Food and Nutrients
12 Factors affecting Nutrition and Health
Your diet is good, your nutrition knowledge is sound, you are eating a variety of vegetables, fruit and protein, you drink enough water and you exercise. You are doing the right things so why don’t you feel 100%?
You are not alone, whilst we know more about food than any other time in history and we are exposed to so much information about food, diet and nutrition why is that chronic health diseases are on the rise?
As a naturopath, nutritionist, nurse and Chinese medicine practitioner I am assessing my clients’ health and diet on a constant basis. This may take form in several ways and no matter how healthy someone is or how much they are doing the right thing there is often something underlying that is affecting one’s nutrition and health status.
Thus I am sharing some of the common underlying factors that I come across daily in my clinical practice that could be affecting your nutritional status despite having a pretty good diet:
- Excess alcohol or caffeinated beverages that deplete water soluble nutrients by increasing urinary excretion.
- If you are following or have previously followed a strict diet for weight loss, body building, sport, food allergies or religious practices which may mean that food intake is unbalanced or restricted
- Different life stages that affect food intake and specific nutritional requirements such as pregnancy, birth, breast feeding, menopause and menstruation
- Poor digestion or digestive disorders that may limit the ability to obtain nutrients from food
- Inborn genetic factors which may increase the need for specific nutrients. For example pyrroles, MTHFR
- Illness which can increase the demand for specific nutrients
- Prescription medication or illicit drugs which may affect digestion or metabolism of nutrients. For example the Pill, cholesterol medication, antacids and the list goes on.
- Poor quality soil which depletes the mineral content of plant based food especially selenium and iodine (necessary for thyroid, breast and prostate health)
- Boiling or over cooking food that depletes essential nutrients
- A fast paced hectic lifestyle
- Smoking or exposure to pollutants, heavy metals or toxins
- Strenuous exercise or heavy physical work
If you feel any of these factors or something else could be impacting your nutritional status then it is worth while making some changes or looking to have your health assessed!
“As Eating is an opportunity to nourish your body”