Our bodies are amazing, intuitive, highly-intelligent communication centers. It send signals to us all day long, working around the clock. We recognize pain when something is not working properly, feel hunger cues when fuel is low, experience fatigue when in need rest or sleep and so much more! They are nothing short of self-sufficient (almost) machines.
Bodies are so incredible in fact, that it has ways of informing of us when our diet might need a little tune up or change completely. Osteoporosis, chronic constipation, heart disease, elevated blood glucose, fatty liver, gastro-intestinal reflux disease (GERD) and depression are just a few consequences of poor dietary patterns and intake on systemic function. Most people manage these conditions with medications or lifestyle changes. Diet is not usually considered a first line of treatment or even a thought in many circles. But, dietitians have known the importance of an adequate nutrition foundation for years which research is now continually providing supportive evidence that pairing diet and lifestyle modifications together can significantly affect one’s health and health outcomes, improving quality of life and eradicating symptoms.
We often overlook the possibility that our diet could be, or likely to be, the causation of many health complications we experience individually and as a culture.
In a recent article, “20 Health Complications That are a Sign of a Bad Diet” published by Eat This, Not That, health professionals, from many different fields of medicine, weigh in on this. I talk about the effects of a person’s diet on their risk of obesity. I discuss how important it is for the body to have the right balance of nutrients. Both macronutrients and micronutrients as well as electrolytes for their individual metabolic needs. If the body does not have the right balance or type of fuel, it can result in systemic deficits as well as weight management issues such as obesity. Metabolism is a complicated interaction of cellular reactions, if those nutrients are not there to act as co-factors (helpers in the reactions), a domino effect happens in that metabolic pathway leading to a plethora of health conditions. It all matters—amount, type and quality of nutrient intake.
To see the additional list of conditions and the correlation they have to poor (I prefer not to label food as ‘good or bad’) dietary choices, feel free to read further.
If you have additional questions or concerns regarding your current diet and health complications, I’d love to help! Feel free to email or call to discuss addressing your health needs and concerns and set up a consultation, grocery store tour, presentation or assessment.
