Importance of nutrition

Man is constantly looking for health that in turn is influenced by a healthy, sufficient and balanced diet. Proper nutrition leads to excellent nutritional status, and this, largely determines the achievement of a good state of health. There are a large number of fad diets, but we must remember that each person has special and individual needs depending on their situation so there are food plans or specialized diets for each case.

The importance of nutrition for the proper functioning of the organism lies primarily in whether eating habits are adequate or not. For this reason, nutrition education has become the main preventive action line worldwide. And, the basic knowledge about proper nutrition, or according to needs, is essential to prevent numerous diseases, and therefore, to have a healthy life.

Food in the athlete

It is widely proven that nutrition is one of the most important factors in the athlete’s performance, both for those who do recreational activities and for those who perform high performance activities. The main objective of the diet of athletes is to maintain and even increase the capacity of performance and thereby reduce fatigue, recover more quickly between training sessions, improve their body composition, decrease the incidence of injuries, maximize energy reserves and maintain overall health. The diet must be balanced and adjusted to the needs of each athlete, the type and duration of the exercise, the time (training, competition or recovery) and the conditions in which it is performed. It should be noted that the diet for athletes does not mean that you should eat without control all those dishes that are in sight, but follow a very specific diet to achieve all the benefits already mentioned. You can also perform personalized advice for the use of supplements and ergogenic aids that improve sports performance such as: sports or energy drinks, caffeine, creatine, protein shakes, glutamine, arginine, amino acids, among many others.

Weight control.

Obesity and overweight are a major health problem since they are factors that trigger a large number of diseases and conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemias, heart disease, among others. That is why it is of great importance to keep a good weight control through a food plan suitable for the needs of each person, to always look for an ideal weight and% fat.

Feeding in children.

Adequate food and good eating habits in childhood will help promote good growth and physical, mental and social development, as well as prevent the development of childhood obesity so prevalent in Mexico. At present it is known that if a child is obese between 6 and 7 months of age, the probability of remaining obese in adulthood is 40%. If a child is obese between the ages of 10 and 13, the odds are 70%.

Feeding in pregnancy and lactation.

During pregnancy, a large number of changes occur and with this an increase in nutritional needs that does not necessarily imply “eating for two” but to cover the body’s requirements both in calories and in specific nutrients such as certain vitamins and minerals. With all this we ensure a good development of pregnancy, avoid complications such as preclampsia, gestational diabetes, excessive fluid retention, and thus maintain the health of mother and child.

Food for disease prevention or control.

In most cases, poor eating habits, excess or deficiency of one or more nutrients are the triggers or causes of certain conditions. Good nutrition can help prevent, control or correct certain diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, kidney problems, hypothyroidism, gout, increased cholesterol and / or triglycerides, anemia, colitis, gastritis, heart problems, among many others.

Advice for vegetarian diets.

People who want to adopt a vegetarian diet should be well advised to adequately cover all the needs of the different nutrients required by the body, looking for alternative foods to do so.