Five benefits of maintaining a balanced diet
A healthful diet typically includes nutrient-dense foods from all major food groups, including lean proteins, whole grains, healthy fats, and fruits and vegetables of many colours. Healthful eating also means replacing foods that contain trans fats, added salt, and sugar with more nutritious options.
- It helps manage a healthy weight
You know the two critical ingredients for weight loss: diet and exercise. However, it was argued that weight loss is 75 per cent diet and only 25 per cent exercise.
An analysis of 700 separate weight loss studies found that people experience the most significant results when eating well. On average, dieting without exercise amounts to 23 pounds lost over 15 weeks. On the other hand, exercising without dieting results in six pounds lost after 21 weeks. Of course, this doesn’t discount the value of exercise—you need both to be as healthy as possible.
- Help support a robust immune system
You rely on your immunity to defend against bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other foreign invaders. However, poor nutrition starves your immune system of the proper vitamins and minerals it needs to produce antibodies. If you focus on eating well, you are less likely to become sick. Especially with times like this with Covid 19 still very much around.
- Increase your energy level
The whole purpose of eating is to derive energy from your food. “Empty calories” found in soda, processed snacks, and other junk food may fill your stomach, but they fail to provide high-quality energy.
For that, you need complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, and protein. Also, if you have unexplained fatigue, try increasing your iron intake with seafood, poultry, dark leafy greens, and peas. Your body also absorbs iron better if you eat it with vitamin C, which is found in broccoli, peppers, oranges, and tomatoes.
- Helps you live longer
Although not an official cause of death, being overweight is a leading precursor of premature death in the US. According to research, 18 per cent of all deaths can be attributed to poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle. If you want to live a long life with fewer health complications, focus on eating better.
- It improves your mental health and well being
Your body isn’t the only thing that benefits when you eat a balanced diet; your mental health also improves! You may routinely reach for junk food when you’re feeling down, but what you need to boost your spirits is a diet full of vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, and complex carbohydrates. A recent study found that eating more fruits, vegetables, legumes, beans, nuts, whole grains, fish, and olive oil reduced symptoms of depression among participants, which lasted for six months after the experiment.