The American diet is filled with sugars, trans fats, and sodium. This type of diet has been linked to a variety of chronic illnesses, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and cancer. Chronic illnesses are the leading causes of death in the United States, accounting for 70 percent of annual deaths. Yet so many of these diseases are preventable with healthy diet, regular exercise, and abstinence from smoking and alcohol consumption. For many people, eating healthy is challenging, and they may choose to hit the drive thru rather than cook a nutritious meal because it is more convenient or it simply tastes better to them because of what they are used to eating. However, eating a nutritious diet is essential to having good health, doesn’t have to be difficult or tasteless, and benefits you in a wide variety of ways. In this blog, we will go over why it is so important to eat a nutritious diet.
Improve Wellbeing
There is a direct connection between what you eat and how you feel, both mentally and physically. People who eat fresh produce every day are less likely to report mental health issues, while people with mental health issues are more likely to eat more unhealthy foods. Diets filled with vitamins and minerals protect both our mental and physical health, and therefore, our feeling of wellbeing.
Save Money
If you think that eating healthy means only shopping at health food stores, then you probably are under the impression that it is expensive to eat healthy. In reality, eating healthy doesn’t have to be expensive, and in fact, eating unhealthily is much more expensive long term. According to the Department of Agriculture, more than $70 billion in medical costs could be saved a year with the adoption of a healthy diet. In fact, 75 percent of health care costs are spent on treating diseases that are preventable.
Maintain a Healthy Weight
Despite what weight-loss pills and extreme diets would like you to believe, there is no magical way to lose weight. The only way to healthily lose or maintain weight is to eat a nutritious diet and exercise. If you struggle to lose weight because healthy eating is a challenge, it may help to shift your perspective. Instead of thinking about the unhealthy food you can’t eat, find healthy foods that you can eat that you find delicious. Also keep in mind that you don’t have to completely eliminate your favorite foods from your diet in order to be healthy; it’s about balance. One simple way to eat healthier is to just add more vegetables to every meal.
Aid Your Immune System
Do you find that you get sick often? This could be partially due to your diet. Poor nutrition causes immunodeficiencies, meaning it is much easier to contract an illness when your diet is unhealthy. When you eat a healthy diet, your immune system gets a steady supply of the vitamins and minerals it needs to fight off disease. Therefore, eating a nutritionally balanced diet will help your immune system.
Get Energy
Your diet is your body’s source of energy. If your body doesn’t get the vitamins and minerals it needs, you become sluggish, irritable, and fatigued. You want to make sure that you are consuming a balance of healthy fats, protein, and carbohydrates. In particular, iron deficiency can make you tired, so make sure your diet is rich in iron by eating foods such as broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, and peppers.
Concentrate Better
What we eat impacts how we think. When your body does not have enough glucose, your brain cannot focus. Additionally, diets high in cholesterol and fat can build plaque in the brain vessels, which can damage the brain and cause strokes. Fortunately, eating fresh produce throughout the day helps us keep focused and keeps our brains healthy. Improve your concentration by eating healthier.
Healthy eating doesn’t have to be boring, expensive, or inconvenient, but it does require educating yourself on nutrition. For many people, this is a task that requires a nutritionist. Fortunately, if you are looking for a nutritionist in Rogers, we can help you at Ripple Health Clinic. Contact us today to learn more about what we can do for you.