Healthy diet for the Yuletide

To begin with, I thick it is appropriate for us to give thanks to the almighty GOD, who has made it possible for us to see the end of another year. To Him be all the glory.

This is a period that comes with a lot of merry-making, partying and a lot of eating and drinking. If you can take stock of what people eat and drink at this time, you would discover that there are more acidic components than healthy things. Thanks be to GOD who has made it possible for these acids and toxins to be eliminated from the body.

Today, I want to bring to the fore certain factors that should guide us while planning what to eat at this Christmas and the New Year coming. Water does not have any substitute. The only remedy to dehydration is water. In all the partying and merrymaking, when you become thirsty, take a break from the beverages and drink good old water. Indeed, make sure you remain well hydrated throughout by drinking water as often as you should.

The macronutrients – carbohydrates, proteins and fats, are mainly for the production of energy for the workings in the body. In the process of generating this energy, wastes known as free radicals are usually released. These free radicals are disease forming and every effort must be made to neutralize them. A lot of other wastes, acidic wastes and toxins are released in the cells from the numerous chemical reactions that take place there. There is a lot more that the macronutrients are involved in, but space will not permit that all be mentioned.

Now to the micronutrients: these include the vitamins, minerals, enzymes, fibre, phytonutrients and so on. These micronutrients are in the main, the compounds that ensure the wellbeing of the individual. For example, the antioxidants, which are the compounds that supply an electron to the free radical, are found mainly among the vitamins. These electrons balance the free radicals and render them ineffective. Not only that, the vitamins also plays very significant roles in boosting the immunity of the body.

The minerals found in the body, referred to as trace elements act as co-factors in the biochemical and enzymatic reactions that take place in the body. In the absence of these minerals, a lot of these reactions will either not take place or they may be slow or incomplete. Such will lead to one type of chronic degenerative disease or the other. Enzymes are needed as catalysts in digestion of food eaten. Without these enzymes, digestion will be incomplete and partially digested food particles will be deposited in the colon where they can cause a lot more generation of acids.

Among the micronutrients are fibre that help to speed up the passage of faecal matter through the colon. This prevents constipation and acid build up and by extension diseases such as cancer. Also, like we found out recently, when I discussed the normal bacterial flora in the colon, these fibres also act as substrates for the bacteria for energy production, increase in their colony and their activities in the colon. Phytonutrients are very important in their role in disease prevention in the human body. Some have played more curative roles.

Having said that, it becomes very clear that in planning a meal at this period when human beings consume a lot of different things, there has to be a bit of all the components of those things that make up a meal for humans. A combination of the macronutrients and micronutrients is definitely inevitable. In discussing this kind of meal, one would have to bear in mind that there are those who are more or less healthy and the few that may have a metabolic disease such as diabetes.

Until I come your way next week Thursday, just bear in mind that you need more of the micronutrients than you are already having. Merry Christmas to you all.