Controlling Our Food Habits - Research Paper Example

Controlling Our Food Habits Table of Contents Introduction 1 Thesis Statement 2 Discussion 2 Advantages of Controlling Food Habits 2 Disadvantages of Not Controlling the Food Habits 6 Recommendations 8 Conclusion 9 Works Cited 11 Bibliography 13 Introduction Controlling foods habits is not an easy task. It is a long term process and in order to control food habits, one should know the requirements of their body. Food controlling does not only mean to eat less, but also means to eat healthy food in small proportions. An individual should take enough time to have food which also includes chewing the food properly. In order to make a good food habit, one should also have sufficient amount of water. It has been observed that drinking water while having food helps the individuals to consume lesser amount of food and also facilitates in digestion of the food (Helpguide.org, “Healthy Eating”). Controlling food habits is extremely important for an individual because uncontrolled food habits can lead to either over-weight or weightlessness. Moreover, consumption of sufficient amount of nutrients is very much necessary for an individual depending upon his/her physical characteristics and activities. Controlling food habits do not only mean to be concerned with measuring the everyday calories, it can also be controlled by having variety of healthy and fresh foods in required proportions (Helpguide.org, “Healthy Eating”). Thesis Statement This research is based on the questions addressing how food habits can be controlled and what can be the outcomes of not controlling the food habits. A few recommendations have also been given in this project about what should be consumed and what should not be consumed to maintain a healthy diet. Discussion Advantages of Controlling Food Habits The food consumed on a daily basis does not only keep people alive but also helps them to be healthy, energetic at work and contended as well. To lead a healthy and happy life, it is very much necessary to generate adequate awareness about the kind and quantity of food that should be consumed by an individual. The average amount of nutritional requirements of individuals are fixed depending upon certain features of that person such as gender, age, weight, height and the amount of physical activity that the individual usually performs. Food is basically something which has a chemical composition, which, after digestion provides the body, the material required to produce energy and also to promote growth in the body. Good health is a very important factor for leading a good life. It keeps a person happy and energetic, which will allow him to work attentively and as a result will facilitate in leading a prosperous life. Now-a-days it can be seen that people are becoming increasingly concerned about their food habits with a keen desire of living healthy. This habit is positively expected to result in individuals to live a longer span life and acquire more from their surroundings. However, there are still some individuals who are not aware of the benefits of controlling food habits and eating healthy (Helpguide.org, “Healthy Eating”). In this regards, it is worth mentioning that the human body is comprised of a very complex mechanism which requires to be taken special care of. Fundamentally, a healthy diet acts at the root of a healthy life. The food that we eat undoubtedly affects the body as well as mind and thus, taking healthy food is most likely to enhance the performance of the mind and body. It can be assured that an individual will not get his/her total nutritional requirement from one or two selected food stuffs. It is because of this reason that one should control his/her food habits in order to satisfy the nutritional requirements of the body. It is highly essential to maintain a balance in the intake quantity of the food items consumed on the basis of the required nutritional components. Hence, it is necessary to appropriately select from the wide range of food items available and eat those as required on a daily basis. It is worth mentioning in this context that healthy eating habits can serve an individual in living a longer life and can also reduce his/her health complications (Healthyeatingwisdom.Com, “Healthy Eating Benefits You In Countless Ways”). Apart from eating healthy it is also required to avoid food items which are tough for the human body to digest. From a generalized point of view, a healthy diet should consist of a variety of food items including vegetables, fruits, meat and fishes; however, avoiding toxic food items such as processed foods. It is very essential that an ideal healthy diet is to be balanced in terms of calories needed and energy expended. According to the report published by Roberts & Barnard (2005), it was found that in western societies the leading cause of immature death is most cases related to chronic illness which were mainly caused due to improper and unhealthy food habits (Roberts & Barnard, “Effects of Exercise and Diet on Chronic Disease”). Roberts & Barnard (2005) further stated that the advantages of controlling food habits or having a healthy diet are limitless. Healthy food habits can reduce the chances of getting ill enhancing the immunity of a human body. Even in certain few cases, the risk of being