Scary Interesting Nutrition & Health Fun Facts

When it comes to nutrition and our bodies, there are plenty of things to be on the lookout for and to take note of. After all, we do deserve to know what’s in our food as well as what some specific food and supplements can do for our bodies so we can make the best food choices possible.

Here we’ve gathered some nutrition and health facts that could be both scary and fun. These would go great for trivia nights at home!

We’re talking about the chilling facts about poor sleep and not getting enough of it. During bedtime, our body and brain go to work, essentially doing a critical reboot process which is whyit’s so important to get a full night’s rest (which is 7 to 9 hours for most adults).  

Not sleeping enough can lead to an array of health problems like depression, psychological distress, weight gain, increase risk for diabetes and heart risk, food cravings, weakened immune system and can even affect your athletic performance at the gym.   

There are several supplements that are worth consideringto improve your sleep quality:  

That’s right, you’ve got tons of bacteria on you. In fact, healthy human bodies are full of microorganisms. Perhaps the largest collection of microorganisms or bacteria live in our gastrointestinal tract - our gut.  

The bacteria that live in our gut are very much tied to our health and wellbeing, thus it’s vital to keep our gut health in check. Some signs of an unhealthy gut are: fatigue, food cravings, unintentional weight changes, autoimmune conditions, migraines, depression/anxiety and allergies.

You can avoid these by taking a eating probiotic-rich foods like yogurt, saurkraut, kimchi, and tempeh to name a few or taking good probiotic supplements like collagen powder or L-Glutamine and sneaking them into your meals to ensure you've got it covered.

Some products that can help: Collagen, L-Glutamine 

Like how our fingernails and hair are constantly growing and replacing themselves, the same goes for almost everywhere ourbodies including your bones. They regenerate themselves every 10 years. So it’s worth noting that however strong your bones may seem, the cells they’re made of won’t last a lifetime.  

Thus, this highlights the importance of optimal nutrition to support strong bones or recovery from injury. Here we can highlight the importance of consuming collagen supplements as it is a protein source that can help reduce the risk of bone disorders like osteoporosis. Collagen and calcium makes our bones strong and flexible enough to withstand stress.

Some products that can help: Collagen, WPI, Micellar Casein 

We know we eat too much of it, and we should eat less of it, right? Luckily our behaviors are finally catching up with our knowledge and Australians are now eating less added sugar than we were 25 years ago. However, sugar comes in many different forms and we often don’t even know we are consuming it.

There are at least 61 different names for sugar listed on food labels according to the FDA. Here are some of the many names that sugar can be hidden on a nutrition panel: sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup, as well as barley malt, dextrose, maltose and rice syrup, among others. So it pays to pay close attention to the labels and shop smart!

If anything, try to create your own sweet fixes at home with healthier substitutes from fruits and healthy delicious smoothie bowls! Homemade goods are safer when you know what you’re adding to them and can control the sugar content. Try these delicious recipes!

Yes, horrifying news. In fact, according to some research, we begin shrinking as early as our 30’s. Studies show that height loss is related to aging changes in bone, muscles, and joints. This is because of a variety of changes in the body:

• Our spinal discs lose water and flatten over time causing the shrinkage.
• The arches of our feet flatten as we age
• Muscle loss known as sarcopenia (the loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength), can cost you to lose as much as 3% to 5% of muscle mass each decade.

Good news: you can do something about it! Phew.

This is where protein comes in as it is the king of muscle food. The body breaks it down into amino acids, which uses it to build muscle. While food sources are always best, supplemental protein can help if you struggle with consuming enough calories and protein from your regular diet.