If you are what you eat, too many people are painting a bleak picture for themselves.

That's the opinion of Dr. Kim Pierce, a primary care physician for the Butler Health System's Benbrook Road clinic.

“When I look at the health issues my patients have, it's often because of the choices in food that they've made,” Pierce said.

A poor diet can lead to a host of bad outcomes.

Too much cholesterol in the diet can eventually lead to dementia, Pierce cautioned, as microvascular dysfunction and plaque buildup damages cognitive function.

Too much sugar and processed foods can lead to heart problems, diabetes and joint problems caused by carrying excess weight.

“The healthier my patients can eat, the longer they can stave these effects off,” Pierce said.

Wendy L. Stuhldreher who holds a doctorate in nutrition epidemiology and is a registered dietitian nutritionist, agrees diet is important. She believes nutrition, along with sleep and exercise, are the three vital components to a person's health.

Nutrition is made up of meganutrients such as protein and micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals, Stuhldreher said.

One of the important meganutrients is protein, she said, and it comes in the form of meat, fish, poultry, eggs, milk and nuts.

Proteins are made up of smaller units known as amino acids that are needed by the body to function properly. They are rightly known as the building blocks of the body.

Body structure, regulation of body cells, tissues and organs, and the transport of oxygen through the blood cannot exist without proteins. All the enzymes, hormones and even antibodies present are proteins in nature.

Stuhldreher said the average adult needs about 25 grams of protein (about the size of a deck of cards) every day. Most people consume that amount of protein through three meals a day, except older people.

Stuhldreher said the elderly tend to skip breakfasts, shorting themselves of protein. This may be why older people are more susceptible to the novel coronavirus 2019.

“Two eggs a day can make up that lost protein,” said Stuhldreher. “The idea that they increase cholesterol has been debunked.”

Read the label

That's why, Pierce said, it is important people read the ingredients on the food they buy.

“There's no magic in losing weight,” Pierce said. “You have to avoid sugar, concentrated sweets and processed food.”

“Look at the labels. If it says sugar, fructose or corn syrup, that's all sugar being added to the product,” she said. “Even Cheerios, you'd think that is healthy. But its second ingredient is sugar.”

Read the labels on any food you buy, Pierce recommended, and add a nutrition or calorie-tracker app, such as My Netdiary or Lifesum, to your phone to keep track of ingredients.

The good news

The good news, she said, is that a change in diet can make your health change for the better. That's why even small amounts of nutrients are important.

Substances that can be ingested in much smaller amounts to ensure health are called micronutrients.

For example, beta carotene is an antioxidant that converts to vitamin A. Stuhldreher said vitamin A is important in maintaining the integrity of the skin and mucus membranes.

Beta carotene can be found in kale, spinach, broccoli and dark green, leafy vegetables, all in abundance now, and in fruits such as apricots, cantaloupes and mangoes.

Ripening berries now represent a great source of vitamin C as do bell peppers and tomatoes. Vitamin C is necessary for the growth, development and repair of body tissues.

Another micronutrient, vitamin D, said Stuhldreher, is important for a healthy immune system.

“We used to get vitamin D from sunlight, but then we started using sun screens,” Stuhldreher said. Now humans need to seek out sources of vitamin D such as salmon, milk and eggs.

Another important micronutrient is zinc which is important in keeping the immune system functioning.

Animal products, such as meat and especially shellfish, contain high amounts of zinc.

While many foods are naturally high in zinc, certain foods — such as ready-to-eat breakfast cereals, snack bars and baking flours — are fortified with zinc.

Stuhldreher recommends sprinkling wheat germ on oat meal as a good source of zinc.

Family friendly

Jeannette and Nathan Brown of Butler are making an effort to get their family — Logan, 12, a seventh-grader at Butler Catholic School; Khloe, 9, a BCS fourth-grader; and four-year old Alexis — to eat healthier.

“We do try to eat healthier. We put a garden in this year. My parents have always had a garden,” Jeannette Brown said. “And we try to incorporate fruits and vegetables in all our meals.”

Fresh peas, kale chips and zucchini boats where the vegetables are backed with hamburger, cheese and salsa or marinara sauce are favorites, she said.

She said her garden is in a raised bed with straw so the family doesn't have to weed. Her garden has tomatoes, peppers, carrots, zucchini, radishes, beets and watermelon. It isn't quite ready for harvesting yet, she noted but the peppers and zucchini are getting close.

And Brown said Butler Catholic School runs a garden club.

“We went the past week to weed the pumpkin patch and got to take some cucumbers and zucchini,” she said.

Pierce noted that a lot of today's alternative health is concerned with gut health and digestion.

Steamed vegetables are better than fried vegetables, she said, and fresh fruit is better than ice cream.

“When you start choosing healthier food, your body changes and you feel better,” she said.