affected by cancer can also be minimized by controlling the food habits. However, only by eating sufficient amount of food one cannot feel energetic and stay healthy, but controlling the food habits by consuming the required nutrients can keep an individual active as well as energetic in the long run. Healthy habits of eating can also facilitate in having a peaceful sleep. On the contrary, eating more than the requirement of body can make people uncomfortable for the reason that the body has to work more to digest the extra amount of food. This in turn facilitates the increased storage of fat in the human body and can also cause obesity in the long run. Moreover, the chances of becoming obese are reduced by controlling the food habits. It is in this context that the amount of stamina that an individual possesses greatly depends upon the food consumed. Healthy habits of eating tend to enhance the stamina of a person which may help that person to deal with more physical pressure and perform lots of activities (Macera & Et. Al. “Promoting Healthy Eating and Physical Activity for a Healthier Nation”). Food habits also have an effect on the skin texture and skin tone. Persons with healthy food habits are likely to have a fairer and clearer skin. The advantages of healthy food habits are endless and can even reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. However, it is not quite easy to control the food habits as it has been observed that usually healthy food items are more expensive and many a times an individual may find the food stuffs boring and thus prove to be reluctant to consume the food items. Whereas, junk foods are easily available at lower prices and most of the individuals usually find it satisfactory to suppress their craving in this regards (Dayan, “Beauty from Within: Effect of Lifestyle on Skin Health”). Disadvantages of Not Controlling the Food Habits Same as the advantages of good food habits, the disadvantages of not controlling food habits are also present. Bad eating habits have a negative effect on the health. The metabolism of the human body can suffer by a large extent as the consequences of practicing bad eating habits. The human body is made from the foods that are being consumed, due to which eating healthy is very important for the optimum growth and functioning of the body. In addition, unhealthy food habits can result into a dull looking individual with an unclear skin. Among bad food habits, eating junk food is a case that can be observed in the lifestyle for majority of the individuals. Eating too much of junk food can lead to obesity very easily and thus can result in laziness and inactiveness of the individuals at their work places and even in their personal lifestyles. Foods that contain too much of fat and cholesterol can lead the artilleries to grow narrower as a result of plaque formation on the artery walls. Irregular eating is also a common disadvantageous food habit which increases the amount of fat in the body and results in weight gain (Macera & Et. Al. “Promoting Healthy Eating and Physical Activity for a Healthier Nation”). A person who is careless regarding his/her food habits can often suffer from food poisoning. This generally happens when an individual eats excessively or takes meal irregularly. Therefore, it can be affirmed that the risk of being affected by diseases also increases if a person does not control his/her food habits. Some of the most common diseases found among those who practice bad food habits are high cholesterol, diabetes, blood pressure and other heart diseases as well. Sleeping disorders are also observed among the individuals who adopt bad eating habits. Many a times, the individuals suffering from obesity get depressed about their weight and start starving considering strategy to be a diet plan. However, they are not aware of the fact that starving or skipping meals is also a kind of bad food habits which can be tremendously harmful for the human body as well as for the human mind. Bad eating habits create a shortage in minerals and vitamins in the body and gradually decrease the health status of the body. Bad food habits also have some severe other adverse effects such as immature death and heart attacks even at a very young age (Macera & Et. Al. “Promoting Healthy Eating and Physical Activity for a Healthier Nation”). As a consequence of unhealthy dietary habits, obesity in young individuals can lead in early beginning of type 2 diabetes and heart attacks even at the adolescent age of a person. Behind this kind of health conditions, there can be two major reasons such as unhealthy eating and lack of physical exercise. It is worth mentioning that lack of physical exercise also tends to accumulate with the consequences of unhealthy diet consumption increasing the negative impacts of eating habits on the human body. When a person consumes food items or drink beverages containing sugar, salt and preservatives in large quantities, they also risk their physical health. For instance, if a person does not control his/her food habits, the immune system of that person reduces making him/her more exposed to the risk of suffering from diseases easily (Harrold, J. “Health”). In case of a woman who is overweight, complications arise while conceiving a child. During childhood, people are noticed to be least