Adequacy: One of the Three Pillars of Nutrition
Knowing the three pillars of nutrition is important for nourishing the body. The three pillars of nutrition are adequacy, balance, and variety. All three pillars are equally important to keep in mind. When building meals and planning menus, if the three pillars are adhered to then generally all the essential nutrients can be provided to the body and all cells. Going in alphabetical order, the first pillar to be discussed is adequacy. When thinking about food and planning, it’s very important to make sure there is an adequate amount of food to begin with.
Without an adequate amount of food it’s possible our cells will not get the essential nutrients and energy they need to function and sustain us. This probably sounds contradictory to the messages we get from diet culture that tell us we must constantly be restricting food. But, for true nourishment of the body, we must give it what it needs. When our body has everything it needs, it thrives and is also better equipped to deal with things like stress or injury. When not enough food is consumed the body can develop nutrient and energy deficiencies which can have acute and/or lasting health effects.
The exact number of calories necessary per day is going to change depending on each individual human being. And even for one person their energy needs will change throughout their lifetime depending on factors such as age, physical activity in daily life, illnesses, and more. Some people may have heard myths such as “only 1,600 calories per day is healthy.” In reality this number is extremely low for many people, which can be harmful. There is no one-size fits all amount of calories needed for the entire human species. Some dieticians and nutritionists will use a formula to calculate the estimated energy needs of a person which is called the Harris-Benedict formula. This formula, however, is not perfect or ideal in many situations. There are other methods to determine energy needs like bioelectrical impedance analysis and indirect calorimetry. The latter is considered the most accurate analysis yet is not accessible to most people as it must be done with specialists at a clinic or hospital with the correct equipment. So how does the average person go about making sure their energy needs are met? In general, people should be able to meet their energy needs with some nutrition knowledge, access to meals, and by listening to their body and hunger cues. Counting calories to meet a specific number is not needed for the average person. Learning about energy in the body and building trust with one’s body is essential.
The sole source of energy to human cells is glucose, which is mainly derived from carbohydrates. When a person is familiar with good sources of carbohydrates they can make informed decisions to ensure they are including carbohydrates, and therefore energy, in their daily meals. Being able to look at a plate and ascertain that it does include a good amount of energy is key. One step to doing this is to make a list of the foods you normally eat in a week, then compare it to a list of sources of carbohydrates (read list here). Now one can learn which of the foods eaten are good sources of carbohydrates, which are a macronutrient. Being a macronutrient means it is a nutrient that must be eaten in relatively large amounts every single day. So, being able to look at your plate of food and recognize the sources of carbohydrates will help one make sure they are getting enough energy to meet their body’s requirements.
In addition to learning the basics of nutrition, learning one’s body is also important. Getting in tune with the body, and especially hunger cues, is necessary to know if one’s body needs more energy or not. Humans are born with this innate ability to eat when hungry and stop when full. Unfortunately, because of diet culture, this ability is suppressed by the adults, media, and peers surrounding a small child who learns food restriction and unhelpful food rules like eating a certain amount of meals at certain amounts of time. The best time to eat is when hungry and the best amount of meals to eat are the amount necessary to feel satiated. This is general advice for people who are already in tune with their body and may not apply to people with certain conditions or disorders. Finding a local or online weight-neutral dietitian or nutritionist may be necessary for some people to work on getting in tune with their hunger cues.
When a car does not have enough fuel to keep going it will encounter problems and eventually break down. The same goes for the human body, it needs constant refueling to function and to thrive. This idea must be more widespread to combat the constant messaging of diet culture that pedestals restriction and weight loss. Moving away from this idea is necessary because of all the harm it causes to millions around the world. Being able to eat when we are hungry and eating enough food is a mark of positive nutritional health. This starts with being able to identify foods that are good sources of carbohydrates and with being in tune with one’s body and energy needs.
