What Is Nutrition?

Nutrition gives our bodies and minds the things they need to grow and be healthy. That's why what we eat and how we feel, both physically and mentally, are linked together. When we feel stressed, our brains send our bodies into a fight-or-flight state. It's a primitive and automatic response to a perceived harmful situation or threat to our survival that changes the way our bodies operate. Our palms get sweaty, our blood starts pumping and our digestive system comes to a halt.

Eating the right foods and getting the right nutrients gives the body the energy to fight off stress and counter its effects, helping the body work the way it's supposed to. Building good nutrition habits help provide the body with critical nutrients it needs to lessen the negative effects of the fight-or-flight response. Making good nutritional choices also improves our ability to recover from stress more quickly.