What You Eat becomes You!!!

Growing up, I have heard the saying that “You are what you eat”. How true is this statement?

Well, the human body is constantly undergoing processes of growth and repair. These processes require a lot of energy. Most of the energy that is utilised by the body is provided from the foods we eat and drink. Let’s do some bit of terminologies here: have you heard of the word ATP?

This is Adenosine Triphosphate. ATP is needed by the body for a lot of chemical processes which are needed for the normal functioning of the body. ATP is mostly obtained from the food we eat through a lot of biochemical processes. Therefore, what you eat daily ultimately influences the type of energy, minerals and nutrients that become readily available to you. The energy and nutrients obtained from your dietary intakes ultimately influence the overall wellbeing and health outcomes of your body. Therefore, if people do not eat properly, their bodies do not grow healthily.

When people are not consuming the needed nutrients that are required by the body and in the right amounts, two things happen. In both ways, the individual is considered as malnourished and this could be either undernourished or over-nourished. In the first instance, when a person is not meeting the daily energy requirements, the undernourished individual is unable to obtain the energy and other vital substances that are needed for effective growth. In children, it happens that they end up becoming too short for their age which called stunting or too lean for their height and this is termed as wasting. It is therefore important that parents take their children to a trusted paediatric centre and have their growth patterns monitored regularly.

On the other hand, too much caloric intake from food can lead to excess weight gain resulting in overweight and obesity. Nutritional malnourishment occurs across all age groups, both the young and the old.

It is necessary to know the quality of food you eat daily and therefore you need to check the nutritional information on the foods you buy. The next time you go into the grocery store, instead of buying on impulse and buying food items based on appetite and cravings, do well to use your food list and go a step further by looking at the ingredients that the food products contain. Furthermore, look up the energy available to you on the labels and be well informed of the ingredients make up the food you eat. You need to constantly pay attention to the nutritional content of what you eat because, when you eat healthily, your body will grow well and not give you much health problems in the end.

So, eat well, buy wisely and grow healthy. Here are some tips to help inform your food purchases at the grocery store.

Check the nutrition label

Nutrition labels provide information regarding the ingredients that have been included in making the product. This informs you, the consumer, so you will know whether it is suitable for your nutritional need. You should pay particular attention to food labels especially if you are prone to allergic reactions from food. Food labels also provide information of about the calories available to you per serving when the food product is consumed.

Take a quick look at the energy profile
You need to know the energy available to you from the food you frequently consume. Knowledge of the calories per serving will help you to decide on the portion size and which foods to include to make a complete well-balanced meal. You need to read wide and be able to understand caloric information about the foods you eat. If you have no idea of your daily energy requirements, kindly consult your nutrition professional for expert and well-tailored advice.

Check the expiry date

The issue of expiry date may sound trivial and obvious to take note of. Most people and more especially those in the developing countries, tend to purchase food items without checking the date of expiry of the food product. Knowing the expiry date helps you to plan and decide on how and when to consume and also store the product. It also prevents you from purchasing a product that may have already gone bad in the shop.

So if I may ask, are you eating healthy foods daily? What modifications are you making to improve on your daily dietary habits? Keep your comments and responses coming in.
#Pearlie