Nutrition is the intake of food, considered in relation to the body’s dietary needs. Good nutrition – an adequate, well balanced diet combined with regular physical activity – is a cornerstone of good health. Poor nutrition can lead to reduced immunity, increased susceptibility to disease, impaired physical and mental development, and reduced productivity.
Did you know?
March is National Nutrition Month!
This month, and every month really, should be all about being more nutritious conscious. The first two months of 2015 have been busier than expected for me and my household, and it seems that I’m in need of a bit of rejuvenation already.
Whether or not you’re feeling the same, let’s look at the beginning of March as a fresh start! Hopefully, spring will rear it’s beauty soon and and we can all get motivated to get back in the gym, if you’ve been lacking in that area like I have been too. In the mean time, let’s focus on nutrition this month and continually educate ourselves so that we can sustain a lifestyle of eating well. Take a look at the five (5) websites below as a good starting point for the journey; for adults (and their children).
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
The focus here is on food, health and fitness. As the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals, there is a wealth of information to be found about nutrition throughout eatright.org. “The Academy has over 75,000 members — registered dietitian nutritionists, dietetic technicians, registered, and other dietetics professionals holding undergraduate and advanced degrees in nutrition and dietetics, and students — and is committed to improving the nation’s health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education and advocacy.”
MyPlate
The USDA replaced the food pyramid with MyPlate in 2011, and has made efforts to make the consumer more aware of the food choices that they make. “ChooseMyPlate.gov provides practical information to individuals, health professionals, nutrition educators, and the food industry to help consumers build healthier diets with resources and tools for dietary assessment, nutrition education, and other user-friendly nutrition information.”
World Health Organization (WHO)
This site provides information about health, in general; from food and nutrition, to vaccines and diseases, and more. “WHO is the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations system. It is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring and assessing health trends.”
Your Kid’s Table
This website is a personal favorite, and is designed to help parents improve kid’s eating. The site owner is a pediatric occupational therapist, with children of her own, who offers tools and practical information about feeding kids.
A few of my favorite, informative posts from yourkidstable.com:
It is my hope that you’ll take the time to make nutrition a priority for you, and your family, this March. Browse each site throughout the month and make an effort to make changes towards a healthier lifestyle, one meal at a a time!
“National Nutrition Month® (NNM) is a nutrition education and information campaign sponsored annually by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The campaign is designed to focus attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits. NNM also promotes the Academy and its members to the public and the media as the most valuable and credible source of timely, scientifically based food and nutrition information.”
Nice post!