Purpose Statement
Nutrition is the process through which important food materials that organisms need in order to remain alive are supplied into their bodies. In human medicine and science, nutrition refers to the practice or science of taking in and using food. In hospitals, it may refer to patients’ food needs, comprising of nutritional solutions which are administered through intragastric or intravenus tubes.
In addition, nutrition looks at how problems, diseases and certain conditions can be avoided through eating healthy foods. It identifies how certain dietary factors may lead to health complications. As a result, people should be sensitive about what they eat in order to remain healthy and avoid diseases which are caused by particular eating habits. The purpose of this paper is to encourage people to stay healthy by eating healthy foods.
This paper targets general users because nutrition issues affect everybody in the society. It starts with children, teenagers, adults and the elderly people. When individuals from each of these groups do not eat healthy foods, they become vulnerable to diseases that result from poor eating habits. The paper therefore addresses the general public on how to stay healthy by eating healthy foods that do not pose health risks to them.
I am addressing the general public both as an informer and an advocate. As an informer, my intention is to give people important information about nutrition and how they can adopt healthier eating habits. This is because majority of them do not have enough information about nutrition and how they can eat healthy foods. This poses numerous health risks to them. As an advocate, I would endeavor to convince them to adopt eating habits that I would suggest to them for the sake of their health.
The paper intends to explain to people some of the critical areas of nutrition they need to be aware of in order to stay healthy. As mentioned earlier, most people experience healthy problems due to the fact that they do not have adequate information about nutrition. As a result, they go ahead to practice wrong eating habits that are detrimental to their health. Explaining to people about issues of nutrition and eating habits would be beneficial to them.
Literature Review
Different academic sources have given more information about nutrition and the benefits of eating healthy foods. Eating healthy foods makes it possible for our bodies to function well since their functioning relies on energy derived from food eaten. Eating healthy foods is important in our bodies because of the following reasons.
Energy Source
Stored energy that is found in foods is measured in terms of calories. For the body to perform normal functions such as breathing, walking, thinking and other functions, it requires energy which is obtained from calories. Foods that have equal quantities of nutrients and calories make a balanced diet. Carbohydrates, fats and proteins are the most important foods for energy. Once carbohydrates get into the body, they supply energy in form of glucose. Complex carbohydrates play an important role of balancing nutrients and calories in the body.
Management of Weight
Eating healthy foods plays an important role in maintaining a reasonable body weight. Excessive consumption of foods that contain a lot of fats and sugar may cause obesity. Although calories are important sources of energy, empty ones can also cause weight gain. Empty calories are calories that are obtained from foods whose nutritional value is small. Habits such as missing breakfast, failure to exercise and high intake of calories lead to weight gain. It is therefore important to balance calories and nutrients in order to provide the body with energy necessary for normal functioning while ensuring that there is no addition of weight (Gregory, 2013).
Prevention of Diseases
It is important to eat healthy foods in order to avoid some diseases like diabetes and heart problems which are caused by unhealthy eating. Foods with high amounts of cholesterol pose a healthy risk to individuals because this interferes with their blood. Fried meat and alcohol increase chances of individuals getting particular types of cancer like liver cancer. In addition, foods that lead to weight gain have an indirect link with cancer (Hanes, 2011).
Mood and Cognition
Healthy foods enable individuals to function properly as well as improving their thinking. Foods that have a high content of antioxidants are important in production of neurons among elderly people and also enhance communication among brain cells, which improves cognitive functioning.
The diet taken by an individual also contributes towards mood and health of the mind. Eating healthy foods reduces depression, dysthymia and anxiety disorders. This implies that people should avoid alcohol, sugary and processed foods. Studies have also shown that foods rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains reduce chances of suffering from psychological malaise among women (Insel & Turner, 2004).
Effects of Poor Nutrition on our Bodies
Poor nutrition and eating unhealthy foods might have serious consequences on our health. The first effect of eating unhealthy foods is decrease in metabolism rate. Metabolic rate is important because it makes it possible for food in the body to be burned. When individuals take wrong foods, this reduces their metabolic rate due to toxins that enter the body. The second effect of taking unhealthy foods is the problem of obesity. Obesity is a condition that brings numerous challenges to the victims hence it should be avoided by eating healthy foods.
