Every single living organism on the planet performs a set of vital functions in their bodies in order to survive. These basic functions are essential for each species to grow, reproduce, and live.
Some basic vital functions performed by all the living organisms are synthesizing energy from natural sources for growth and development, reproducing and passing the genetic information to more evolved offspring, and performing basic breathing processes to aid the purification of blood in the body.
Human beings are no different when it comes to living. The process of eating food is of great importance to our bodies.
Nowadays the food we eat is mass-produced and goes through a number of procedures before reaching us like quality tests and some people also opt for specific tests like food allergen testing in order to detect the presence of any substances in the food that may cause them any allergies.
WHY WE NEED ENERGY AND WHAT IS THE MOST BASIC FORM OF IT
The process of growth and survival takes up a lot of energy. In order to provide for this energy consumption, most animals and humans eat food from plants or even animal sources. Whatever be the source, eating food is all about fulfilling the energy demands of the body and providing it with the essential nutrients and resources to build the cells, organs and take care of our health.
Fundamental laws in physics tell us a lot about the energy found in nature. Some basic laws of physics also include the law of conservation of energy which states that energy can neither be created nor be destroyed, it can only transform from one form to another.
Another important fact to know about energy is that most of it are only being synthesized in some sources like the stars due to fusion reactions and nuclear reactors that use the energy from the atomic particles.
In most of the other places, energy is just being transformed. So on our planet, one of the major sources of energy is the light from the sun. The sunlight is being transformed into usable forms of energy in the plants by a process called photosynthesis and this energy is consumed by them for various living processes.
Now according to the law of conservation of energy, when we or other animals consume plants, we are actually consuming the energy of the sun in a modified way that is easier for our body to work with.
CORRECT WAYS TO CONSUME FOOD
The species of animals on our planet are categorized in various ways. One way is to categorize them based on the type of food they consume. There are herbivorous animals that only consume plants while there are also carnivorous animals on the other extreme that only consume other animals.
Human beings can survive on either of these sources. We can consume plants as well as meat or other animal products in order to fulfill our energy requirements. No matter the source, there are still certain things to keep in mind while consuming food.
- CONSUME PLANT PRODUCE: even though eating meat has its own benefits and it can provide for a large number of nutrients and proteins, it is still better to remain a vegetarian. The human body and especially the digestive tract is very similar to the herbivorous animals who survive on plants. Meat can be very difficult to digest.
- TIMING: consuming food at the right time and in the right proportion is as important as the type of food that we are consuming. One is advised to eat timely and practice a gap of certain hours through the night and the next morning to give rest to the body.
- ALLERGIES: many people can be allergic to certain elements found in our food. They are advised to check with a medical professional and opt for food allergen testing methods before consuming their meals.
- MINDFUL EATING: these days, people are also becoming conscious of their mental state before eating. One is advised to consume their meals without any distractions and with a focus on eating. One should also learn to be mindful of their appetite and not eat more than what their body needs. This can lead to overeating and create weight or health issues in the body.
WATER: after consuming food, our body starts to digest it and this generates some heat in the body. One is advised not to drink water immediately after consuming a meal as that can disrupt the heat production and also the nutrient absorbing process of our bodies. It is best to drink water after a gap of about twenty minutes after a heavy meal.
