Definition & Importance of Nutrition
The process of ingesting, digesting, absorbing, and assimilating nutrients is required for tissue growth and repair and to replenish the body’s energy expenditures, which is known as nutrition. Nutrition is one of the essential factors of human health, ensuring adequate growth and development in childhood (Whitney, 2021).
Further, it is responsible for the high working capacity of the adult population and the active longevity of the elderly and older adults. An individual gets their energy and the building blocks for their body from nutrition. These substances regulate metabolic processes, growth, and restoration of vital activity, which is why its importance is due. Proper nutrition improves a person’s health and physical and spiritual strength, prevents diseases, and slows aging.
Characteristics of a Healthy Diet
A healthy diet is a full-fledged diet in which all the necessary products must be present. Such products are meat, cereals, dairy products, fruits, vegetables, and nuts. It is vital to cut back on animal fats, for instance, by substituting vegetable oils for them (Whitney, 2021). For proper nutrition, sweets, sodas, and semi-finished products should be avoided. The main rule of a healthy diet is to fortify food as much as possible (Whitney, 2021). For example, this can be achieved by increasing the consumption of seasonal vegetables, fruits, and berries so the body will not experience vitamin deficiency. One should limit their intake of pure sugar and salt. It is better to replace confectionery sweets with honey, dried fruits, and salt with spices.
Factors Influencing Food Choice
Geographical Location
Nutrition standards divide the climatic zones into central, southern, and northern. The energy demand of the population of the northern zone exceeds that of the central zone by 10-15% (Chen & Antonelli, 2020). Thus, the demand for fats for the population of the northern zone has increased in absolute and relative terms. Compared with the central zone, the energy demand is reduced by 5% for the southern zone due to a decrease in the proportion of fats replaced by carbohydrates (Chen & Antonelli, 2020). Most national dishes are prepared from products available in this region (Chen & Antonelli, 2020). Each kitchen has both rules of cooking and methods of processing products.
Genetics
Genetic factors can affect food tolerance or cause severe allergies. In this case, the main requirement in treating food intolerance is to exclude the food source causing an adverse reaction from the diet (Chen & Antonelli, 2020). For example, lactose or gluten intolerance can be transmitted genetically (Chen & Antonelli, 2020). Patients with these diseases must exclude dairy or flour products from the diet.
Hinduism Food Culture
Restrictions
India is a vegetarian country with an overwhelming population that consumes only plant foods. Such ideas became popular precisely during the substantial spread of Hinduism in the country. This decision is based on the Vedic culture, which gave rise to these moral guidelines and forbade eating meat and fish (Cohen, 2021). The ideas of careful attitude in Hinduism gave the basis to the concept that it is prohibited to eat living beings (Cohen, 2021).
Instead, one can consume vegetable food and get all the elements and vitamins necessary for the body. Thus, followers of Hinduism adhere to this diet, from which meat and fish are excluded. It differs from strict forms of vegetarianism, which include the rejection of food for the production of which animals are not killed but exploited. Hinduism permits the consumption of dairy products and eggs.
Barriers to Healthy Nutrition
Difficulties in achieving a healthy diet in Hinduism are associated with the fact that if one removes meat from the diet, the balance of protein, fat, and carbohydrate consumption will be disrupted. With an apparent lack of protein, there will be a clear preponderance of carbohydrates as the primary source of energy (Cohen, 2021). This imbalance can lead to several disorders and diseases (Cohen, 2021). For example, plant calcium is absorbed poorly, leading to osteoporosis, bone fragility, and fractures.
Alternatives
To overcome dietary restrictions, it is necessary to adhere to the principles of competent vegetarianism. A person should receive sufficient amounts of all 13 vitamins, essential amino acids not synthesized in the body, and minerals such as iron, zinc, and calcium (Cohen, 2021). Vegetarians often do not receive some vitamins and micronutrients when eating plant-based foods.
However, some of them can be obtained in the form of dietary supplements and fortified products. Proteins are essential nutrients for humans. Their deficiency in the diet can harm all body systems (Cohen, 2021). Non-vegetarians get protein mainly from meat, dairy products, and eggs. Hindus can replace meat with legumes, whole grain products, buckwheat, quinoa, tofu, and pumpkin seeds to get proteins (Cohen, 2021). Thus, it will be possible to maintain a diet in which the balance of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates is thought out.
References
Chen, P. J., & Antonelli, M. (2020). Conceptual models of food choice: Influential factors related to foods, individual differences, and society. Foods, 9(1898), 1-21. Web.
Cohen, A. B. (2021). You can learn a lot about religion from foody. Current Opinion in Psychology, 40(1), 1-5. Web.
Whitney, E. (2021). Understanding nutrition (16th ed.). Cengage Learning US.
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