The third effect of eating unhealthy foods is that body immunity becomes weak. This exposes an individual to agents that cause diseases and other infections. In the long run, the body might degenerate gradually due to lack of ability to prevent infections. The fourth effect of eating unhealthy foods is that it causes reproductive problems among women. Overweight women experience problems such miscarriages. It is therefore important to eat healthy foods in order to avoid the above mentioned problems which are caused by eating unhealthy foods (Why Eat Healthy?, 2012).
Healthy Foods Needed by the Body
To avoid problems associated with eating unhealthy foods, it is important for individuals to be aware of healthy foods that their bodies need. Some of the healthiest foods that our bodies need include eggs, fat-free milk, salmon, vegetables, Greek yoghurt, lean beef, beans, oatmeal and nuts. These foods give our bodies the energy it requires and also prevent diseases.
For instance, eggs provide our bodies with nutrients that are not easily obtained from other sources. The nutrients prevent diseases like cancer. Milk is rich in calcium which helps in development of bones and controls fats while lean beef is a reliable source of iron. Lack of iron in the body is associated with anaemia. Lean beef is also rich in B vitamins and zinc which assist in the process of converting food into energy. It is therefore important for individuals to consistently consume the above foods instead of unhealthy ones because this is what our bodies need (Greathouse, 2011).
Research Methods
Research involves going to the field to collect data on a particular subject. Different research areas require different research methods hence the type of research to be conducted determines the research methods to be used. For purposes of this research, quantitative research method would be used to collect information from different groups of people. Quantitative research essentially applies numerical analysis. The researcher has information of what is being researched on before going to the field which makes it possible for a careful design before actual data collection.
Quantitative research applies scientific research methods among them constructing model hypotheses of anticipated findings, identifying methods of measuring collected information, data collection, analysis and evaluation of findings. Quantitative research is advantageous since data collected can be generalized to cover a large number of people. It also gives researchers an opportunity to test various hypotheses.
Research Design
In order to conduct the study successfully, a suitable research design would be required. A research design helps in ensuring that research is conducted systematically covering all crucial areas. The first step in the research design is statement of the problem. This defines the reason behind the research since no research can be conducted without first establishing an area that needs to be researched on. The second step is literature review to understand the topic in details.
This would also help to identify what has already been done by other researchers on the topic. The third step is statement of hypothesis for the study. The fourth step is data collection in the field where different methods would be used to collect it. After data collection, the fifth step is analysis of the data collected. Finally, findings of the research together with recommendations would be prepared.
Conducting Field Research
There are different ways through which field research would be conducted. The first method is use of questionnaires. Questionnaires are designed before field work begins and contain both open-ended and closed questions which are answered by respondents. They are advantageous since they make it possible for a lot of information to be collected within a short period of time.
They are also objective and can be distributed to a wider population.The second method that would be used to collect data in the field is interviews. Interviews provide detailed information and give the interviewer an opportunity to get clarifications from the respondents. Through interviews, the researcher would also be able to get the feelings and attitudes of respondents towards nutrition in general and different feeding habits.
Conclusion
Nutrition is very important because it enables us to acquire the energy that we need for various body functions. Most people do not understand the types of foods that they are supposed to eat hence they end up consuming foods that put their health at risk. In order to remain healthy, it is important to know foods that improve our healthy and those which can expose us to sicknesses. It is important to look after our health by eating healthy foods.
References
Greathouse, L. (2011). Eat Healthy. Los Angeles: Teacher Created Materials.
Gregory, H. (2013). Healthy Eating. New York: Capstone.
Hanes, T. (2011). Reasons Why It Is Important to Eat Healthy Foods to Stay Healthy.
Insel, P., & Turner, E. (2004). Nutrition 2e. New York: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Why Eat Healthy? (2012).