The Truth About Wellness

Everyone wants to enjoy healthy body,  but the goal of attaining it is difficult for many.   The matter of wellness is so broad that we can just  keep writing non stopping.  Many have their own perspective different from another.   The that must be told in this section is under 3 headings:

a.   Understanding Nutrition

b.   Understanding how our body works

c.   A little about disease

d.   18 Tips on how to Prevent Disease

If we must stay healthy and enjoy perfect health,  we must get interested in nutrition  whether it is your field or not,  because  it is all about YOU.  

What is nutrition. It is all about the food we consume and their nutrients composition.  This is very important at least let us know the basics and it is just knowing the simple fact that our nutrition is made up:

🏢Proteins
     Carbohydrates
     Fats and Oil
     Vitamins
      Minerals
      Water

For us to be well and healthy, the food we eat must be balanced  and for a food to be balanced it must have at least more than 80% of the above nutrients in adequate proportion.

Proteins:  These are the building blocks,  the are for repairing of tissues and for maintenance,  they are also for growth.   We have plant proteins and animal proteins.   You can find animal proteins in meat fish,  milk,  eggs, etc.  While you can find the plant proteins in beans,  lentils vegetables, some grains,   soya beans, peanuts, almonds, some seeds.

Carbohydrates:
Carbohydrates  are for sustained energy and blood sugar control,  they are found in Starchy foods and grains.
We have the simple carbohydrates and the complex carbohydrates.  The complex carbs releases energy slowly thereby helping sugar response  and onset of diseases like diabetes.  While the simple sugar releases energy fast and causes spike in blood sugar. They are found in fizzy drinks, noodles,  paps and other sweetened drinks and beverages.  While the complex carbohydrates are found in sweet potatoes, cassava or it's products,  unriped plantain etc.  

3. Fats and Oil:  These supply the body with energy, acting as fuel.   They help with absorption of nutrients, vitamins,  minerals and antioxidants.   They help maintain healthy skin, hair and insulating the body organs:

Under fats and oil,  we have:
Healthy fats and
Unhealthy fats, 
Healthy fats are found in olive oil. Avocado fruit,  peanuts,  coconut,  red palm oil etc.

They are called healthy fats because they have healthy proportion of polyunsaturated and mono unsaturated fats.

Unhealthy Fats: These are found in butters,  magarines, processed oils and they include transfatty acids.   They are unhealthy and stress our internal organs.

4.  Vitamins:
      The most important ones are A,  B,  C, D, E and K,  each have it's function different from the other.  Vitamins A,  C  and E are key antioxidants that help neutralize free radicals.  They are mostly for disease prevention and are immune boosters. They help fight infections and reduce inflammation. Vitamins D and K are for proper bone development.

5.  The five major ones are:
Calcium, iron,  potassium,  and sodium.   Deficiency in these usually create health problems.
Sources are fruits and vegetables.   They are usually low in calorie and nutrients dense.  Rich in minerals antioxidants and fibre.

6.  Water.   It is one of the important important component of a healthy diet.   The human body is said to be about 60 - 70% water.

Understanding How Our Body Works:

Our body works by taking in the food with its nutrients. By ingestion, digest,  or metabolise and absorption of the nutrients causes  growth and other positive effects in and outside the body. These functions are carried out by key organs in the body majorly stomach consisting of intestine,  liver,  kidney. Brain,  Bladder pancreas.  These key organs must function optimally and we must be aware of them. These are what they need to function :

Proper nutrition as already discussed
Oxygen
Exercise
Water
Stable emotional

If these are lacking or one is in excess,  the cells will notify  us through symptoms relayed to us by the brain if we listen to the symptoms as relayed by the brain  and make correction, the cell will continue working,  and as long as all the cells and organs are working., we will never be sick.   If we fail to listen,  after some time,  they stop working,  then we say we are sick.

If they are deficient in one or two of the needs,  they signal us too,  if supply comes,  they start working and there you go, but if they cry and you fail to heed,  then they stop, No wonder the Bible says, "My people are destroyed for lack of Knowledge."

3.  A little About disease:
There is no bacteria or germ called disease.  It is the organs that are no longer at ease. They give signals and symptoms in the form of cold. fever,  weakness,  loss of appetite, etc.  You must list to your body.

Here are some of the things that could make the organs stop Work:

Deficiency of Nutrients
Excess of one nutrients over another
Toxicity
Acidity
Stress both physical, mental or emotional
These points will be discussed further in the next post with 20  tips on how to avoid disease.