#balanceddiet Archives - Be Well Solutions

Butterflies in Your Stomach – A Great Example of the Gut-Brain Connection!

Have you ever felt "butterflies in your stomach" before a significant event or during moments of stress? This sensation is not just a metaphor but a vivid illustration of how closely our gut and brain communicate, influencing our overall health and well-being. The notion that gut health and well-being are connected is not new. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, famously stated, "All disease begins in the gut", over 2000 years ago. Throughout history and across various cultures, dietary practices have long been devised with a focus on promoting overall health. Your Brain and Belly talk in several ways. Your brain and gut have bidirectional communication through several different mechanisms including: Direct nerve connections. The vagus nerve, a key player in the autonomic (“fight or flight”) nervous system connects directly to nerves lining the intestinal walls. These nerves are sometime called [...]

Benefits of a Balanced Diet: Micronutrients

What are micronutrients? Your body is a complex machine that requires many types of fuel to function smoothly. Micronutrients are one of these essential fuels. Micronutrients are the vitamins and minerals our bodies need to operate properly and achieve optimal health. Apart from vitamin D, which we can produce with exposure to sunlight, our body is unable to produce individual micronutrients. Therefore, we must obtain them from our diet or through supplements. The amount and type of micronutrients found in food varies, which is why consuming a wide variety of nutritious foods is essential to ensure adequate intake. There are approximately thirty micronutrients we need to consume regularly. Iron, vitamin A, vitamin D, iodine, folate, and zinc are examples of the micronutrients that are essential to our health. Why are micronutrients important for our health? According to the World Health [...]