How can one balance good nutrition with sustainability?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am interested in adopting a healthy diet that is also sustainable. Can you explain how I can balance good nutrition with sustainability? What foods should I focus on to ensure I am getting the nutrients I need while also being environmentally friendly? How can I incorporate more sustainable practices into my eating habits? Are there specific dietary guidelines or tips for making my diet both healthy and sustainable? What are the benefits of choosing a diet that supports both my health and the environment?

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern.

Diet refers to the total amount of food consumed by the individual, whereas nutrition is the process of utilizing food for growth, metabolism, and repair of tissues. The relationship between diet nutrition and health is two-way; health status can be affected by nutrient deficiency and vice versa.

A healthy diet includes the following: fruit, vegetables, legumes (e.g., lentils and beans), nuts, and whole grains (e.g., unprocessed maize, millet, oats, wheat, and brown rice). At least 400 g (i.e., five portions) of fruit and vegetables per day (two), excluding potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava, and other starchy roots.

Evidence is now accumulating that supports a link between diet and brain processes such as our thinking or cognitive skills. Specific nutrients in food - such as omega-3 fatty acids, flavonoids, vitamins B, D, and E, and choline - have been associated with improved cognitive function in older people. Such dietary factors can affect the way our brain cells communicate, and this may be the reason for the effects on cognitive function.

These are examples of foods that these nutrients are found in:

Omega-3 fatty acids are in salmon, kiwi fruit, and walnuts.
Flavonoids are in citrus fruit, dark chocolate, and wine.
Vitamin D is in oily fish, egg yolk, and milk. Some breakfast cereals are fortified with this vitamin.
Vitamin E is in olive oil, nuts, seeds, and wheat germ.
Choline is in eggs, dairy products, nuts, cod, prawns, and canned salmon.

Dietary patterns: More recently, researchers have been interested in the effects of dietary patterns rather than specific food components and their nutrients. One dietary pattern that has repeatedly shown positive effects on health is the Mediterranean diet traditional in olive-growing regions of the Mediterranean. In the 1960s, people from these regions had very high life expectancy and low rates of coronary heart disease and certain cancers.

The diet is characterized by:

1. High intake of fruit, vegetables, cereals, or cereal-based foods (for example, wheat, oats, corn, rice) and legumes (for example, peas, beans, lentils).

2. Moderate intake of alcohol (usually wine) and fish.

3. Low-to-moderate intake of dairy products.

4. Low intake of meat (red and poultry).

5. A high monounsaturated to saturated fat ratio, which can be achieved through high consumption of olive oil rather than other fats.

This type of diet helps avoid high levels of saturated fat as it is not rich in components such as butter, other dairy products, palm oil, and meat. While the general health benefits of this diet are already recognized, research is now also indicating that increased adherence to a Mediterranean diet is associated with better cognitive functioning in old age and lower risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. This is emerging from studies that measure people’s typical food intake at the start of the study and measure their cognitive function at the start and then on subsequent occasions over a period of time. This enables the measurement of changes in their cognitive function over time.

I hope this information helps you.

Revert in case of queries.

Regards.