If you eat only foods that wave the “I’m healthy” banner, then it is time to rethink your eating style. Your diet can become too narrow and actually exclude essential nutrients. You could be setting yourself up for a nutrient deficiency and serious health problems down the line.
For long-term health, the human body needs an adequate supply of all of the essential nutrients. To make it easier to make appropriate food choices, nutritionists developed food group systems. Eating a balanced variety of foods from all food groups increases the odds of meeting your need for all of the essential nutrients. Simply a diet of all “healthy foods” can be too narrow and leave out foods that are key nutrient sources.
Question: What is the best way to ensure your diet meets your personal nutrient needs?
Answer: Back in 2008, a small group of individuals on a governor-appointed committee called the Honolulu Subarea Health Planning Council asked themselves the same question. In response, the committee came up with what it called the “Got Nutrients?” campaign. This message strives to remind Hawaii’s young and old that to grow, thrive and age well, they need to eat foods that provide all the essential nutrients their body requires.
The committee was especially concerned with good nutrition for healthy aging, and in 2009 launched the “Got Nutrients?” website in conjunction with the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources at the University of Hawaii. This site, at www.gotnutrients.net, targets an intergenerational audience with a special focus on Hawaii’s kupuna. The website sports a short “daily tip” related to nutrition, fitness and health along with links to a popular article and a research-based reference related to the tip. Website visitors also can subscribe to receive the daily tip in their email. Now, with more than 1,500 daily tips archived on the website, searching the site for topics of interest can provide a great deal of practical and scientific information related to nutrition and health.
Q: What are the most important nutrition principles for a healthy life?
A: Variety, moderation and balance are the keys. These three words might not be as sexy as low-carb, fat-free, high-protein or six-pack abs, but eating this way increases your odds of getting those essential nutrients. Missing even one of these essential nutrients puts anyone’s health at risk, but especially our kupuna.
“Got Nutrients?” stresses eating a wide variety of foods and an assortment of foods within each and every food group (protein foods, calcium/dairy, fruits, vegetables, and grains). Because eating too much or too little of any nutrient (or any one food) can be harmful, “eat in moderation” is the motto. Good nutrition means eating “not too much, not too little, but just right.”
Finally, eat a balanced diet. Rather than a focus on “good” versus “bad” foods, aim for a balance of foods that meets all essential nutrient needs while maintaining a healthy weight.
Many people are confused by the messages to “eat more of this and less of that.” It is easy to misinterpret these messages as “eat only this and none of that.” The “Got Nutrients?” messages are designed to help people loosen up in a good way that can improve their nutrition and enjoyment of eating. A newly released short video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mFZ55jyMe0 targets our kupuna with the “Got Nutrients?” message.
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Alan Titchenal, Ph.D., C.N.S., and Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S., are nutritionists in the Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii-Manoa. Dobbs also works with University Health Services.
