This adage by the philosophers continues to be  affirmed repeatedly from the effects of nutrition on health.. As such, we are the cumulative outcomes of the food choices we make or made around us.  We all need to revisit the elementary basics of nutrition and its relationship to our health and wellbeing.

We recall from our primary and secondary school learning the need for a balanced diet which is critical for normal growth and good health maintenance. The diet must include:-

• Proteins which support growth, maintain and repair of the body. When digested, they

are broken down into  Amino Acids. While the body may be able to make some of the

• Amino Acids, others must be obtained from the food we eat. This group is called essential amino acids. If we don’t take foods that supply them, their deficiency is bound to result in the deterioration of our health and wellbeing.
• Carbohydrates fuel the body and give us energy. On digestion, they are changed into glucose. Excess carbohydrates are stored as glycogen and eventually converted into fat. This process is closely controlled by insulin and other hormones. Type 2 diabetes and excessive and undesirable weight gain is due to insulin resistance. Therefore dealing with insulin resistance is key to effective management of type 2 diabetes and weight reduction..

The situation is made worse by the abundance of what is called junk food, saturated fats and highly processed foods, including cereals, which all introduce free radicals in our bodies thereby compromising our immunity and inclining us to a whole range of chronic diseases.

• Vitamins that protect the body from infection. Supplied mainly from fruits and vegetables, vitamins are key to our immune boosting and fight against free radicals, which cause cancer and are also involved in the various chronic diseases. It is important to note that when vegetables are cooked, the bulk of their nutritional benefits are destroyed by heat. That is why raw salads are highly recommended.

As much as possible, families must find a way to control the sources of their fruits and vegetables. When the vegetables and fruits are sprayed with pesticides and chemicals, the very health agents that they are intended to be may become our nightmare. This is because they introduce to our bodies heavy metals and other toxins exceeding allowable minimum residue limits and setting us on course to diseases including cancer. This requires surveillance by regulators and government but in our context you cannot be sure that the products found in the markets do not violate necessary safety standards.

Please follow and like us: