AN ESSAY ON NUTRITION AND HEALTH:

St. Paul College, San Rafael

As technology and modern advancement bind the earth little by little, more and more dilemmas are
uprising and creeping sluggishly, pulling the earth towards the mud of eternal unknowingness. The
more industrialization establishes itself, the more natural resources are being eradicated and
murdered to death. More people are getting sick, more are dying, more are parted from their
dreams. Everything just seem to vanish in an instant.

Proper nutrition and its maintenance had been one of the most intriguing focuses in the world
today. The determining factor in the total health of an individual seems to be a thing that is very
hard to catch and get that even the most advance machineries cannot offer any help. It is, indeed,
even separating itself from people, whom are which hypnotized by the hex of technos and gizmos.
Thus, people nowadays are attacked by illnesses and diseases, most of which leading to the
extinction of life, the abolition of existence in the world.

One of the factors involved in the attainment of proper nutrition is eating. The hectic world today
provides a view of a high number of people eating just to satisfy hungry stomachs without
considering any nutritive value of the food being taken. Most food establishments, restaurants, and
markets offer instant food, many of which are acknowledged and favored by majority and yet
considered as the worst to human health. Reality speaks that the food appeal is taken into
consideration rather than its nutritional content.

La Rochefoucauld once said: “To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art,” thus pointing to
the actuality of a call toward reorientation of the people between eating and health. Modern
gadgets will not provide the nutrition one needs in his stay on the grounds of earth. Prevailing
devices neither science can’t provide any help in the upbringing of one’s health. It is still the nature
and discipline of an individual that counts in the end.

Good nutritional status is noted when man benefits from a well-balanced dietary intake, manifested
in a normal organ development and function, normal reproduction, growth and maintenance,
optimum activity and working efficiency, resistance to infection and ability to repair bodily damage
or injury. Thus, a well-balanced diet, daily exercise, and practice of discipline reveals the necessary
things one must have to attain good nutrition.

Proper nutrition means invincibility to diseases. Recently (even up to now), the world was embraced
by the endemic Influenza A (H1N1) virus, an illness that killed a lot of human and left the world with
fear and anxiety. This shows that most people are vulnerable to diseases, with causes mostly
because of improper nutrition. Due to technology, the world is left suffering. We may not notice but
our continuous act of ignoring nature is killing us little by little.

Eating the right amount and kinds of food everyday is a tremendous contribution of nutrition to
prevention of diseases. Inadequate calorie intake has been demonstrated to bring about an
impairment of physical efficiency, low production output and poor muscle strength and endurance.
Vitamin deficiency affects physical fitness and well-being. Protein deficiency results to muscular
weakness, fatigue and overall work performance.

We are challenged not to be bound by the modern world. All the products of science and technology
will mean nothing if we die at 20 or 30. It will not give us the nutrition that we need to avoid H1N1
and kill every virus, disease, and infection in the world. It will just catch our attention, pull us to its
deepest attraction, and we’re done, we’re gone. We’ll be dust and ashes in the split of time, in the
blink of an eye.

Proper nutrition is the very thing we need now. Our existence will mean a lot as well as our goals if
we can utilize this. If only we can set aside every earthly distraction and pay close attention to health
and life, then every man can wake up each day facing the new hope of the golden sun and providing
the wellspring of progress in the world.
"Pagkain ng gulay ugaliin, araw-araw itong ihain!"

by Vhen

Bakit NATIN kailangang kumain ng gulay? Sapat na ba ito para sa pangangailangan

ng ating katawan at para na ring mapanatili ito sa malusog na kundisyon nito? Ano-ano
ang mga benepisyong makukuha natin sa pagkain nito araw-araw? Masosolusyunan
ba ang sandamakmak na problema ng bansa kapag araw-araw itong ihahain? Ang
sagot? Oo. (habang may nakaambang tanong na bakit? at sa paanong paraan?)

Alam naman ng lahat na ang gulay ay masustansiya pero madaming pa ring mga bata
ang ayaw kumain nito. Hindi lang ang mga kabataan, pati na din ang mga matatanda.
Bakit? Nangungunang sagot dito ang: Hindi magandang lasa. Ang mga bata ay
mahihilig kumain ng mga pagkaing matatamis, maaalat, at junk foods (Nakapagtataka
dahil pag titignan ang mga pakete ng mga junk foods ay aprubado ng Department of
Health pero dini-discourage ang pagkain ng mga bata rito). Yung mga gulay na ayon
nga sa dahilan kung bakit ayaw nila ito ay dahil mapait ang lasa ng ilang uri ng gulay.
Kinakailangan pa ng mahabang proseso para masanay silang kainin ito. Maaaring
nagkukulang ang mga magulang sa pagsasanay at paghihikayat na kumain ng
ganitong uri ng pagkain.

Ayon sa mga nutritionists at dieticians, malaki ang posibilidad na maging masama ang
pangangatawan ng isang tao (hindi lang bata) kapag hindi siya kumakain ng gulay.
NAPAKAlaki ng posibilidad at samu’t-saring panganib na magkaroon ang isang tao ng
cancer, sakit sa puso, diabetes, blood sugar levels, at ang pasikat na
MALNUTRISYON, lalo na ang mga taong mahilig uminom ng alak, manigarilyo, at
gawin ilan pang paraan ng bisyo na hindi naman nasusuklian ng pagkain ng
masusustansiyang pagkain.

Hindi ka mamamatay kapag kumain ka ng gulay. MAS papahabain pa nito ang buhay
mo sa murang halaga at abot-kaya pa ng mga bitin sa budget. Pwede ding magtanim
nito sa inyong mga bakuran sa kanya-kanyang bahay at madali lang ito palaguin.
Maaaring isangkap rin ito sa iba’t-ibang rekados ng mga pagkain.

Ano ang solusyon? Simple. Sanayin sila habang maaga pa. Ang mga matatanda ay
nararapat na paliwanagan at hikayating kumain ng mga gulay, at di magtatagal ay
magugustuhan nila ito at kapag nakagawian na nila ito,ang kumain ng gulay na ihahain
araw-araw, magkakaroon sila ng malakas na pangangatawan, at malinaw na pag-iisip,
makakapag-aral mabuti, makakapag-isip ng mabuti, makakapagtrabaho ng maayos,
mabubuhay ng maayos, walang sagabal, solb ang problema ng bansa. Kung maayos
ang pag-iisip, walang mahirap. Lahat may maunlad na buhay.

Mula sa simpleng paghahain at pagkain nito araw-araw, malaking tulong na din yun
para sa ikauunlad ng bansa. Sabayan pa ng prutas. Ahhaayy! Tiyak akong masigla sa
pag pasok sa eskwelahan ang mga chikiting at masiglang makakapagtrabaho sina
nanay at tatay.

Kung maghihintayan tayong may magsisimula ng ganitong tradisyon, isang

napakahabang panahon pa ang hihintayin natin para sa pagpanatili ng maayos na
pangangatawan ng mga bata at matatanda. Kung sisimulan natin sa sarili nating
kaparaanan at ipapauso ang paghahain nito araw-araw ay magiging asal na ng lahat
ang kumain nito at di magtatagal, lahat ng taong makakasalubong natin ay masigla at
malusog.