Good Nutrition Pointers - Fundamental Info You Ought to Know About

It's easy to eat for the sake of eating. What we put in our mouths has simply become a matter of habit, for most of us. It's a routine that we do in order to survive. But do you really take the time to think about what you eat? Why is good nutrition essential?

These questions might seem trivial at first. But when you take the time to look at the food you put in your mouth, you'll realize just how much junk we put in. Our fast-paced lifestyles have made us dependent on all things instant, quick-cook or no-cook, that are chockfull of preservatives and are now being blamed as the culprit behind many diseases, including cancer. These highly-processed foods have little or no nutritional value whatsoever, and wreck havoc on our systems.

Good nutrition, then, is vital to keeping us at our best form all through the day. But what is good nutrition? At its most simplest, good nutrition is getting the necessary amounts of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals from the food we eat everyday.

Carbohydrates are our body's source of energy. Ingesting these from such food sources as whole grains, pasta, rice and breads give us the energy boost we need to do our daily tasks: mind the kids, go to work, clean the house, eat and play. Protein, which we can get from nuts, lean pork, lean beef, fish and poultry, is essential for muscle building and tissue growth and repair. Our kids especially need protein in their growing up years. Fats, especially the polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats that come from olive oil, walnuts and soy, among others also give the body the energy it needs to function effectively. Vitamins and minerals that hasten chemical reactions in the body can be found in most fruit and vegetable sources.

The downside is that we don't always get good nutrition. The protein that we get is from bacon and other processed meats that have a notorious reputation for increasing our risk for cancer. The carbohydrate that we love to consume is in the form of donuts and other sugary sweets that increase our waistlines and damage our hearts. Saturated fats, too, like the ones we get in red meats and other fried delicacies do not only contribute to our risk for cardiovascular diseases, they also do a great deal of harm where our waistlines are concerned.

Thus, if we want a healthy body, it becomes obvious that good nutrition is important. However, eating healthy transcends more than meeting the body's physical requirement. Good nutrition is also integral in keeping us emotionally, psychologically and mentally healthy. Our moods are reflective of what we eat. Studies have shown that individuals who consistently consume junk food are more irritable and have shorter attention spans than those who maintain a healthy diet. They are also prone to emotional overeating that leads to weight gain.

Good nutrition keeps us at our peak form. By consistently partaking of healthy, natural and nutritious foods, we are kept free from physical as well as psychological diseases that make life such a pain. To sum up, if we want to be healthy and live healthy, we have to eat healthy. We are what we eat.

If you are really serious about good nutrition, be sure to check out a Vita Mix blender, there are tons of delicious Vita Mix recipes that are incredibly nutritious.