A healthy diet will give your body energy, enough raw materials, and all the “little helpers” you need to stay healthy. Good nutrition also provides antioxidants believed to help you stay disease-free. What is good nutrition? Good nutrition is a healthy diet which includes fruits and vegetables, whole grains, such as rice, and quinoa, high-quality protein, dairy sources, and a bit of healthy fat. While you don’t want to deny yourself a few treats and the foods you love, it’s best to cut back on unhealthy foods that are high in sugar, fat, sodium, and calories. That’s where portion control comes in handy. Eating right looks easy on paper or in theory but is hard for all of us. In relation to last month’s article discussing diabetes, let’s quickly talk about how your body reacts to the foods we eat. Carbohydrates, protein, and fats will be the three discussed.  Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose (simple sugar).  Eating large amounts of carbohydrates can raise your blood sugar level, complicating the management of anyone diagnosed with diabetes. Protein comes from foods you eat and is used by the body to boost the immune system, nervous system, and maintenance of vital organs. Fats are part of the structural building blocks of our bodies. They are important in vitamin absorption, brain development, and in maintaining hair and skin health. Good nutrition and health go hand in hand and is not all about what you eat, but the types of foods, how much, how often, the amount of exercise you get and having a better understanding of what “being healthy” means.

The Nurse