Optimum Nutrition

Heather Toole

Mr. Valencic

ENGL 101

May 24, 2013
Optimum Nutrition

Reaching a state of optimum nutrition can completely change a person 's mind, body, and life. A sense of well-being can be achieved no matter what age, gender or race a person is. It 's never too late to change the type of life a person lives in order to create something better. A state of optimum nutrition and well-being can be characterized by consistently high energy levels, a clear mind and a focus and desire to get out in the world and live a fit and healthy life. In the process of reaching optimum nutrition a person can learn to be fully aware of what suits their body, what enhances their health and what they may need at any given moment. Notice the word "need" being used instead of the word "want". It is important that a person realizes the difference between what they want or crave and what their body actually needs. It is vital that people start looking at food as fuel for their body versus a source of enjoyment, fulfillment or comfort. If a person thinks only about putting in their body what would enhance their health, fitness, performance and overall appearance on a daily basis, their life would likely be much more enjoyable and they would feel full of energy and ready to tackle the day from the moment they wake up without a single drop of coffee or tea.

Patrick Holford (The Optimum Nutrition Bible) writes, "Your body is composed entirely of molecules derived from food." A person is said to consume 100 tons of food in their lifetime. This is broken down by enzyme-rich secretions in the digestive tract which are produced at a rate of about ten liters per day. Macronutrients and micronutrients are absorbed through the digestive tract, whose health depends on what a person consumes. A person 's nutritional status determines their capacity to adapt and maintain health. If a person were to consume fast food on a daily basis, said person would likely experience many symptoms of sub-optimum nutrition which results from eating overly processed foods and not feeding the body the nutrients it needs. These symptoms can include but are not limited to headaches, fatigue, mood swings, low energy levels, depression, sleep disorders, poor focus, high blood pressure and lack of strength.

Optimum nutrition is when a person gives themselves the best possible intake of nutrients to allow their body to be as healthy as possible and to perform as well as it can each day. A person does not have to be a vegetarian or take supplements or avoid eating any particular food in order to achieve this, although in some cases such advice would be appropriate. Each individual 's needs are unique and depend on a bunch of different factors, from the strengths and weaknesses that a person was born with to the effects that his or her current environment has on their body. For example, an athlete would reach optimum nutrition by consuming a diet filled with complex carbs such as sweet potatoes, pastas, whole grain brown rice and oatmeal along with proteins such as cheese, unless lactose intolerant, chicken, steak, fish and yogurt and natural fats that come from nut butters, nuts, avocados, olive oil and coconut oil. And just like every other person out there, an athlete also needs lots of vegetables. The most nutritious veggies are broccoli, spinach, asparagus, zucchini, peppers, carrots and cucumbers. For the average person to reach optimum nutrition, they would consume the same type foods as an athlete only in smaller portions so their daily intake of carbs, proteins and fats would be much less than an athlete due to the fact that an athlete uses up a lot more energy than the average person and therefore needs more nutrients to continuously fuel their body 's needs.

"The problem is that we are genetically adapted to eat what the hunter-gatherers ate. Many of our health problems today are the direct result of what we do and do not eat", writes Loren Cordain, Ph.D. (The Paleo Diet). If a person wants to completely change their life through attaining a level of optimum nutrition it would be best if they skipped the fast food on lunch breaks, avoided the junk food isles and shopped only on the exterior isles of the grocery store, purchasing only food in it 's freshest most natural state. If a food grows from the ground, a tree, a plant or in animal form it is the safest and most nutrient dense food a person can consume. Food is meant to be fuel for the human body, not poison. A clean and healthy diet is not cheap by any means. People need to be willing to spend a few extra dollars at the grocery store if it means living a longer, healthier, more active life and spending less money on hospital bills and medications to help mask problems that consuming cheap food causes.

Works Cited

Cordain, Loren. The Paleo Diet, 2011.
Holford, Patrick. The Optimum Nutrition Bible, 2004

Cited: Cordain, Loren. The Paleo Diet, 2011. Holford, Patrick. The Optimum Nutrition Bible, 2004