How Eating Healthy Can Benefit You
There is a famous saying that you are what you eat. Eating healthy and good quality food has lots of benefits. Healthy eating does not mean only eating green veggies, but it is reducing your salt and sugar intake and replacing food that has trans fats such as fast-food items.
If you follow a healthful diet religiously, then you will notice a good change within you. Healthy eating has many benefits such as it helps in improving your heart health, building stronger bones, improving your mood, and strengthening your immune system.
If you want to start eating healthy but are not sure whether the advantage outweighs missing delicious yet unhealthy food, then read on.
1. Improve Heart Health
Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in adults. Half of the US adults are suffering from different kinds of heart diseases due to unhealthy eating. High salt intake can result in diseases such as hypertension that can ultimately lead to heart failure and stroke.
You can improve your heart health by following a healthy diet:
- Eat an adequate number of vegetables, fruits, and whole-grain foods.
- Try to eat low-fat dairy foods such as fish, poultry, oils, etc.
- Foods`s high in saturated fat such as fatty foods should be kept at a minimum from your diet.
- Minimizing sugar-sweetened beverages and foods.
2. Reduced Risk of Cancer
Eating foods rich in antioxidants can reduce the risk of generating cancer by maintaining cells` health and preventing them from getting damaged.
Our body is filled with free radicals that increase the risk of getting cancer. However, eating antioxidant-rich food can help in reducing this risk.
Chemicals found in plant-based food such as fruits, vegetables, beans, and nuts act as antioxidants such as vitamin A, E, and C.
Foods high in antioxidants include:
- dark leafy greens
- Berries like blueberries and raspberries
- Nuts and seeds
- Pumpkin
- Carrots
3. Improve Mood
Eating a good diet helps in improving your mood. Eating food high in glycemic such as cakes, cold drinks, white bread, can increase the symptoms of depression and fatigue.
Healthy foods, such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, etc, contain low levels of glycemic load. If you are experiencing a depressed mood, speaking with a licensed therapist should be your first concern.
4. Improve Intestinal Health
The colon is home to many naturally occurring bacteria that has an important role in the digestion and metabolism of food.
Different strains of bacteria also produce many beneficial vitamins such as K and B. These vitamins help in improving colon health. The naturally occurring bacteria in the colon also fight the pathogenic bacteria and viruses.
The gut microbiome is altered by a diet low in fiber and loaded with sugar and fat, which increases inflammation in the area.
A diet high in fruit and vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, on the other hand, offers a collection of prebiotics and probiotics that aid in the growth of good bacteria in the colon.
Fermented foods are rich in probiotics. Some of the fermented foods are:
- yogurt
- kimchi
- sauerkraut
- miso
5. Weight Loss
Eating healthily can help you avoid chronic health problems. Obesity and being grossly overweight are major risk factors for a variety of diseases, including:
- Cardiovascular disease.
- Type 2 diabetes.
- Low bone density.
- Different types of cancers.
Foods, such as vegetables, fruits, and beans, are comparatively lower in calories than most refined foods.
Dietary fiber is especially important for weight management. Dietary fiber, which is abundant in plant-based meals, aids in the regulation of appetite by helping people feel full and satisfied for longer periods.
6. Make Bones and Teeth Stronger
Your bones are the structure on which your whole body relies on support. Having strong bones can save you from loads of illness and injuries. By eating a calcium and magnesium-rich diet, you can maintain your bone and tooth health. It is important to have a healthy diet for your bone health if you want to avoid issues such as osteoporosis and osteopenia later in your life.
The calcium-rich foods are:
- Low-fat dairy products
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Cabbage
- Canned fish with bones
- Tofu
- Legumes
- Food factories often enhance grains and plant-based milk with calcium.
Magnesium-rich foods are:
- Leafy green vegetables
- Nuts
- Seeds,
- Whole grains.
7. Plenty of Sleep
Sleep patterns can be disrupted by a lot of situations, including sleep apnea.
Whenever the airways become blocked continually during sleeping, sleep apnea develops. Obesity, using alcohol, and consuming an unhealthy diet are all risk factors.
Whether or not a person has sleep apnea, decreasing alcohol and caffeine use can help them sleep better.
Tips For Having a Healthy Diet
Cooking your food is the main step if you want to eat healthily. Processed foods contain far too many chemicals for our good health. However, if due to a busy schedule, you are unable to make your food, then you can order ready-made freshly cooked meals from Freshly. Freshly offers chef-cooked healthy meals at your doorstep.
