When nutrition is wrong, medicine is of no use. When nutrition is correct, medicine is of no need.
Nutrition and its importance
Nutrition means consuming that food that is necessary for better health and growth. It helps to develop an understanding of a balanced diet and how that diet helps the body in gaining strength. Nutrition itself is a very complex topic but it is very important to choose the right nutrition for an individual so that he/she can remain protected from any kind of disease/health problems.
Nutrition for students: What to include and why?
The future of any country depends upon its students and students must stay fit and fine so that they can be the next asset builders for themselves as well as their nation. To remain fit, nutrition is necessary and hence, today we will be discussing the impact of proper nutrition in a student’s life and how it affects his/her learning potential and performance.
Six major nutrients are required by the human body in fixed proportions to function properly. You cannot avoid even one of them as this will surely negatively affect your body and will hinder your growth. The major nutrients are:
We have learnt about various types of nutrients and their sources above. But how are these nutrients important for children? Let us see:
- Helpful inappropriate behaviour: This is directly related to a balanced diet i.e. a diet that contains all the nutrients in fixed proportions. Studies have shown that those children, who do not follow a balanced diet, are more aggressive and are prone to certain physical and mental problems like anxiety, stress etc. Such children are not disciplined even at places like school and have very arrogant behaviour towards their classmates and teachers as well. The only solution to all this is a balanced diet which shall be consumed regularly.
- Concentration improves: We all know that proper nutrition provides energy to the body so that it can work efficiently, especially in the case of students. But the most important advantage of adequate nutrition is, it helps to retain the information that is presented in classes without any sort of distractions. Brain functions in a well-organized and systematic manner so that memory can become sharp and children perform well in academics. Apart from this, cognitive developments along with sharp memory are further benefits of proper nutrition.
- Healthy lifestyle: We are constantly facing diseases like obesity, thyroid etc. All these diseases are mainly because of improper food habits and an unhealthy lifestyle. Students are mainly obsessed with junk food which is very bad for their health and can cause these diseases. If you are a student, you must avoid certain foods like those with excess sugar (Cold-drinks), oily foods (Deep fried) etc. and should practice a full-fledged diet plan instead. Remember any sort of packaged or instant food items severely affect health. A healthy lifestyle can only be adopted when you eat nutritious food.
- Brain function increases rapidly: Nutritional ups and downs can directly influence your brain. It means that it has been proven in research that different nutrients provide different mental capacities to the students. However, this does not mean that you start consuming any nutrient without professional advice. Let us understand this:
- Vitamins: Helps to boost the immune system and prevents certain types of cancer
- Minerals: Helps to clot blood and build your bones
- Proteins: Very useful in strengthening bones and forming antibodies. Many of you must be regular visitors to the gym. You must have noticed that people advise a protein-rich diet to gain muscles
- Fats: Excess is very harmful. However, proper quantities can help in cell formation
- Water: Helps to eliminate toxins from the body
- Carbohydrates: It provides energy to perform tasks and most importantly, it supports the digestion process
Key Takeaways
To conclude, every nutrient is necessary because our body is quite complex. However, you must plan your intake before changing any nutrient because sometimes, people take an excess of nutrients that harm their bodies. This harm can be in the form of fat cells, lethargy etc. So, stay aware and remain healthy.
Also published on Medium.