Your WHOLE Body Needs Good Nutrition

This year, PATH will help you improve your health and well-being by focusing on the key pillars of wellness — nutrition, physical activity, mental health, sleep and social connections. We’ll kick things off first quarter by looking at how good nutrition affects our mental, as well as physical health. Good nutrition not only reduces the risk of developing heart disease, obesity, Type 2 diabetes and certain cancers, but it can also positively impact our mental health.

So, what is good nutrition? It’s a balanced diet with more whole foods than processed foods, so your body gets the right amount of nutrients, vitamins and minerals to function properly. You’ll want to eat the right number of servings of whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, protein and fat-free/low-fat dairy products each day.

Whole grains differ from refined grains (like white flour) because they include the entire grain kernel, giving your body exactly what it needs. Wheat, rice, oats and barley are whole grains, and popcorn is a fun way to add a whole grain, as long as you air pop it and are careful about how much butter and salt you use.

Your body also needs a variety of proteins such as seafood, lean meats, poultry, eggs, legumes, nuts and seeds. Choose healthy fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated like olive oil, advocados, almonds, etc.) from vegetables, nuts, seeds and fish instead of saturated and trans fats found in red meat, whole milk, palm and coconut oils.

And, of course, you should drink plenty of water. (Up to 60 percent of the human body is water!) When you want a change from water, though, be sure to choose low-sugar/low-sodium drinks such as unsweetened iced tea.

Pay attention to labels and ingredients when you shop, since it’s another great way to make smart nutritional decisions! You want to choose “whole foods” rather than “processed foods,” because processed foods often have added sugar, salt, unhealthy fats, artificial flavors and preservatives. So instead of buying frozen french fries, go to the produce department, grab a bag of russet potatoes — or your favorite spuds — and make homemade baked-potato fries! (Just wash your potatoes [leave the skin on], cut them in long quarters, sprinkle with your favorite herbs/spices, spray a cookie sheet with a little bit of olive oil and bake at 350 degrees until cooked!)

While you might think it’s no big deal if you don’t get all the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables daily, consider this. A 2019 review published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that daily vegetable consumption can reduce symptoms of clinical depression. So eating spinach and carrots might not just make your body Popeye-strong or improve your night vision — research shows it impacts your mental well-being, too. That makes investing in good nutrition even more important! Click here to listen to our recorded January Mindful of Mental Health Webinar, The Connection Between Nutrition and Mental Health, to learn more about this topic.

What’s a Good Diet To Follow?

It likely won’t surprise you to learn there are thousands of diets on the Internet, but not all of them are healthy or smart. Check with your primary care physician before starting any new diet to be sure it’s a sensible one and won’t negatively affect your health.

However, amid the thousands of diets out there, many U.S. health agencies and medical professionals recommend two to improve overall health — the Mediterranean diet and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet.

The Mediterranean diet is named after its origins; the traditional eating habits of more than 15 countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. While there are differences in the diet among the countries, it typically includes:

Plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, potatoes, beans, nuts and seeds.
Olive oil (which may help the body remove excess cholesterol from the body and keep blood vessels open) as a primary fat source.
Dairy products, eggs, fish and poultry in low-to-moderate amounts.

Fish and poultry are more common than red meat in this diet along with minimal amounts of processed foods and many plant-based options. Another commonality among the countries eating this diet is serving fruit for dessert instead of cake, ice cream or other “treats.” You will, however, see wine included in low-to-moderate amounts, usually consumed with meals.

The Mediterranean diet can play a big role in preventing heart disease and stroke and reducing risk factors for obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

Many doctors, along with the U.S. National Institutes of Health, also recommend the DASH diet. It’s nutritionally balanced and encourages heart-healthy eating. The focus is on foods that lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and some types of cancer and help people reach and maintain a healthy weight.

Like the Mediterranean diet, DASH promotes vegetables, fruits and whole grains and includes foods that are good sources of calcium and protein. Fish and poultry — which have generally low levels of saturated fats — top the protein list. Fat-free and low-fat dairy products, along with beans and nuts, are also part of this diet. The DASH diet focuses on eating less sodium to help lower your blood pressure. Talk to your doctor to find out how much sodium you can have daily.

Fatty meats (beef, pork, lamb), full-fat dairy products (whole milk, whole-milk cheeses), sweets (cake, ice cream) and sugar-sweetened drinks, and tropical oils (coconut, palm) are suggested in very limited amounts.

Where Can I Find Out More?

If you want to learn more about the Mediterranean and/or DASH diets and what a meal plan might look like, click on the links below. And remember that even small changes can help provide your body the nutrition it needs!