A sustainable diet is defined as a nutritional program with little environmental impact. This is explained by the fact that the diet helps the population in ensuring food security. At the same time, it can fill all the needs of people in certain foods. Moreover, it appears as a kind of attempt to provide future generations with a healthier lifestyle and the distribution of rational nutrition. The diet considers the problems of hunger on the planet and is rich in nutrients. Sustainable nutrition considers the socio-cultural characteristics from region to region, so the cuisine is characteristic of a certain geographical area in the diet. Furthermore, diets are designed to provide adequate nutrients and reduce environmental damage.
First of all, the diet is adequate in nutrients, as it is designed with attention to the food security of the planet’s population and future generations. Food security is based on the ability to provide such a quantity of food that would eliminate hunger among the different countries of the world. Additionally, it increases agricultural activity and crop yields to provide people with healthy products (Stubbendorff et al., 2022). Throughout history, the quality of nutrients and human need for them have not been under scrutiny. Thus, by now, a sustainable diet takes into account the safety of nutritious foods to reduce malnutrition worldwide.
Equally important, a sustainable diet is based on an assessment of the forms of malnutrition that are defined at the level of different countries. Therefore, the safety and adequacy of nutrients is at the forefront of diet implementation. The nutrition program is introduced because of the depressing data regarding the nutrition of the population groups of concern as elderly people and people with obesity. It must be said that in the world about 900 million people do not get the right amount of calories during the day (Eini-Zinab et al., 2021). In addition, over a billion people are obese or overweight, and others are deficient in micronutrients (Eini-Zinab et al., 2021). A sustainable diet solves nutritional problems and provides people with healthy food.
Moreover, the diet concept examines and searches for other important aspects. According to FAO, sustainable diets help to secure different ecosystems and biodiversity of the planet. At the same time, they are culturally acceptable, nutritionally adequate and completely safe for public health. One of the main factors is the economic cheapness of such food consumption systems while optimizing various resources. However, rational nutrition plays a dominant role and considers the needs of the population in calories and nutrients.
Rational nutrition can be defined as a balanced diet, which is formed on the basis of gender, age and concomitant diseases. Moreover, when compiling a rational diet, the geographical location of a person is taken into account, including the climatic features of the area and the amount of physical labor. At the same time, an important condition is that rational nutrition should contain such an amount of energy and chemicals that a person spends throughout the day. However, it must be remembered that during metabolism, substances exhibit the properties of transition to other elements. In addition, most of these substances are synthesized in the body. Those substances that cannot be synthesized are important to include in the daily diet.
Nutrients consumed by a person with food are divided into interchangeable and irreplaceable. Essential substances include amino acids, which incorporates valine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, etc. Moreover, minerals and vitamins are essential and must be present in the diet. Thus, it can be concluded that rational nutrition establishes a connection between meals and useful microelements with metabolic processes. The theory of balanced nutrition is the basis through which a rational diet and the correct calorie intake are formed (Goulding et al., 2021). The three principles of rational nutrition are essential knowledge and should be considered in any diet (Goulding et al., 2021). At the same time, the observance of moderation, variety and regimen allows the body to be healthier.
With moderate use, a person maintains a balance between the energy that is acquired with food intake and the energy expended during the day. The variety of food depends on the amount of fats, proteins and carbohydrates that make up certain foods. Thus, the chemical composition of different foods can vary significantly and have different properties. The energy value of the consumed products and their effect on the body depends on this.
However, the consumption of predominantly protein for energy renewal does not have enough benefits as proteins are scarce despite their value. Moreover, during the oxidation of proteins, substances that have a toxic effect on the human body can be released.
It is important to note that proteins contain an amino acid composition that is of great importance when eating food. Amino acids are divided into interchangeable and irreplaceable, and their optimal ratio is important for a normal diet. At the same time, there is no natural protein with a balanced ratio of amino acids. Therefore, for a normal diet in everyday life, a mixture of vegetable and animal proteins is used for a balanced diet.
For a rational and sustainable food intake, the regime is essential. Excitation of the food center does not make it possible to immediately get a feeling of fullness. Thus, a person’s appetite remains active for some time after eating. From a biological point of view, this can be explained by the peculiarity of the system of digestion and assimilation of substances necessary for the body. Saturation occurs at the moment when substances enter the bloodstream, which causes inhibition of the food center (Springmann et al., 2018). Thus, it is necessary to observe the quantity and quality of meals during the day. Elderly people are shown a reasonable restriction of the energy value of the diet, primarily due to carbohydrates – sugar and confectionery and animal fats. However, it should be borne in mind that fats are sources of some natural anti-sclerotic factors, and a lack of fat in the diet prevents the use of fat-soluble vitamins.
Thus, the successful life of each person depends on the rationality and sustainability of nutrition. A sustainable diet helps to supply the body with energy and biologically active substances. In addition, a properly selected balance increases a person’s immunity. Moderation, variety and correct regimen are the main points in establishing a rational and healthy diet, full of useful elements. Correct in such conditions should be considered a diet in which all the food consumed is digested, not deposited in stock or in the form of toxins. Rational nutrition is one of the main ways to lead a healthy life. At the same time, it helps a person to prolong the active period and improves body functions. Moreover, proper dieting increases the body’s resistance to viruses and bacteria.
Reference List
Eini-Zinab, H., Shoaibinobarian, N., Ranjbar, G., Ostad, A. N., & Sobhani, S. R. (2021). ‘Association between the socio-economic status of households and a more sustainable diet’. Public health nutrition, 24(18), pp. 6566-6574.
Goulding, T., Lindberg, R., & Russell, C. G. (2020). The affordability of a healthy and sustainable diet: an Australian case study. Nutrition journal, 19(1), pp. 1-12.
Springmann, M., Wiebe, K., Mason-D’Croz, D., Sulser, T. B., Rayner, M., & Scarborough, P. (2018). ‘Health and nutritional aspects of sustainable diet strategies and their association with environmental impacts: A global modelling analysis with country-level detail’. The Lancet Planetary Health, 2(10), pp. 451-461.
Stubbendorff, A., Sonestedt, E., Ramne, S., Drake, I., Hallström, E., & Ericson, U. (2022). ‘Development of an EAT-Lancet index and its relation to mortality in a Swedish population’. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 115(3), pp. 705-716.