As nurses, we were always trained to promote our patient's overall health. We try to take on roles as patient advocates wanting only the best for our clients. Health promotion has always been something that we are trained to do. A person's overall health and wellness state depends upon physical, mental, social, psychological, and spiritual factors. And for this article, let me focus on something that has always been a very important issue in the society today-nutrition.

The lack of proper nutrition is indeed one of the pressing issues the entire humanity is experiencing nowadays. Most of us may be under the false concept that what we are getting from our daily diet is enough. But the truth is, most of our meals lack some of the essential nutrients needed by the body. Eating three full meals everyday doesn't really mean our bodies are properly nourished. We live in a generation fueled by overwhelming instant foods (instant coffee, fast food, instant noodles). And these premade meals are often bombarded with countless preservatives and sodium content.

Nutrition and Wellness

For the human body to maintain a healthy weight, prevent the occurrence of illnesses and improve overall health, it would be nice to have a good knowledge about what nutrition really is. Nutrition deals with the food that we eat and how it is being used inside the body. Good nutrition only means that a person is getting adequate amounts of vitamins, minerals and nutrients that our physical body needs to function at its optimum level. Establishing a healthy diet only equates to good nutrition.

Nutrition is considered as a vital component in health and wellness. Good nutrition would mean stronger immune systems, less diseases and better overall health. Healthy individuals learn better. People who are stronger and healthier tend to be more productive at work or in school. A good nutrition is a forerunner to ending poverty and is a milestone in attaining a better quality of life.

Most people believe that a good balance of physical activity and proper nutrition can help them attain a healthy weight. But truly, the benefits of adequate nutrition go beyond achieving a normal weight. Proper nutrition can also help improve your body systems' functions, enhance mental well being, develop good cognitive performance and aid in better wound healing or recovery. Having properly nourished bodies would also reduce the risk of cancers, osteoporosis, diabetes, heart diseases and stroke. Good nutrition would also enhance your immune system's function in fighting diseases and infections.

You Are What You Eat

Many of us develop our eating habits throughout our entire lifetime and for the most part, we only experience a few adverse effects of what we consume when we are still young. Most of us tend to resort to these fatty and calorie laden food as sources of comfort, we often forget the fact that most of them have no nutritional value at all. It's never too late to eat healthy these days. Begin making smart choices from every food group. Find a balance between your physical activity and eating habits. And lastly, try to get the most nutrition out of the calories you are eating.