Introduction
Human long-term health outcomes are particularly reliant on the daily nutrition choices and diet regimens one follows. Food is an essential element of human survival that is necessary on a daily basis. Being a source of nutrients, vitamins, fiber, and important elements, food helps human bodies generate power, resist harmful impacts on the environment, protect and improve the immune system, and enable healthy functioning. However, it is pivotal to keep to a well-balanced diet in order to facilitate the benefits of nutritious foods and ensure the prevention of illness and disease. This paper will explore the impact of a healthy and balanced diet on human physical and mental health to argue for the prioritization of nutritional education.
Discussion
Physical health improvement and prevention of morbidities are one of the direct outcomes of a healthy diet. Indeed, as stated by Alex (2020), regular consumption of nutritious products in a balanced diet allows for enabling healthy growth and development from childhood through adulthood. Apart from “providing energy for sustaining life, tissue build up and repair mostly by macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein, and fat), micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) of the food have important roles in prevention and protection from diseases” (Banerjee, 2021, p. 177). In this regard, the consumption of a required amount of macro- and micro-nutrients via a balanced diet is essential for minimizing disruptions in body functioning due to the deficiency of a particular element.
Indeed, when balancing one’s diet, an individual should include their lifestyle and health status to adapt their eating habits for maximum health benefits. In this regard, the use of a healthy plate concept might be useful. The calculation of the norm of calories per day informs the quantity of food consumed (Banerjee, 2021). In addition, the inclusion of products rich in fiber, vitamins, and sufficient amounts of healthy fats, carbohydrates, and proteins will allow for strengthening the bodily functions, immune system, and protective capabilities of the organism to withstand illness and disease. The importance of a well-balanced diet becomes more evident when compared with the harmful impact of a non-healthy diet using fast food, processed food, and non-whole products (Alex, 2020). The containment of chemicals, cancerogenic elements, and the lack of nutrients essential for the body, such as diet choices, lead to higher risks of cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and other dangerous illnesses (Alex, 2020; Banerjee, 2021). Therefore, physical health is particularly reliant on a healthy diet, the importance of which should be prioritized and promoted among populations.
Importantly, a well-balanced diet has a beneficial impact on mental health, which is a significant factor in overall well-being. Indeed, research conducted by Miki et al. (2022) indicates that a healthy diet might help minimize depressive symptoms and prevent mental health issues in the long-term perspective. The results of this study indicate that “the odds of depressive symptoms increased with decreasing frequency of balanced meal consumption” (Miki et al., 2022, p. 109). Such results are justified by the implication that the consumption of vitamins and nutrients of proper quality and in necessary quantities on a regular basis facilitates healthy hormonal functioning and prevents disruptions in nervous and cognitive systems (Miki et al., 2022). Therefore, a well-balanced diet is essential for both physical and mental illness and disease prevention.
Conclusion
In summation, nutritious food consumption is an essential attribute of healthy living. The exploration of the topic has revealed that both mental and physical health benefits in terms of illness prevention might be observed if a well-balanced diet is followed consistently. Thus, health promotion initiatives should prioritize healthy eating habits to ensure systematic maintenance of well-being and stable health status of the populations to ensure the longevity of healthy societies.
References
Alex, M. (2020). Role of nutrition in maintaining health. International Journal of Physical Education, Sports and Health, 7(4), 279-280. Web.
Banerjee, N. (2021). Physical exercise and balanced diet for healthy body and mind. In P. K. Paul et al. (Eds.), Basic and applied sciences into next frontiers: The aspects of bio and physical sciences (pp. 173-183). New Delhi Publishers.
Miki, T., Yamamoto, S., Fukunaga, A., Inoue, Y., Ishiwari, H., Ishii, M., Miyo, K., Konishi, M., Ohmagari, N., & Mizoue, T. (2022). Association between eating balanced meals and depressive symptoms in Japanese hospital workers during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Neuropsychopharmacology Reports, 42(1), 109-113. Web.