The Relationship Between Self-Care and Nutrition
Many people automatically turn to physical activities or routines to practice self-care. Yet, in order to truly appreciate the moment you set aside to care for yourself, you should probably feel good, energized, and be aware of these moments.
If you haven’t been convinced to remove unhealthy foods — such as ultra-processed foods, processed foods, and sugar-laden products — from your diet, here are a couple of statistics that may change your mind. Per the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “unhealthy eating habits [contribute] to the obesity epidemic in the United States: about one-third of U.S. adults (33.8%) are obese and approximately 17% (or 12.5 million) of children and adolescents aged 2—19 years are obese.” Yet, even if you’re seemingly healthy, eating “a poor diet is associated with major health risks that can cause illness and even death,” such as “heart disease, hypertension (high blood pressure), type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and certain types of cancer.”
On the flip side, integrating whole, plant-based foods into a diet — such as an array of colorful veggies, whole grains, and fruits — has the opposite effect. Changing a diet to meet these needs has shown a markedly decreased risk of chronic disease risk and an increase in overall health. Effecting a balanced, whole-food, plant-based diet can increase brain health, help maintain a healthy weight, lower cardiovascular markers — such as blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar — and has even been shown to reduce the risk of cancer. That’s not all!
Practicing self-care through nutrition is also great for mental health. Reducing processed products and integrating plant-based foods has been linked to decreased depression symptoms and lowered levels of anxiety.
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