The benefits of healthy eating habits for the human body
Eating healthy foods has benefits beyond just weight loss. Eating healthy is associated with many health benefits, from increased energy to improved mood. Regardless of your goals, eating healthy can qualitatively improve your health and life in general.
You will enjoy your meals more
Imagine trying to eat a purchased hamburger in your car. Now imagine cutting a salad with a fork. Which of these would take longer and make you slow down? You guessed it – salad. Eating clean means eating mindfully and savouring your food. It means improving your relationship with everything from radishes and carrots to muffins and doughnuts (which you probably won’t want anymore).
You will save money
Planning a healthy, clean meal for the week will be cost-effective if you make a list and stick to it since there’s no opportunity to overpay at the store. Say goodbye to medical bills and hospital bills if you get your nutrients from clean, real food. Also, buying local and in-season produce makes sense, and it’s cost-effective, too. And by giving up expensive restaurants and unhealthy takeout food, you’ll do a favour not only for your wallet but for your waistline as well. Want to save money on healthy eating? Take as much as you have leftover for lunch.
You will live longer
Imagine a breakfast consisting of fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain porridge. Study after study shows that eating these foods can prolong your life.
A recent report in JAMA Internal Medicine found that every additional 28-gram serving of whole grains a day (choose cereals high in nutrients, such as millet and sorghum) is associated with a 5% reduction in risk of death from any cause.
And in a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, European scientists found that increasing consumption of these foods to 570 grams per day reduced the risk of mortality by 10%. Whenever possible, choose raw vegetables: In the same study, they were associated with a 16% reduction in mortality.
Your relationships will improve
Cooking clean food takes time, just the kind of time that allows for easy and relaxed interaction with children, spouse, other family members, and friends. If they are too busy watching TV to spend time at the stove, remind them of the irrefutable fact that good health comes from home cooking. People who cook dinner six to seven times a week consume 137 fewer calories a day than those who cook once a week or less and 16 grams less sugar. At the same time, it will improve home comfort.
You will get smarter
A healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, fish, and nuts improves mental acuity and memory by 24%, a study published in the spring 2015 issue of Neurology proved. Our brains have also been shown to function better with nutrients such as omega-3-unsaturated fatty acids, while they are sputtered and slowed down when blood sugar and alcohol, fast food substances, and animal fats are brought in.
You will have more energy
Adam and Eve were on to something when they bit into an apple: Fruit is just one of many pure foods that provide an instant burst of energy. High-fibre fruits, such as apples, take longer to digest and can instantly relieve an afternoon slump in energy by delivering a dose of vitamins for the evening ahead.
Other energizing foods include almonds, eggs, cabbage, citrus fruits, and one glass of water.
Your sexual life will improve
Women living in Italy and other parts of the Mediterranean have healthier sex lives than those living in the United States because of components of their diets-namely, vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, and olive oil. These are the results of a comprehensive study published in the International Journal of Impotence Research.
You will help the planet survive
There is an oft-cited statistic that in the United States, food travels approximately 1,500 miles from farmer to consumer. By eating local and seasonal foods, as Clean Eating recommends, you will help reduce your carbon footprint on the planet.
Do you want to make even more of an impact?
Try eating a vegetarian diet several times a week. Although you can’t completely give up meat, fish, and poultry, a vegetarian diet (including eggs and dairy products) helps save the cost of raising animals.
As the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported in 2003, “the main threat to the future survival and natural resources of the United States is rapid population growth,” and “a dairy-vegetarian diet is more sustainable than the average American meat-based diet. Clean food helps the planet stay green.
You will become stronger
Lean protein, part of a clean eating philosophy, helps build lean muscle mass and metabolism. This was shown by a study presented at the 2014 annual meeting of the Obesity Society. Muscle-healthy foods (in addition to animal products such as chicken, fish, and lean beef) include chickpeas, nuts, spinach, and seeds.
And finally, you’ll be happier
Food and mood go hand in hand. And the better the food, the better your mood. If you need to brighten up your day, choose berries, bananas, coffee, chocolate, turmeric, plant proteins, and oil (unsaturated fatty acids), all of which have been proven to improve mental well-being.
Sources
- https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/resources-publications/benefits-of-healthy-eating.html
- https://www.midcoasthealth.com/wellness/newsletter/the-benefits-of-healthy-eating-pg415.aspx
- https://www.who.int/initiatives/behealthy/healthy-diet
- https://health.gov/myhealthfinder/topics/health-conditions/diabetes/eat-healthy
- https://health.mo.gov/living/wellness/nutrition/nutritionphysicalactivity/
- https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/weight-management/keep-active-eat-healthy-feel-great