bothered about their food habits, the result of which can be identified with the developing age. Obesity is not the only consequence led by harmful food habits. Losing weight abnormally is also a very common consequence of bad food habit. It is due to the fact that bad food habits have an adverse effect on the metabolism of the body. Metabolism refers to the rate at which the body can burn the food that has been consumed and provide the necessary calories and energy to the body. Therefore, if a person practices bad eating habits for a long period of time, it may happen that after a certain phase his/her body fails to produce the required amount of nutrients out of the food consumed. This results in the deficiency of nutritional components and weaker immune system in individuals (Harrold, J. “Health”). Recommendations An individual while choosing the food items should be careful enough to make sure that the body gets all the calories necessary to supply the energy required. It is also very much necessary to understand the fact that the body needs all nutrients in a specific amount. Both increase and decrease of these nutrients can cause a pessimistic impact on the body. It is better to consider a whole day or even a whole week as a standard unit to plan the meals. Notably, with this method, the daily requirement of the body can be well identified and requisite measures can be applied likewise. It is not advisable to take the same kind food more than once a day until and unless the form of that food is changed. As mentioned before, people should not concentrate only on a single kind of nutrient in one meal. Every meal should have all the necessary nutritional components in the required proportion. Food items such as dry fruits and milk should be taken in small quantities after regular meals rather than eating them all at a time in a single meal (Health N Wealth, “Food Habits”). Furthermore, it is not advisable to starve on a regular basis for any reason as it has a significant adverse effect on the body as well as on the human mind. In most of the instances, it has been observed that instead of maintaining a regular healthy and adequate food habit, people often skip meals with a view that it will result in a good health and assist them to maintain their weight. It is worth mentioning that bad food habits can be observed in most of the children those who stay at homes while their parents go out for work. This is because many a times the parents leave them alone in the house with some money and let them choose their own food. In case of adults, especially for the individuals taking too much of alcohol, it has been noticed that they suffer from various health issues. The nutritional requirements of every individual are different depending upon the mental and physical activities that he/she performs in his/her day to day life. All these factors should be taken into consideration while planning the adequate diet. Notably, experts’ view can also be of significant value to enhance the health conditions with regards to the regular food habits of individuals (Health N Wealth, “Food Habits”). Conclusion Food habits are extremely important factors upon which the life of an individual depends. In order to lead a healthy and longer life due to which one should have sufficient control over his/her food habits. Food habits affect the lives of human beings in several different ways. For instance, the appearance of an individual is dependent upon what and how he/she eats. Eating habits also has an affect over the life span of a person. In this regards, it has been visibly noticed that individuals with good eating habits are likely to live a longer life than those who do not control their food habits. To develop food habits is not very easy and cannot be developed instantly. It takes immense amount of dedication, practice and time to develop healthy food habits that are beneficial to the body. Controlling food habits or maintaining a healthy diet does not only mean to consume less food and take the pain of starving. Good food habit refers to a diet that provides an individual with the sufficient amount of useful nutrients needed by the body. Individuals with bad food habits are likely to be over weighted or under weighted. In both the cases, the individuals are found to be less active and lazy which obstructs them from working properly in work places and also in other activities of their daily lives (Harrold, J. “Health”). Works Cited Dayan, Nava. “Beauty from Within: Effect of Lifestyle on Skin Health.” Cosmeticscope 18.2 (2012). Harrold, Jenni. Health R.I.C. Publications, 1999. Helpguide. “Healthy Eating”. April 13, 2012. Easy Tips for Planning A Healthy Diet And Sticking To It, No Date. HealthyEatingWisdom. “Healthy Eating Benefits You in Countless Ways”. April 13, 2012. healthyEatingWisdom.com, 2012. Health N Wealth. “Food Habits”. April 13, 2012. Health N Wealth, No Date. Macera, Carol A. “Promoting Healthy Eating And Physical Activity For A Healthier Nation”. April 13, 2012. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010. Roberts, Christian K. & Barnard, R. James. “Effects Of Exercise And Diet On Chronic Disease.” Journal of Applied Physiology 98.3–30 (2005). Bibliography Botelho, Rick. Motivate Healthy Habits: Stepping Stones To Lasting Change MHH Publications, 2004. Read More