Good nutrition is important for leading a healthy life. Let’s learn more about how good nutrition benefits us.
Why do we need good nutrition?
Your body and mind are reflective of what you put into it. A well-balanced nutritious diet will not only keep you physically active but also promotes mental well-being.
Good nutrition comes with many benefits and remains the cornerstone for you and your family’s health.
Eating good nutritious meals complete with reasonable portions of meat, vegetables, fruits, nuts and healthy fats will help maintain healthy body weight. It’s about finding your balance with food. You don’t have to give up on your favourite food but getting the right nutrients should be the focus.
Finding the right food and maintaining a nutritious diet with physical activities and exercise is what it takes to remain healthy and active.
This is where dietitian services like one provided by Duff Street Medical Clinic come into help. Our Cranbourne dietitian is an expert in providing comprehensive nutrition services to help you lead a healthy lifestyle and achieve your specific health-related goals.
The benefits of good nutrition in our health
Most of us believe that good nutrition can help us maintain a healthy weight. However, good nutrition goes beyond weight management.
All the different types of nutrients such as protein, vitamins and minerals, fats are responsible for providing you with energy and help in the proper functioning of your body.
Let’s find out the many benefits a nutritious diet can provide us:
1. Strengthening the Immune System
Nutrients such as vitamins and mineral promote the production of white blood cells that boost our immune system to fight diseases and ward off infections.
Vitamin C and E are powerful antioxidants that fight infections in our body. Both these vitamins are found in abundance in vegetables and fruits such as lemons, lime, broccoli and kale. Unless advised by dietitians, eating healthy portions of greens will provide the optimum requirements of vitamins and minerals for your body and there would be no requirement of using supplements.
2. Reduces and prevents chronic diseases
Good nutrition can help reduce and prevent chronic diseases. Therefore, a wise selection of food which is rich in certain nutrients must be the focus that can effectively prevent certain chronic conditions.
The risk factors associated with chronic diseases across all age groups can be attributed to unhealthy eating and limited physical activities. Dietary habits like cutting down the intake of processed food, saturated fats and focusing on receiving nutrients from healthy eating can prevent many chronic diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and some types of cancer.
3. Healthy bones and healthy teeth
Eating a healthy diet including plenty of fruits and vegetables, lean meat and low-fat dairy products can help promote oral health and keep your bones stronger.
A calcium-rich diet followed since childhood will ensure your bones are stronger and prevent risks associated with osteoporosis. According to Osteoporosis Australia, the recommended daily intake of calcium is 1,000 – 1,300 mg/day depending on age and sex and ideally obtained from calcium-rich food.
4. Nutrients for your mental well-being
One of the cornerstones to your mental well-being is to eat a balanced diet that contains different food groups.
Eating the right food will give you the energy you need for the whole day and also helps you sleep better and improves your concentration.
For instance, the Mediterranean Diet that comes with lots of seafood, healthy fats and vegetables are found to promote mental wellness and reduces depression.
5. Good nutrition can delay ageing
Vitamin C helps in building collagen that promotes firmer skin. Food items like tomatoes, berries, nuts, fatty fishes including salmon and mackerel contain vitamins and minerals that promote good skin.
Your quality nutritional advice from Cranbourne’s expert Dietitian
Our qualified (APD) dietitian will help you with any questions on nutrition, from general diet consultation to detailed advice for diet and specific health issues including diet for chronic disease management.
We also provide comprehensive diabetes consultation revolving around food.
We aim to improve health through personalised, evidence-based nutrition, consultation on weight management and lifestyle advice specific to your health goals and needs.
To consult our Cranbourne Dietitian, you can book an appointment by giving us a call at (03) 5995 4988.