Food is a prerequisite to human survival, to each of us. We live in a world with plenty of food items to choose from, but making healthy choices from the vast variety of food items is more complex than deciding what to eat.
Eating is not just about satisfying your hunger, it is about feeding your body with the food which is needed for your health and proper growth. However, in a country like Pakistan, the case is different, as it is only about feeding your hunger. According to a report by the US Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service, we Pakistanis spend half of our income just on food. The question that arises from here is: What kind of food are we consuming? Well, the answer to this question is that we are definitely not consuming the right kind of food, because if we did consume the right kind of it, then we should have been out of the list of obese nations, but unluckily, we are on number nine amongst the world’s most obese nations.
This is because we like to eat food which contains lots of added sugar, salt, and flavours that enhance our taste buds and are addictive. We don’t eat strawberries, because they are an excellent source of vitamin C; we eat them because they taste good. Likewise, we eat a burger or a pizza just because of their taste, without looking into how much sodium or fat they contain.
So, now, the question that arises is: What should we eat? Eating healthy is not easy as saying it, but committing to a healthy diet may be one of the smartest decisions you will ever make. A healthy diet includes consumption of lean meat (meat without fat), eggs, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and dairy products. If you don’t make sure that the food you pump into your body is of the right quality or quantity, you just won’t feel as healthy as you honestly should.
Did you know that fruits contain the highest amount of sugars as compared to any other food? Then why is it not harmful for us, one may ask? It is because this comes as a natural form of sugar, easily digestible by our body. Another interesting fact is that fruits have enough water content, which balances the sugar level according to our body’s needs. It’s such a blessing from Allah for us, so why not eat them at least twice a day?
This is because we like to eat food which contains lots of added sugar, salt, and flavours that enhance our taste buds and are addictive. We don’t eat strawberries, because they are an excellent source of vitamin C. We eat them because they taste good
Someone truly said, “Every bite you take is either fighting disease or feeding it.” So now it’s up to you, whether you want to choose the food that fights with disease or the one that feeds the disease.
It is a scientifically proven fact that our food choices affect our health. So, the saying, “We are what we eat”, is true. Every word of this phrase is downright accurate, and as it is hard to see, let me explain to you with an example:
Just like our chairs, furniture and other things made from wood that do not look like their original form i.e. a tree, similarly, our body is also made from nutrients which are extracted from foods, without resembling them.
We all have up to a 100 trillion cells in our bodies, each one demanding a constant supply of daily nutrients in order to function properly. And one can provide that to themselves easily, with a balanced and vibrant diet.
Your health really is in your hands and in your kitchen. Know that you have the power to heal your body, mind, and soul. And to do this, you need to be ready and willing to take up the step. From the moment of birth and onwards as well as even before, food gives us life. It has the power to heal, provide energy, and lift your mood. This is why it breaks my heart to see people making themselves unhealthy, just by making poor food choices.
The picture I have chosen to fit this write-up shows how everything you eat becomes a part of not only your inner being but also your physical wellbeing. So choose your food wisely. Otherwise, you may end up looking like a burger just like him.
Take a minute to think over the famous quote: “Success is a journey, not a destination.” Here, we may replace the word ‘success’ with the word ‘fitness’.
Learning to make the correct decisions in your nutrition will convert to a lifestyle that is healthy and fruitful (and fruit full too!).
The writer is a student of Dow University of Health Sciences, doing her Bachelors in food and nutrition