The Life-changing Benefits of Finding the Right Diet for You
The fact that it is important to be mindful of your nutrition might seem obvious. Sometimes, though, when we are given a piece of advice so many times, it can be easy to forget what the purpose of it was in the first place. On top of that, nutrition has not exactly been a priority in the public education system. The National Center for Education Statistics says that in each grade from kindergarten through eighth, only 50% of all schools have district or state requirements for students to receive nutrition education. Furthermore, only 40% of those schools have requirements for the 9th and 10th grade, and only 20% have requirements for 11th and 12th grade. Keeping this in mind, it is fair to say that if you are unclear about what exactly nutrition means for your body, you are not alone.
When it comes to good nutrition, the key is to eat a healthy and balanced diet. This can look different from person to person; there is no “one size fits all” magic spell. Some people do well on a raw diet, while others would feel weak without having cooked food available. Some people swear by cutting meat out of their diet, while others find that their immune system suffers in attempting this. It is all about finding the right diet that works for your body and gives you optimal energy levels. When you find the right nutrition plan for you, you will be able to reap amazing benefits, including:
- Reduced risk of some diseases like heart disease, diabetes, stroke, certain cancers, and osteoporosis
Healthy diets increase “good” cholesterol called high-density lipoprotein and decrease unhealthy triglycerides.
- Reduced levels of high blood pressure
Eating a diet that is rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dietary products can lower blood pressure by up to 11mm Hg. When a doctor takes your blood pressure, it is expressed as a measurement with this type of number that refers to the amount of pressure in your arteries during the contraction of your heart muscle.
- Lower cholesterol
As previously mentioned, a diet full of fruits and vegetables can give important cholesterol-lowering compounds to the body. Most experts say it takes between three to six months to see lower LDL numbers through diet and exercise.
How to Find the Best Diet for You
Although each person needs slightly different foods to help them feel their best, most of the best diets have a lot in common. Two of the most highly ranked diets on the U.S. news list are the DASH and the Mediterranean diet. Both of these diets incorporate lots of fruit, veggies, and whole grains, while also incorporating some amounts of egg, poultry, and dairy. Neither of these diets incorporate excessive amounts of sweets, sugary drinks, or red meat.
It is also important to pick a diet that works well with your lifestyle. If your diet is not sustainable, it will be difficult to maintain your results. When thinking about how you want to approach your diet, it is important to ask yourself what you enjoy eating, what your eating patterns are, and what kind of diet makes sense for your life. Asking these questions will also help you evaluate what matters most to you in terms of your health, and this sort of mindfulness is essential to your long-term success.
Most importantly, it is important to look for a safe, effective, and sustainable program. That is why at Soza Weight Loss, we have developed a comprehensive stabilization phase that is included in our weight loss package. This phase enables our patients to transition into a new way of life while eating delicious foods and maintaining weight loss. It also teaches our patients to monitor their body’s responses to certain foods and find a balanced approach to eating that can carry them throughout their lives.
How Do You Fix Poor Nutrition?
If you are well-nourished, your body will thank you by functioning as it should. When you are eating well, it shows on the inside and outside, improving physical and mental health. Overnutrition and malnutrition are two common states that arise when an individual is not eating properly. The risk of overnutrition is increased by being more than 20% overweight and consuming a diet high in fat and salt. Undernutrition, on the other hand, is not as common in the US, although 1% of children in the U.S. suffer from chronic malnutrition. Malnutrition occurs when a lack of essential nutrients is consumed or when they are digested more rapidly than they can be replaced. For example, when an individual eats poorly, does not exercise, or does not take the vitamins their body needs, they can suffer from malnutrition.
When people find themselves in a state of poor nutrition, whether it is malnutrition or overnutrition, it is usually due to health issues and poor eating habits. However, a variety of health issues can affect your appetite, which affects your nutrition as well. Causes of loss of appetite include pregnancy, metabolism problems, chronic liver disease, COPD, dementia, HIV, hepatitis, hypothyroidism, chronic kidney failure, heart failure, and drug use. Some health issues can also increase the appetite, like anxiety, diabetes, Graves disease, hyperthyroidism, hypoglycemia, and premenstrual syndrome. If you are suffering from one of these conditions, it is important to consider how the side effects might be impacting your nutritional habits when you work to fix poor nutrition.
The common thread here is that each body is different, and listening to your body’s needs truly matters when addressing the issue of poor nutrition. If you are not sure where to start, one of the best ways is to identify and remove nutritional deficiencies.
A study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition analyzed the dietary deficiencies of 70 athletes. The study found that every single diet was deficient in at least three nutrients, the most common of which being iodine, vitamin D, zinc, vitamin E, and calcium. If even talented athletes who are mindful of their health have deficiencies, it is probable that the average person does too, which is why discovering what your body is lacking and addressing it is a healthy step on the road to being well-nourished.
After this, the biggest job will be to adjust the food intake and the type of foods you are consuming until you find your body’s “happy place.” At Soza Weight Loss, we have put together a healthy living program that serves to help individuals of all ages improve their overall health and wellness. We address any underlying symptoms that make you feel less healthy than you could. We will help you discover what your body is missing, so you can start giving yourself what you deserve.
To learn more about how Soza Weight Loss can help get your nutrition on track, call us at (504) 475-9817 or contact us online.