Third rule - nutrition is vital to us all
“Nutrition is vital to us all” - so there’s a banal statement if ever there was one, but I think it is one that needs to be said. We have all been told at sometime that ‘we are what we eat’ but rarely does that register on a level that directs what we select to eat at the end of a long and tiring day. Strangely enough, this is especially so with people who really ought to be paying attention, namely those who are pushing themselves, physically or mentally or both.
So to recap - why is what we eat and drink important? Well, firstly, you are quite literally what you eat, and if you eat certain types of junk, it will end up built into you! The surface of your skin is replaced every week, the red cells in your blood stream every six, and the walls of your arteries and veins every 6 months. That does not happen by magic, it is built out of what you consume, and although your body is pretty cunning, it is not going to filter out all the rubbish. What’s more, even with food controls so strict that chocolate, alcohol and sugar would probably never get approval now, processed food can have a whole lot of junk in it. The worst additives are colourings, nitrates and mono-sodium glutamate (MSG), and even the most assiduous of packet watchers will not necessarily spot them all (see for list of side effects http://interactive.usask.ca/ski/agriculture/food/foodnut/constit/constit_add4.html). Did you know that ‘yeast extract’ is another name for MSG? Well neither did I until recently – so the answer is cook it yourself.
Secondly, shortages of basic vitamins and minerals can be easy to pick up with a modern life style. The jury is still out, believe it or not, on whether vitamin and mineral supplements work (http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/08/03/news/snvitamin.php). Getting your vitamins and minerals from your food does work, but many of the key vitamins are very fragile. They will ‘denature’ or become ineffective over 40 degrees C, and over time or when exposed to the air, will oxidise and become inactive. Pre-preparation and supermarket storage policies make it surprisingly difficult to buy food that is genuinely ‘fresh’ and as vitamin rich as when it was harvested. So, it is quite possible that you have a vitamin deficiency, and the side effects of those are pretty grim, mood swings, poor attention span, depressed immune system, fatigue, all of these are common symptoms of vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
Thirdly, there is plenty of evidence that your nutrition and body weight will have a serious impact on your longevity. A low body weight is good for protecting against certain cancers, while a slightly higher than recommended body weight indicates the greatest longevity for middle aged men. What’s more – the aging process is primarily oxidation led – certain vitamins and minerals, known as anti-oxidants can protect against that. In an ever more sheltered life where the biggest killers are not accidents, but cancer, heart attacks and suicide it seems sensible to pay attention to what will keep us around in good shape for longer (link).
Fourthly, although touched on at various points, the profound effect of food on mood is worth flagging in itself. Low or large swings in the level of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and fluid can all lead to feelings of depression, weakness, fatigue and similar debilitating symptoms. Whenever you are feeling out of sorts the first question you should ask yourself is “how well am I eating”, the next of course being “how well am I sleeping”.
http://www.bda.uk.com/Downloads/Food%20and%20Mood%20-%20May%202006.pdf
Finally, we need food to function quite literally, your muscles need water, oxygen and glycogen, your brain needs water, certain minerals and glycogen also. Food and water are fuel for your body, fail to pay attention to the supply of these and you shouldn’t be surprised if your body and mind don’t quite ‘go’ the way you’d like!
So to recap - why is what we eat and drink important? Well, firstly, you are quite literally what you eat, and if you eat certain types of junk, it will end up built into you! The surface of your skin is replaced every week, the red cells in your blood stream every six, and the walls of your arteries and veins every 6 months. That does not happen by magic, it is built out of what you consume, and although your body is pretty cunning, it is not going to filter out all the rubbish. What’s more, even with food controls so strict that chocolate, alcohol and sugar would probably never get approval now, processed food can have a whole lot of junk in it. The worst additives are colourings, nitrates and mono-sodium glutamate (MSG), and even the most assiduous of packet watchers will not necessarily spot them all (see for list of side effects http://interactive.usask.ca/ski/agriculture/food/foodnut/constit/constit_add4.html). Did you know that ‘yeast extract’ is another name for MSG? Well neither did I until recently – so the answer is cook it yourself.
Secondly, shortages of basic vitamins and minerals can be easy to pick up with a modern life style. The jury is still out, believe it or not, on whether vitamin and mineral supplements work (http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/08/03/news/snvitamin.php). Getting your vitamins and minerals from your food does work, but many of the key vitamins are very fragile. They will ‘denature’ or become ineffective over 40 degrees C, and over time or when exposed to the air, will oxidise and become inactive. Pre-preparation and supermarket storage policies make it surprisingly difficult to buy food that is genuinely ‘fresh’ and as vitamin rich as when it was harvested. So, it is quite possible that you have a vitamin deficiency, and the side effects of those are pretty grim, mood swings, poor attention span, depressed immune system, fatigue, all of these are common symptoms of vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
Thirdly, there is plenty of evidence that your nutrition and body weight will have a serious impact on your longevity. A low body weight is good for protecting against certain cancers, while a slightly higher than recommended body weight indicates the greatest longevity for middle aged men. What’s more – the aging process is primarily oxidation led – certain vitamins and minerals, known as anti-oxidants can protect against that. In an ever more sheltered life where the biggest killers are not accidents, but cancer, heart attacks and suicide it seems sensible to pay attention to what will keep us around in good shape for longer (link).
Fourthly, although touched on at various points, the profound effect of food on mood is worth flagging in itself. Low or large swings in the level of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and fluid can all lead to feelings of depression, weakness, fatigue and similar debilitating symptoms. Whenever you are feeling out of sorts the first question you should ask yourself is “how well am I eating”, the next of course being “how well am I sleeping”.
http://www.bda.uk.com/Downloads/Food%20and%20Mood%20-%20May%202006.pdf
Finally, we need food to function quite literally, your muscles need water, oxygen and glycogen, your brain needs water, certain minerals and glycogen also. Food and water are fuel for your body, fail to pay attention to the supply of these and you shouldn’t be surprised if your body and mind don’t quite ‘go’ the way you’d like!
posted by Ems at 8:19 AM
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