You are what you Eat: Really?

Posted at March 15, 2009

Health Series

The food you eat determines your state of mind and health. A healthy body that is well nourished equips you with energy to take on challenges in life. What you eat will often determine your emotional state, energy level and body image. If you eat the right kind of foods, you will protect yourself from disease and get an edge in life. You are what you eat.

Nutrition Basics

There are seven major classes of nutrients: carbohydrates, fats, fiber, minerals, protein, vitamins, and water. Just like your biology teacher said, you need to eat a healthy balanced diet with all classes of nutrients to support life.

Poor diet can have an injurious impact on health, causing deficiency diseases such as scurvy, beriberi, and kwashiorkor; health-threatening conditions like obesity and metabolic syndrome, and diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis. (Wikipedia)

Nutritional science investigates the metabolic and physiological responses of the body to diet. Great strides have been made in the last century about the impact of food on our bodies. At a minimum, you should familiarize yourself with the basics of nutrition to ensure that you are feeding your body with the right kind of foods.

Body Mass Index (BMI)

BMI is a measure of weight proportionate to height. BMI is calculated by dividing a person’s weight (in kilograms) by his or her height (in meters, squared).

BMI is the most widely used diagnostic tool to identify weight problem within a population including: underweight, overweight and obesity. You can learn more about BMI from this Wikipedia Page.

Calculating your BMI is a useful first point of nutrition, dieting and exercise programs. It helps you determine if you need to lose weight, or gain weight. There are many free online BMI calculators. For example this page.

Calorie Counting

A calorie is the unit of measure for the amount of energy released when the body breaks down food. It is the measure of energy value of food. Not all foods are created equal. Some foods have higher calorie density than others. For example, chocolates have a very high calorie density. Fruits and vegetables have lower calorie density.

There are many online calculators for the recommended daily calorie intake. Eating more than your recommended daily calorie intake will make you add weight.

The amount of food that you eat per day (intake) minus the amount of energy that you burn through daily activities and exercise (output) equals your net calories.

Metabolism Rate

Metabolism is the sum of all the chemical and physical changes that take place in your body to keep it growing and functioning. People have different metabolism rates, and that is why some people eat a whole lot without gaining weight proportionately.

If you need to lose weight, boosting your metabolism rate is a great way of burning stored fat. You can boost your metabolism rate by building muscles, exercising and the choice of foods you take. Foods that are high in dietary fiber are great for boosting metabolism rate.

Emotional Eating

Emotional eating means eating in response to emotions instead of hunger pangs. When people are happy they rush for their favorite dish. When lonely they run for another dish.  Emotional eating, unlike hunger eating comes very suddenly. You get to feel like you need that kind of food right now. Emotional eating may leave feelings of guilt especially for people trying to control their weight.

Food Cravings & Habits

Pregnant women experience food cravings as a result of their body working 24/7 to feed two or three people (in case of twins). The cravings may signal the lack of certain nutrients in the body and as such, they should eat what their body craves.

Some food cravings are not driven by any dietary requirements. They are driven by taste, texture, color, aroma and temperature.  In Kenya (where I and President Obama’s father came from), many people experience the craving for “Nyama Choma” (roast meat), after the first beer. Passing by a “Nyama Choma” joint produces an instant craving based on the aroma. We need to be careful about eating just because of cravings as opposed to nourishment.

Binge Eating

I know someone who was expelled from an “All You Can Eat“ restaurant. Yes. Expelled!

Some people eat too much food. Too much of anything is poisonous. Binge eating is when a person rapidly consumes an excessive amount of food. It also means eating an unusually large amount of food at one time — more than a normal person would eat in the same amount of time. Avoid binge eating at all costs.

See Food Diet

Some people cannot resist the sight or aroma of food. They see it, they want it. They smell it they want it.

Having a controlled eating habit is a good way of avoiding “see food diets”. Determine in advance what you are going to eat during the day instead of reacting to what the world or fridge presents. Many “see food dieters” are easily influenced by advertisements and commercials about food.

Fast Food Diet

Fast food joints are a first stop for many “See food dieters”. Fast food joints (Junk Food Joints) have perfected the art of food advertising and appealing to impulses of millions.

I remember one of our teachers in high school telling us that “junk food = junk brain”. Of course at the time, his views did not resonate with us students. Having junk food, in our opinion, beat the crappy school food on all counts. There was nothing as enjoyable as eating “Luthuli Chips” when everyone else was rushing to the school dinning hall. Do you find yourself loving junk food instead of healthier food choices? I know the feeling.

Healthy Recipes

Instead of eating fast foods you should create a few healthy recipes. There are many recipe ideas on the net but in general make sure that your recipe reflects your body’s nutritional requirements.

If you are planning to lose weight, have a healthy recipe that is low in fat, high in fibre and low in calorie density.

Summary

I have only scratched the surface on this wide and fascinating topic of food and nutrition. It is something that we do a few times a day. It is surprising that many people do not pay attention to what they eat and the implications to their long term health. Paying attention on what you consume will have a big impact on your level of success in your physical health and wellness.

I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas on how food impacts our lives, or if you have any handy tips for maintaining proper diet, losing weight, gaining muscle and fighting disease through healthy eating.

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