More people are growing to appreciate the value of a healthy diet and its long-term impact on quality of life. It is not only crucial for physical and biological well-being, but also vital for cognitive functioning and mental health.

It is essential to support your body’s growth and development with the right foods, especially now in your youth as it is critical developmental stage.

As with all things in life, nutrition is about balance. The thing to avoid is malnutrition which is deficiencies or excesses in nutrient intake, imbalance of essential nutrients or impaired nutrient utilization.

It can make one more vulnerable to disease and eventually death. The main categories of malnutrition are:

a. Undernutrition where there is insufficient intake of energy and nutrients to meet an individual’s needs to maintain good health.

Indicators of undernutrition include wasting, stunting, underweight, and deficiencies in vitamins and minerals.

b. Overnutrition arises from the excessive intake of nutrients beyond the amount required for normal growth, development, and metabolism.

It can lead to obesity and an oversupply of specific nutrient which can lead to vitamin poisoning and the other chronic diseases. e.g., heart diseases, cancer and diabetes.

To stay healthy and to thrive, it is recommended that you consume enough of the necessary nutrients. Some of the key nutrients to include in your diet are as follows.

For your physical health, carbohydrates and natural sugar for energy; calcium and vitamin D for maintaining healthy bones and teeth; zinc and vitamin C for a more efficient immune system; water for hydration; iron and vitamins K, E, A and several B vitamins are essential for good blood health and efficient blood circulation.

Many of the vitamins also play a vital role in cell formation and function, metabolism and absorption of other nutrients, production of hormones and maintaining the central nervous system.

For your mental health, complex carbohydrates, such as brown rice, sweet potato and arrowroot, have been seen to increase our serotonin levels. These are hormones that boost your mood and make you feel calmer.

Eating healthy food regularly, with various vegetables and fruits, improves someone’s mood. On the other hand, consistently eating processed, low-nutrient foods has been linked to increased levels of depression, anxiety, mood swings and mood disorders.

Finally, to experience improved cognitive functioning, the essential nutrients to include in your diet are omega-3 fatty acids, iron, healthy fats and vitamins such as D, E and B.

By combining all these, you can significantly improve your memory, ability to focus, your attention span and clarity of thought.

When you eat right, the positive effects are numerous. Your body will be able to adjust well during developmental stages, you will feel more energetic, your body will heal and repair itself better, your immune system will be boosted and you will reduce the risk of developing mental illnesses and chronic diseases.

These can last over a year, even up to a lifetime, and require constant medical intervention to manage them.

Knowing all the information above, the following question on your mind is: what should you be eating?

CONSUME MORE of fruits, vegetables (incredibly dark green leafy ones), whole grains, a variety of protein from plants and meat, water, brown rice, fish, pulses (e.g., beans, lentils, ndegu), eggs (max 2 a day), yoghurt, liver, nuts and avocado.

REDUCE ON salt, unhealthy and saturated fats, fried foods and snacks, gluten-heavy meals (wheat products such as mandazi, chapati, bread, cake and biscuit), refined sugar, instant noodles, and processed juice. These foods should be consumed in moderation, or they may lead to overnutrition.

ALWAYS AVOID soda, sweets, and processed meat (such as hot dogs and sausages). These have little to no nutritional value and are known to cause health problems.

Take the right steps today and your body will thank you through your lifetime.