How Food Is Important to Our Well-Being

Food is any material consumed to supply nutrients to an organism for a proper growth and maintenance. It includes all living material that has a carbon base, including vegetable matter, whole grains, roots, fruits, seeds, leaves, and nuts. Food is also generally of animal, plant or fungi origin, and has various nutrients, including protein, vitamins, carbohydrates, fats, and minerals.

Almost every living tissue on earth consists of a combination of different elements. Vegetables and fruits are the common, primary food sources of this elemental variety. Protein is the most important component of food, supplying the majority of the calories that we consume. Other important components include fat and carbohydrates, providing energy to our bodies, and regulating body temperature and maintaining our body’s balance of fluids and chemicals. A well-balanced diet is necessary to maintain health and allow us to live normally.

The main difference between the traditional diet and a healthy food diet is the increased intake of fibre. Typical diets usually contain little or none of the recommended macronutrients and almost none of the recommended minerals, because they come from processed, refined or commercially manufactured foods, which are typically heavily refined, high in sugar, and low in fibre. By replacing the highly processed, refined and prepared foods with fresh, natural whole foods, we can greatly improve our health and dramatically increase our nutrition. A well-balance diet containing adequate amounts of the main macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fats) plus plenty of fibre is a great way to improve your health and prevent illness.