Healthy is definitely the new trendiest fashion. Facebook and Instagram have become landing sites to share all of your health wins, brag about your latest loses or gains and show off that new figure. However, not all of us are dying to get on social media to share our progress, and for some of us, getting started might be a little overwhelming. Sometimes the question isn't about what makes up a healthy diet, it's about why eating a healthy diet is so important.
1. Eating a Healthy Diet Helps To Maintain a Healthy Body Weight
Of course, we all know eating a healthy diet will help us maintain a healthy body weight, however when half of Americans are overweight or obese, it's especially important to mention. Eating a nutritious diet filled with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy and protein will help maintain a healthy body weight. Simple healthy choices such as replacing soda with water, choosing veggies instead of chips, and ordering a side salad in place of fries not only will help you lose weight, it also can help you save money. Maintaining a healthy body weight isn't just about vanity either, there are many health benefits that come with dropping those couple pounds.
2. Good Nutrition Improves Well-Being
We've all heard the saying, "When I eat like shit, I feel like shit." No one would be saying it if it wasn't true. Eating a poor diet reduces physical and mental performance. The term “skinny fat” has been around for a while now, but it seems to have started trending following a feature in TIME Magazine. In it, outwardly skinny and visually healthy people were surprised to learn that they had the same medical issues as an obese person. As we can see, it's not even about looks at that point. Not everyone who is thin is healthy, and likewise not everyone who is overweight is unhealthy, however eating healthy can improve health for all. You can think of junk food as anything that's high in calories and low in vitamins and minerals. These are normally heavily processed foods such as potato chips and pop or greasy foods like french fries.
It's important to get all the vitamins and minerals your body needs. Vitamins and minerals are considered essential nutrients because they perform hundreds of roles in the body. They help strengthen and heal bones, heal wounds, and bolster your immune system and they also convert food into energy. If you don't get enough of the vitamins and minerals your body needs, you could be putting yourself t risk for an early death. British Medical Journal did a study that found eating at least five servings of fruit and vegetables per day was associated with a lower risk of dying from any health-related cause.
3. Eating Healthy Maintains Your Immune System
An apple a day, keep the doctor away. It's not just a saying. Every part of your body, including your immune system, functions better when protected from environmental assaults. Eating or drinks too much sugar can curb the immune system that fights off harmful bacteria. Eating a diet loaded with fresh fruits and vegetables, vitamins C and E, plus beta-carotene and zinc can help to reverse these effects of bacteria and boost the immune system. Reach for brightly colored fruits and vegetables like berries, citrus fruits, kiwi, apples, red grapes, kale, onions, spinach, sweet potatoes, and carrots.
It's also important to take care of your gut bacteria. By taking a probiotic and reaching for complex carbohydrates, you can strengthen your immune system while reduce the likelihood of infections.
4. Eating Healthy Reduces The Risk of Chronic Disease
Being overweight or obese is is the fifth leading risk for global deaths. Being overweight can lead to many chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer and stroke. It may seem small, but even reducing your body weight by 5-10% can lower blood pressure, improve cholesterol levels and decrease the risk of Type 2 diabetes. Incorporating a healthy diet into your lifestyle will not only prevent malnutrition, but it will automatically reduce your risk for serious, life-threatening diseases
5. Eating Healthy Gives You More Energy
It's actually a quite fascinating process; understanding how the body turns the foods and liquids we consume into energy. The main nutrients our body uses for energy are carbohydrates, fats and protein. Carbohydrates are our body's primary source of energy, so reach for complex carbohydrates like whole grain breads and starchy vegetables for the best prolonged effects as they digest as a slower rate. By making sure you consume healthy fat and protein along with each batch of (hopefully whole) carbohydrates, you can keep your blood sugar from wavering and your energy levels from plummeting,
6. Eating Healthy Delays the Effects Of Aging
The skin is the largest organ in your body, so it's no surprise that what you eat is either helping or hindering your search for smooth, supple, wrinkle free skin. Eating a healthy diet will definitely help to supply your skin with the nutrients it needs. Foods like tomatoes, berries, avocados, nuts and fish all contain certain vitamins and minerals that are especially good for the skin. For example, berries are full of antioxidants and vitamins and eating them promotes cell regeneration for new skin. Tomatoes are high in vitamin C, which helps build collagen, in turn making your skin look firmer and slow premature aging.
7. Eating Healthy Sets a Good Example for Your Kids
Kids are definitely little sponges. They pick up on things we as adults wouldn't even notice, and then they find great pleasure in repeating it. While this skill can sometimes be annoying, kids can also pick up good habits just like bad ones. Getting your child to eat their entire plate of vegetables might be difficult, but they will probably be more inclined to do so after they've watched you eat yours. If you're a parent or grandparent struggling with a picky eater, you might find the situation easier to handle if you set a good example for your child.
8. Healthy Eating Positively Affects Your Mood
Food should be fuel, not therapy, especially when it comes to soothing a bad mood. Foods have a huge impact on our levels of relaxing neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine as well as our levels of stress-inducing hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. Sure, eating a high sugar treat might make you feel better in the short term, but it will leave your feeling more dysregulated. Foods rich in vitamins and minerals are what your body is craving. Fruits, whole grains and vegetables, have been associated with an overall lower risk of depression, as have foods rich in omega-3 fats, such as nuts, salmon and other fatty fish.
Although there’s no single food that acts as a proven antidepressant, a healthy diet will have a positive effect on mood and help to maintain stable blood sugar levels which will help you feel better overall on most days.
9. Eating Healthy Can Help You Get Better Sleep
Sleep and food definitely go hand in hand. If we don't get enough sleep, it's common for our body to crave carbohydrates to help make up for the lost energy. While getting more sleep will definitely help you stay in control of your plate, eating a balanced diet will also help you catch the Zs your body is craving. A study done at the University of Pennsylvania found that people who ate the widest variety of foods had the best quality of sleep.
10. Healthy Eating Can Increase Sex Drive
When it comes to sex, nothing is sexier than high self esteem. The easiest way to get that is by looking and feeling good about yourself and the easiest way to feel good is to eat good. There’s a growing body of evidence that some of the vitamins and components in foods can enhance sexual function and sexual experience. When you fuel your body with healthy foods, you will look and feel better on the inside and out. That means, more strength, more energy, and more stamina. You will have more endurance in sex. Your sex life is directly linked to your appetite, by making some small changes to your diet you will discover a whole new world and never go back to junk food again.
Before changing your lifestyle, buckle down and figure out your why. Why do you want to become healthier? Doing so will give you something to reach for and hold onto when the journey becomes difficult. Be strong, you can do this!
Cheerfully,
Serial Dieter 911
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