What is Nutrition – the process of providing or obtaining the food necessary for health and growth.

Nutrition is the process by which we provide the body with the nutrients necessary for good heal and growth.

Essentially, nutrition is nourishment for the body via the foods we eat.

Eating nutritiously enables you to enjoy the sense of wellbeing that comes with good health. Adequate nutrition is vital if you want your body to be healthy, well maintained, and have the best chance at fighting disease and operating optimally.

We get our nourishment mostly from macronutrients which are the dietary main players, but micronutrients are no less important. A balanced diet contains many differences types of both.

There is no on size fits all in nutrition.

Your optimal intake of each macronutrient and micronutrient depends on numerous factors. Your age, gender, genetics, metabolism, level of physical activity, and personal preference all have a part to play in establishing the best foods to keep working optimally.

Macronutrients –

There are three macros, carbohydrates, protein and fats. These three macronutrients give your body the energy it needs to operate. There are many processes the body takes care without our conscious control such as breathing, digestion and cell repair, and of course your body requires energy for movement.

Each of the macronutrients is required in relatively large amounts every day to support many of your bodies vital functions.

Micronutrients-

We need vitamins and minerals, known as macronutrients, in much smaller quantities than macronutrients, but they are vital for the body to carry out its functions. in children they are also essential for healthy growth and development.

Because we need macronutrients in much larger quantities than micronutrients, it is easy to underestimate the importance of the micros and focus more on including more macros in the diet.

The World Health Organisation suggests that micronutrient deficiency is responsible for some of the most common nutrient deficiencies such as anaemia (iron), osteoporosis (vitamin D) all of which can have a debilitating effect on the body’s wellbeing and performance.

You can get most of your vitamins and minerals from plants. Plant foods with their diversity in colour are linked to the nutrients they contain. For instance, orange often indicates the presence of Vitamin A; greens contains Vitamin K and iron.

The daily requirements of each micronutrient varies between individuals, but if your diet is healthy and balanced, including foods from both plants and animal sources, you are likely to be ingesting all the micronutrients your body needs without the need for supplements.

Learn to listen to your body and notice how you feel in response to your diet.

Lambert. R (2021), The Science of Nutrition.  Great Britain Penguin Random House