lifestyle

Introduction

Unhealthy eating habits have contributed significantly to the obesity of many Americans. It is approximated that 33.8% of American adults and 17% of children are obese (Whitney & Rolfes, 2018). It makes nutrition one of the significant health issues that people should be concerned with to ensure they have a healthy lifestyle. Food affects how one's body works, grows, and heals. It ensures that the body has enough strength and energy to perform day to day tasks.

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Nutrition and its Importance

Nutrition refers to obtaining food needed by the body for growth and health (Whitney & Rolfes, 2018). It helps us understand how the body uses nutrients and the connection between health, diet, and diseases. Nutrients are essential for the body as they provide nourishment. Some of the vital nutrients needed by the body include minerals, proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates, fiber, fats, and water. Lack of proper nutrient balance leads to health complications. One importance of nutrition helps people to make dietary decisions by understanding what happens when one has a low intake or too much intake of a nutrient. Another importance of diet is that it is crucial in attaining the recommended weight and also helps to minimize the risk of chronic diseases such as cancer and heart diseases (Whitney & Rolfes, 2018).

Characteristics of Healthy Diet

A healthy diet does not involve starving oneself or following a strict nutrition guide. It simply means having a healthy lifestyle by making informed food choices. One should watch their fat intake, eat natural foods, watch portion size, take whole foods such as vegetables and fruits, and reducing processed foods in their diet (Whitney & Rolfes, 2018). The first characteristic of a healthy diet is portion control, which allows one to enjoy food healthily. One should always ensure they have the right intake of proteins, carbohydrates, and vitamins.

The second characteristic is that a healthy diet is low in processed foods. Highly processed foods such as pizza are unfit for human consumption as they have nutritional features that may be harmful to the body. A healthy diet should be high in fruits and vegetables as well as whole grains. Fruits and vegetables reduce the risk of having chronic diseases as they are high in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fibers. Whole grains reduce the risk of suffering from cardiovascular diseases such as stroke.

Two Factors that Impact a Person’s Food Choice

Nutrition is a complex issue, as several factors affect a person's food choices. The first factor is biological determinants, and it involves aspects such as hunger and satiety, taste and palatability (Leng et al., 2017). Macronutrients affect hunger and satiety differently. For example, protein is the most satiating, followed by carbohydrates, while fats are the least satiating (Leng et al., 2017). The pleasure that one derives from eating a particular food affects its palatability. The texture, smell, and taste of food are some of the aspects influencing palatability.

The second factor affecting a person's food choice is economic determinants, such as income and cost (Leng et al., 2017). The ability of a person to buy a particular food affects their food decision. Low-income people tend to have an unbalanced diet with a low intake of fruits and vegetables (Leng et al., 2017). It is worth noting that having a high income does not imply that one will have a more balanced diet as they may be afraid that their families may reject certain foods. Food accessibility is also crucial as it may be more expensive in cities than in villages.

Culture and Specific Food Restrictions

Various religions have dietary restrictions that should be respected and strictly observed. Considering Hinduism as a religion, specific traditional laws guide people in understanding their dietary restrictions. For example, one cannot have meat, eggs, fish, or poultry, although they can take dairy products (Kumar, 2012). Hindus are hence referred to as lacto-vegetarians (Kumar, 2012). There are also some restrictions on how food should be prepared. Fasting periods are also observed in Hinduism, where some are restricted to eating plant foods while others are stringent. In other religions such as Islam, certain foods are permitted and which are referred to as Halal. Kosher meals are allowed under Halal. Alcohol is the most substantial restriction in Islam. Also, Islam practices fasting in the holy month of Ramadhan, which is a form of food restriction.

The restrictions can hinder one from having a healthy diet as there is a limited intake of proteins as meat, eggs, and other significant sources of protein are restricted. Also, during the fasting period, one does not take the required food portion, which may reduce the energy needed by the body to function well. The method of preparing some food may also hinder one from gaining all the nutrients available in a particular food.

Several dietary alternatives may be incorporated to overcome dietary restrictions. Hinduism is based on the love for nature and living a simple life. Since they believe in having a vegetarian lifestyle, they can obtain their protein from crops that are rich in protein such as soya beans (Kumar, 2012). Another alternative is eating foods that do not require strict preparation methods to ensure they obtain the required nutrients from food. During the month of Ramadhan, Islam, people should ensure they eat a balanced diet after a day's fasting period is over.

References

Kumar, P. P. (2012). Food Restrictions and their Impact on South African Hindu Society with Special Reference to the Hare Krishna Movement in Chatsworth. The Oriental Anthropologist, 12(2), 415-429.

Leng, G., Adan, R. A., Belot, M., Brunstrom, J. M., de Graaf, K., Dickson, S. L., ... & Reisch, L. A. (2017). The determinants of food choice. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 76(3), 316-327.

Whitney, E. N., & Rolfes, S. R. (2018). Understanding nutrition. Cengage Learning.