It’s times like these that remind us of the crucial role good nutrition plays in our health. It’s also time to change that.
“Busy” is the enemy of good nutrition. We use being busy as an excuse to “grab this” and “microwave that”. We let our diet slip, along with our physical health. We all do it. And that’s okay.
Different times like these, however, make us shift our thinking away from this grab-and-go mindset. In fact, having these hours at home allows us to build the bare bones of healthy meals for the weeks ahead.
So, forgive yourself and prepare to feel enlightened – the following points will spark the joy and importance of good nutrition and give you a fresh burst of energy to make it a priority again.
How good nutrition can change your life
1 – Good nutrition gives you better brain-power
Food should be joyous, peaceful and nourishing. But all too often, it cripples us with guilt or leaves us feeling deprived. How can you be at your best mentally when your cognitive mechanisms are compromised? The best strategy for a sharp mind is to eat plenty of green leafy vegetables, fatty fish, berries and nuts.
2 – Good nutrition can make you literally live longer
The best diets are arguably those followed in “blue zones”, which home the healthiest and longest-living people in the world. Good nutrition in these parts is primarily plant-based, in-season and unprocessed. Blue-zoners eat meat and fish sparingly, plumping for beans, greens, fruits, nuts and seeds. Many live to be 100 years old.
3 – Good nutrition makes you happier
Healthy food makes you happy and that’s a fact. A diet high in trans fats, sugar and processed food increases the likeliness of depression, depriving our brains of the nutrients we need. These foods also breed bad bacteria in the gut, which plays a key role in not only our health, but our mental health too.
4 – Good nutrition protects us from major health risks
You can lower your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, osteoporosis and certain types of cancer by eating well. The links between good nutrition and overall health are too important to cast aside – and your body is too precious not to make a nourishing diet priority. Making small changes in your diet can go a long way.
5 – Good nutrition makes you more resistant to pain
This is particularly important for women. Many of our female clients stop working out once their period arrives. Not only can exercise can have all kinds of positive effects on cramps, nutrition can also play a huge role on period pain. There’s research to show omega-3s reduce pain at the time of the month. So make sure you’re munching more flaxseeds or walnuts or salmon.
