In this era of science and technology, human body still remains as a machine that is an epitome of miracle. People from the beginning of tim...
In this era of science and technology, human body still remains as a machine that is an epitome of miracle. People from the beginning of time have remained inquisitive to unleash the secrets of this highly coordinated machine that we call the human body. Many have accomplished this goal on their way and have given rise to the field that is now famous as ‘medicine’. The same field made mankind aware of the fact that human body is an intricate masterpiece and you might be amazed to know that your physical being is actually a reflection of what’s going on inside the body.
The chaos of our personal and professional life has made us unaware of the subtle changes that manifest in the body. Human body is smart enough to send a variety of signals when things are not going smoothly inside. Unfortunately, we tend to ignore these signals much quicker than we snooze our morning alarm.
Just like a yellow sclera is a sign of jaundice and pale conjunctiva indicates anemia, your general health is a reflection of your nutrition. It is no surprise that today one of the most important causes of our declining health is poor nutrition. We don’t have time to drink milk because hey, we’ve got a new coffee range launching at Starbucks. Meat is injected with steroids and eggs are no more organic. And if by chance we have every healthy food available in our kitchen, we don’t have enough time to have it because we’re a workaholic.
The whole point of the discussion is to prove that our diet makes us what we are. The way we feel, the way we work and the way we think, all are dependent upon what we feed ourselves. Poor diet results in reduced core strength, less cognitive ability and decreased alertness. It has a number of adverse affects on your general well being, many of them become well evident if you’ve got a keen eye for observation. All you have to do is attempt to listen to what your body is trying to tell you.
The following discussion is about how different diseases have engulfed us just because we don’t promote a healthy lifestyle for ourselves and our family. Poor dietary habits results in deficiencies and these deficiencies manifest as diseases later in life. Just by improving our dietary habits, we can get rid of most of the following problems in no time.
OBESITY
It won’t be wrong to call obesity one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. What happens to be the underlying cause of this obesity? According to a National Center of Health Statistics 2003 survey, about 65.2 percent of American adults are overweight or obese as a result of poor nutrition.
The question arises that what is the standardized definition of obesity. Any individual having a BMI of 25 or more is regarded as obese. Even a superficial look at our everyday lives is enough to make us realize the stem cause of this global problem. Kids are too fussy on eating eggs and milk, professionals are too busy to have proper meals and rather grab fast foods because of their convenience and grocers do not care about providing organic food. As a result, the population is opting for burgers, pizzas, cake and pastries because it not only saves their time but is also convenient to have on the go.
However, in all this chaos it is our health that is going down the drain. Being overweight is another risk factor for life threatening diseases like cardiovascular events and diabetes.
HYPERTENSION
Any individual having a systolic blood pressure of more than 120 mmHg and a diastolic blood pressure more than 80 mmHg is said to be hypertensive. Superficially, it seems like a disease of the blood and vessels but in real, it is one of the few ailments that affects almost every organ system in the body.
The National Institutes of Health reports that hypertension is one of the possible outcomes of poor nutrition. Medical science refers to this disease as a secret killer because it deprives the individual of general well being.
Consuming foods that are high in sodium are the major cause of most cases of hypertension. Processed foods, chips and junk have the highest concentration of sodium. Foods having preservatives are also high in sodium and should thus be avoided. Fried items and caffeine drinks are suggested to be another important cause of hypertension.
HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA
What else can be the primary contributor to coronary heart disease other than high blood cholesterol? And what can be the primary cause of high blood cholesterol other than diet rich in fatty food? The National Institutes of Health reports that more than 500,000 people in the United States die each year due to heart disease, which can be caused by a high fat diet.
Foods that are rich in cholesterol contain saturated fatty acids that block the vessels, specifically of the heart and result in subsequent ischemia and death. Examples of such food include beef, pork, eggs, cheese, margarine and butter. It’s always better to opt for lean proteins like chicken and fish in order to cut down the cholesterol content in your diet.
DIABETES
The patho-physiology of diabetes is linked to poor nutrition. Excessive consumption of sugar and fat containing foods can result in obesity which can subsequently lead to diabetes. According to the National Institute of Health, about 8 percent of the American population has diabetes.
As they say, prevention is always better than cure. Wouldn’t it be better if we keep aside all the cakes and pastries and start cutting down on sugar slowly and gradually in order to save our body from this deadly disease?
DYDPEPSIA
Dyspepsia is rather a set of symptoms than a disease. But these symptoms are so common now days that they warrant discussion. Dyspepsia, also called indigestion or sour stomach remedies in layman’s term, can be defined as a triad of bloating, heartburn and upper abdominal pain.
Studies have traced back the cause of dyspepsia to poor eating habits. A few causes that are quite significant may be low intake of fiber, consumption of foods having a high fat content and having heavy meals right before bed.
GOUT
Gout is a disease of the joints which results from faulty metabolism of uric acids. As a result, crystals of uric acid deposit in the joints giving rise to excruciating pain, swelling and immobility.
Gout is caused by intake of an unbalanced diet. High fat and cholesterol as well as high proteins in diet can lead to gout. All food materials that have high concentration of uric acids like sardines, mussels, oysters, scallops, poultry, pork, butter, whole milk, ice cream and cheese can precipitate an attack of gout and should thus be consumed in moderate quantities.
THE FINAL WORD ON THE MATTER
The path to a healthier lifestyle is not troublesome only if we start caring about our diet slowly and gradually. Cutting down on harmful ingredients and incorporating nutrition in the diet is the secret to a body that is healthy both physically and mentally. Give it a try and I guarantee that you won’t be disappointed with the results.
