Several of the key components of good health is enjoying physical activity with a well-balanced diet. A healthy diet includes heart healthy fats, carbohydrates, high-quality proteins, water, as well as vitamins and minerals while minimising the consumption of saturated fats, alcohol and processed foods. By eating in such a manner it will allow you the ability to maintain your body’s daily functions while promoting optimal weight and assistance in the prevention of diseases.
Overall Health
The nutrients that are found in the foods you consume help to support the activities of daily living wall protecting yourselves from environmental damage and repairing any cellular damage that tends to occur. Protein helps to rebuild injured tissue and promotes a healthy immune system. Fats and carbohydrates are essential in fuelling your body, while vitamins and minerals help to support various processes within the body. For example, vitamins A, C and E are all antioxidants that protect yourself against numerous toxins. Wall B vitamins are used to extract energy from a number of foods. Phosphorus and calcium are necessary in keeping your bones strong, while potassium and sodium transmit nerve signals. Without a proper and healthy diet, you run the risk of compromising many of these essential functions.
Weight control in addition to the general quality of the foods you eat, the quantity is rather important when gaining good eating habits. It is important to take in an equal number of calories as to the number you burn to ensure a steady weight over time. Crew the act of consuming more than you burn, will result in weight gain due to the fact that your body is converted next or calories into fat tissues. When you begin to accumulate fat tissue, you are also running the risk of developing a wide variety of health problems including hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, cancer and respiratory issues. Ensuring you stick to a healthy meal plan without extra calories will allow you to not only prolong your life but feel better on a daily basis.
Disease Prevention
Obesity is not the only nutrition related cause of the possibility of disease and progression. Simply having too much or too little of specific nutrients can lead to a number of health issues. An example of this is the lack of calcium in a diet can lead to osteoporosis or the weakening of the bones. While consuming too much saturated fat can lead to cardiovascular disease. And individuals who eat too few fruits and vegetables run the risk of an increased chance in cancer. It is absolutely essential that you eat a wide Friday of foods to ensure that your body is getting the proper nutrients to avoid such health risks.
Are You Getting Your Five a Day?
Fruits and vegetables are one of the best sources of fibre, vitamins and minerals. In fact, they should actually make up over a third of the food you eat on a daily basis. Dieticians recommend that you consume at least five portions of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables every single day. These can be either juices, dried, canned, frozen or fresh. Researchers shown that individuals who eat at least five portions of fruits and vegetables on a daily basis have a much lower risk of stroke, cancers and heart disease.
It’s Not as Hard as You Think
Take a look at this example:
- One piece of fruit is a portion.
- 150 mL of juice or smoothie is equal to one portion.
- 30 g of dried fruit equals a portion.
- 80 g of fresh, canned or frozen fruit or vegetable is a portion.
Final Consideration
If you have not been eating as healthy as you should, it is important to make gradual changes that will improve your diet and well-being in the long run. Something as simple as substituting water for soda. Or you can switch from full fat to low-fat dairy products. Purchase lean cuts of meat as opposed to the fatty cuts while switching over to whole wheat grains as opposed to refined grains. Try out those new vegan restaurants in Brooklyn or wherever you live. All of these little changes will add up over time and allow you to feel healthier than you ever have. A healthy life begins with small simple changes.
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