nutrition month

nutrition month

What is nutrition month?

National Nutrition Month is a special health awareness campaign that is held every March. Created by the American Dietetic Association, the event is dedicated to bringing attention to various aspects of nutrition. This includes the importance of making informed food choices as well as developing and maintaining good eating habits. Apart from that, the campaign also works towards building awareness around the need for regular physical activity. The campaign was established in 1973, when it was just a week-long event. By 1980, national interest in nutrition had increased and so the week-long event was extended to a monthlong campaign.

Why It's Important?

National Nutrition Month isn't 'just another health thing'. The fact is that the majority of diseases that affect Americans today can be traced back to bad nutrition and unsound eating habits. Apart from that, a number of chronic conditions can be greatly improved by making healthy eating choices. By opting for a nutritionally sound diet, your body immediately gains access to higher energy levels. By breaking down components like carbohydrates, proteins, amino acids, vitamins and minerals, the body can repair and replenish itself. Unhealthy or junk foods don't provide anything that the body can use - apart from that; it needs to work twice as hard to push those extra toxins out of the body.

There is a very simple way to see how this works in real life. After a person has done a workout or played a hard game of basketball, the best thing they can do is drink water. Not only does it quench the thirst, it also re-hydrates the body and replenishes the mineral salts that were lost through sweating. The worst thing to do is have a soft drink. Its high sugar content actually robs the body of water and can cause muscles to cramp. If a person has had a soda after a long run, chances are that they will end up being thirstier with a bad leg cramp later on. Today it is probably harder than ever to eat right, especially when fast foods seem like a more convenient option to a healthy meal. But there are a number of tips you can keep in mind to incorporate more nutrition into your daily diet.

Nutrition Tips

You can celebrate your own health and National Nutrition Month by keeping a few helpful health hints in mind. First of all, think fresh. Stock up on fresh fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts. Store these in small containers in your fridge so that they are easily accessible when you want a quick snack. You can also take them with you to work or even if you're just going to take a long drive. Snacking on fruits, nuts and vegetables is a much healthier choice as they are fat and sugar free. Unlike junk food, snacking on healthy foods will actually kill hunger pangs rather than just mask them.

Most people tend to create their meals around the meat dishes they eat. Instead of doing this, try reducing the portions of meat and starch and increase the portions of fresh vegetables. Incorporating whole grains and cutting out things like ketchup and creamy salad dressings is also good. Using fresh herbs and spices for seasoning can not only be a tastier option, it's nutritionally sound as well. It's also a good idea to drink more water - avoid drinking artificially sweetened fruit juices or sodas. The more water you drink, the more toxins get flushed out of your body.

In situations where it just isn't possible to eat healthy, try and eat as healthy as you can. For example, instead of burgers, order a grilled cheese sandwich. Eating in a nutritionally sound way might be a little hard at first but you'll feel the difference right away. Celebrating National Nutrition Month is an effective way to get your health back on track.