Eat Healthy, Stay Healthy
Eating healthy is something we’ve all heard about. Its many benefits and the reasons for adopting a healthy diet are well-documented. However, in today’s day and age, it’s easy to lose sight of all of that. With the sheer amount of information that you’re bombarded with on a daily basis, seeing another article on healthy eating may make you want to roll your eyes and mutter ‘not this again!’
But healthy eating is no passing trend or fad. It’s important to understand why eating healthy is so essential in the first place so that you can make better, more informed decisions on the foods that you choose to consume.
The Basics of Healthy Eating
Why are we so concerned with eating healthy? Basically, eating a nutritious and well-balanced diet is an essential component of good health. Along with regular physical exercise and abstaining from harmful habits such as smoking, healthy eating is absolutely essential if we are to live healthy lives.
Good health isn’t just about physical fitness or looking good. In fact, healthy eating helps you to maintain an optimal body weight, reduces your chances of being diagnosed with diseases, prevents diseases and illnesses from taking root, and helps to ensure that your body is able to carry out it’s simple, everyday functions.
So what does a healthy diet entail?
- Heart-healthy fats – includes Omega-3 fatty acids which are found in salmon, tuna, trout, sardines, flaxseeds, walnuts, and soybeans, as well as Monounsaturated fats which are found in avocados, olive oil, and nuts.
- Vitamins & Minerals – can be found in a wide variety of foods including fruits, vegetables, lentils, beans, yogurt, seeds, nuts, high quality grains, and meats and poultry.
- High quality proteins – are found in beef, chicken, pork, fish, eggs, milk, cheese, and yogurt.
- Water – Our bodies require water to carry out a wide range of functions and to stay hydrated. In order to make sure that your body has enough water, make sure to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day and consume foods with a high water content.
- Carbohydrates – are good sources of carbs including whole grain oats, bananas, corn, peas, and more.
In addition to being mindful of the foods that you consume, you need to ensure that you’re getting the recommended daily intake levels of all the major food groups. Based on your age, sex, and lifestyle, you’ll be able to find resources on how to make sure you’re eating the right quantities in order to get the benefits of a healthy diet. Also, be sure to stay away from processed foods, alcohol, and saturated fats. They won’t do your body any favors.
The Benefits of Healthy Eating Lifestyle
Eating a well-balanced, nutritious, and wholesome diet has so many benefits that it can sometimes seem too good to be true. Today, many of us work full-time jobs and have families to take care of and are therefore strapped for time. Being in a pinch often leads us to choosing foods which are ‘quick fixes’, and these are more often than not, very unhealthy choices.
Making the switch over to a healthy diet can be a little rocky at first but rest assured all the benefits that this sort of lifestyle offers are well worth it.
Better Overall Health
Eating healthy directly contributes to supporting our body’s day to day functions. This in turn has a direct and tangible effect on our overall health.
Here are some of the many health benefits of eating healthy:
- Cells are able to withstand damage and effectively repair any damage that may occur
- Cells are protected against environmental damage
- Stronger, more efficient metabolism. This in turn will help your body process the nutrients from the foods you consume much quicker and ensure that you don’t feel sluggish after you eat
- Vitamins and minerals help the body carry out all of its various processes and functions. For example, Vitamin B helps the body extract energy from food which is consumed, and Vitamins E, A, and C protect cells from toxins by acting as antioxidants
- Carbs and healthy fats are fuel for the body and provide you with energy
- Protein is essential for immune functions and a healthy overall immune system. They also help repair tissue
- Calcium is essential for strong bones
- Healthy fats boost brain function and the transmission of nerve signals
Maintenance of Optimum Weight
Part of eating healthy includes being mindful of the quantity of foods that you consume. Remember, a healthy diet is concerned with both quality and quantity. When you develop good eating habits, you have to ensure that you consume the same amount of calories you burn in a day. This will ensure that your weight stays more or less the same over time.
Disease Prevention
Having a poor diet can lead you to develop a number of diseases including obesity, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, etc. Each of these diseases is caused by a deficit or surplus of certain nutrients in the body.
By eating a balanced, wholesome, healthy diet you can prevent diseases from forming in the first place.
With the abundance of benefits that eating healthy provides, it’s easy to see why such a lifestyle would make people happier too. Your body will function at its best, it’ll be more resistant to diseases and illnesses, and you’ll look and feel good. If you want to stay happy, start eating healthy!
Author Bio:
Kim Lee. Lee is an online education and career reporter. She started working as an education and career reporter in college where she received a Bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of North Carolina. She is further looking for research in specific area of healthcare degree.