The Three Pillars of Nutrition Part 2: Balance
There are three pillars of nutrition when it comes to human nutrition science. In a previous blog article I wrote about Adequacy, the first pillar of nutrition discussed, which you can read here. The second pillar to think about is Balance. What does this pillar mean? It means that in order for the human body to get all the essential nutrients it needs, a certain amount of each nutrient group is ideal. One nutrient is not more important than the other as they all perform necessary roles, and no one nutrient can be completely ignored or cut out. Balance is a pillar of nutrition science because all nutrients are important for cells to function in the human body and work together as a team.
In a world seeped in diet culture, certain nutrients have been misaligned throughout the decades. In the 80’s and 90’s the culprit for society’s woes was fat (lipids). In the 21st century, carbs emerged as the next enemy. These ideas were not and are not based on actual nutrition science but instead in diet culture, which is a harmful tool of white supremacy. Despite what many say, carbohydrates are an essential nutrient- which is a scientific term for a necessary nutrient that the body cannot make itself and must be consumed. Because of how much energy the body uses daily, the amount of carbohydrates needed per day is much higher than the amount of vitamins needed per day. This means that the quantity of carbs required daily is different and much greater than other nutrients and this must be reflected in what we eat, despite the mainstream lies about carbs. If carbohydrates or lipids or whichever villain diet culture chooses next are cut out, this throws off the balance of nutrients that are essential for cells. This is why nutrition science education should be more widely available so people are not led astray and told to unbalance their diets.
Learning to balance your foods comes after learning the foundations of nutrition science. In order for nutrient and energy needs to be met it is helpful to aim for overall balance in a week, rather than aiming to make every single meal perfect. For the macronutrients, one can look at the percent requirements as a guide. In one day, in general, how much percent is needed for each macronutrient? For carbohydrates 50-60%, protein 20-35%, and fats 10-30%. Notice how I didn’t say every meal every day needs to be balanced? This is because the human body has adaptive mechanisms to adjust for fluctuations in food intake and types of foods eaten. These adaptive mechanisms allow us to enjoy foods we like and means we don’t have to nitpick every single meal we eat. By learning the nutrition contents of one’s favorite meals and filling any gaps, anyone can ensure they are nourishing their body with a good balance of nutrients.
In conclusion, all essential nutrients are necessary, and in order to meet nutrient requirements one has to make sure all are present in their meals, snacks, and liquids. If one nutrient is ignored or there’s a deficiency, it can throw off the entire system that’s attempting to work in harmony. To see a chart of good sources for each essential macronutrient, vitamin, and mineral go to my previous blog post here.
