Nutrition is More than just Weight Loss!

Usually, if a friend or family member asks me a question it has to do with weight loss. If my answer involves anything other than taking off a few pounds or my take on the latest diet craze they don’t want to hear it. After that, the discussion ends. It makes me sad in some ways. Nutrition is about so much more than weight. Even ”skinny” people can be missing out on important nutrients. What we eat has the power to impact our health in so many ways. What we eat can help to prevent (or at least delay the onset of) diseases like some cancers, heart disease and diabetes. Eating a variety of healthful foods can help promote healthy aging. It can keep you skin looking young and vibrant. Eating the right foods can keep your bones strong and help to prevent fractures (and I don’t just mean milk.) Choosing a variety of healthful foods can help you to maintain healthy vision and prevent problems like macular degeneration. The right variety of foods can strengthen your immune system and help you to prevent the recurring colds and illnesses. The nutrients in food can even protect your body from damage for external things like pollution, smoke, and even “junk food.” Getting the right nutrients can even help you to fight fatigue and that tired feeling that we all feel every so often. Nourishing your body the right way is key to a healthy life. But, most of us forget how powerful food can be.

The food you put in your body can also influence the impact of chronic diseases. Making healthful choices that are appropriate for different health conditions like diabetes, kidney disease and liver disease can help people to feel better, live longer and ultimately have a better quality of life.

Unfortunately for most people, the thought of eating to be healthy is a foreign concept. We eat because it tastes good. We eat for fun. We eat because we are bored. We eat because we are stressed. We eat out of habit. We DON’T eat because we want to lose weight. We assume that we have to make a choice to give up everything that we love about food for health.

Maybe people don’t want to hear what I have to say because they assume I am going to give them long list of all of their favorite foods to avoid. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. Good nutrition is not about focusing on all of the foods that we “shouldn’t” eat. Instead, good nutrition is about focusing on all of the foods we should eat!