Is your plate really healthy? Let's get to know the real deal about nutrition!

We all eat several meals a day. It's normal to eat when we're hungry. But have you ever thought about how much more valuable this "eating" is than just something you do to fill your stomach? In fact, the food we eat is like medicine for our body. This nutrition is a pillar of strength that protects us from diseases, gives us the energy to do our daily work, and makes us happy. So today, let's talk, simply, about this topic of nutrition.

Simply put, what is nutrition?

Nutrition refers to the entire process of absorbing the nutrients our body needs from the food we eat and drink and using them to maintain the body. Think of our body as a vehicle. Just as a vehicle needs gasoline to run, our body needs energy to work. That energy comes from food. Also, the vehicle needs things like engine oil and coolant to keep the engine running smoothly. Similarly, each organ and system in our body needs things like vitamins and minerals to function properly. When all of this comes together, we are said to be "well-nourished."

The value of good nutrition goes beyond just providing energy. Research has shown that proper nutrition can reduce the risk of developing serious diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and stroke . Whether you have a cold or are recovering from surgery, good nutrition can help you recover. Today, experts are even looking into the impact of nutrition on mental health.

What are these nutrients?

The nutrients in the food we eat can be divided into two main categories. Just like the special forces and support units of our army. Both are very important.

1. Macronutrients: These are the main nutrients that our body needs the most and provide energy. These are like the foundation of our body.

2. Micronutrients: These are vitamins and minerals that the body needs in small amounts, but are essential.

In addition to these two, water is also an essential nutrient that we cannot do without. Water is what carries these nutrients throughout the body and carries oxygen to the cells.

Macronutrients - Our energy sources

These are the main groups that give our bodies the energy to function on a daily basis.

• Carbohydrates: Simply put, starch, sugar, and fiber are our main sources of energy. Carbohydrates are commonly found in foods like rice, bread, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and noodles.
• Proteins: These are the building blocks of the body. Proteins are essential for building muscle, healing wounds, and regulating hormone function. We get proteins from foods like meat, fish, eggs, milk, lentils, chickpeas, and green beans.
• Lipids: These are fats and oils. They store energy and help the body absorb some vitamins. However, it is not good to take more of these than necessary. Foods like coconut oil, cashews, peanuts, avocados, and dairy products contain lipids.

Micronutrients - Small but valuable

We need these in small amounts, like milligrams or micrograms. But a deficiency in any one of these can cause serious health problems. These fall into two categories: vitamins and minerals.

Vitamins

These help our body do many things, such as maintaining proper metabolism and resisting disease.

Minerals

These are also essential for various processes in the body.

The five main food groups

A balanced diet is made up of all the nutrients we discussed earlier, and it includes five main food groups.

• Milk and dairy foods
• Fruit
• Cereals
• Proteins (meat, fish, legumes, nuts)
• Vegetables

Think about your plate. If it has rice (grain), lentil soup (protein), a piece of fish (protein), a green leafy vegetable (vegetable), and a banana (fruit) after the meal, it's pretty much a balanced meal.

How nutritional needs change with age

This nutrition is like balancing a scale. These needs change throughout our lives. A small baby doesn't need the nutrition that a young person needs. It changes even more as we get older.

Nutrition for young children

For the first six months, a baby gets almost all the nutrients they need from breast milk or formula. After six months, we start giving complementary foods. This is where many mothers have questions about what to give and how to give it. The best thing to do is to seek advice from your baby's pediatrician. In general, preparing meals that include all five food groups mentioned above is best for a child's healthy development.

Nutrition for adults

The concept of the five food groups is the same for adults, but there are slight differences in the needs of women and men.

• Women generally need more iron than men because iron is lost from the body with blood during menstruation . Also, iron deficiency during pregnancy and childbirth can lead to anemia.
• Men may need things like vitamin B5 a little more than women do, because vitamin B5 helps with muscle growth, and men generally have more muscle mass.

Once we reach the age of 65, our nutritional needs change again. Due to the medications we take or due to illnesses, we may lose our appetite . Then, as the amount we eat decreases, the nutrition we receive also decreases. At this age, it is very important to pay more attention to foods rich in vitamin D and calcium to keep our bones strong .

Some medical conditions that affect nutrition

There are some diseases that directly affect our nutrition.

• Cancer Cachexia: When you have cancer, your metabolism speeds up, burning more energy than you consume. This causes your body to become emaciated.
• Depression: A person with depression may lose interest in preparing and eating food.
• Difficulty swallowing (Dysphagia): A person with this condition has difficulty swallowing certain foods, which can cause them to miss out on essential nutrients.
• Malabsorption Syndrome: This is when our intestines are unable to properly absorb the nutrients in our food.

These conditions can lead to macronutrient undernutrition and micronutrient undernutrition , both of which are types of malnutrition.

What is the difference between Calories and Nutrients?

These are both ways of measuring what we eat, but there is a difference.

• A calorie is a unit of energy. Calories measure how much energy our body gets from food.
• Nutrients are chemicals necessary for the body to function.

Simply put, a liter of gasoline is like a calorie in a car. But the octane rating, or quality, of that gasoline is like a nutrient. We need both energy (calories) and good performance (nutrients).

Who can I get help from if I have questions about nutrition?

If you have any concerns or questions about your nutrition, the best and safest thing to do is to talk to your family doctor (doctor). He or she can give you the advice you need based on your health condition. They may also refer you to a dietitian who specializes in this area.

There's a saying that goes, "You are what you eat." While it's not 100% true, there's a lot of truth to it. The foods we eat and drink, the nutrients we put into our bodies, have a direct impact on our physical and mental health. So think about your plate. See if it's giving you energy and helping you stay healthy.

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