Tips to Maintain a Healthy Diet

A healthy diet is essential for human growth and development. It also helps to prevent malnutrition, obesity, and a number of diseases. Clean and safe nutrition can significantly improve the quality of your life and well-being.

A healthy diet entails eating foods that provide the body with essential macronutrients such as carbohydrates and proteins, micronutrients such as zinc and iron, vitamins, and calories. Studies have shown that a best diet pills can expand our lifespan and slow the aging process. A good diet keeps your skin healthy and also betters your oral health.

You can save up on health insurance by improving your immune system with a healthy intake of the right types of foods.

Here are 8 practical tips to achieve a healthier diet

1. Eat more fruits and vegetables

Including fruits and vegetables in a diet has a large number of benefits on the body, some of which include;

• They contain fibers that help to prevent constipation and diarrhea
• They contain minerals the body needs but cannot produce on its own such as high fiber low-calorie content in fruits assist in weight management
• They contain phytonutrients that keep us healthy
• They protect against various types of cancer and other chronic diseases
• They are great suppliers of energy

Nutritionists and doctors recommend four to five servings of different fruits and vegetables daily. As much as eating raw fruits is important, there are lots of other fun ways of consuming them, like juicing and making smoothies.

2. Get active, exercise more, and practice proper weight management

Regular exercise is important to remain healthy, especially for adults over the age of 40. Exercising helps you manage weight in a healthy way, reduce the risk of diseases, improve brain function and memory, strengthen bones and muscles, lower blood pressure and help you have better quality sleep. People who exercise more live overall happier and healthier lives and are less prone to anxiety and depression.

Being obese or overweight can have serious consequences on our health and general well-being. Obesity can lead to health conditions like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain types of cancer. It also reduces the self-confidence of an individual. However, being underweight and lacking proper nutrition also poses multiple consequences on our health. Diseases like Anemia, kwashiorkor, and vitamin deficiency are caused by having a poor diet.

Underweight individuals also have a higher risk of getting infections and find it difficult to stay warm. Exercise and eating the right diet are important to maintain a healthy weight and prevent obesity and malnutrition.

3. Include fish in your diet.

Fish contains high-quality proteins, important vitamins and minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids. It is also low in calories and rich in healthy fats. Try to eat a portion of fish at least two times a week, especially oily fish; weekly is a great way to improve the quality of a diet, reduce the risk of heart disease and boost brain function.

4. Stay hydrated

The human body cannot function properly without water. It uses water for digestion, waste removal, lubrication of joints, and maintaining its temperature.

Medical experts recommend 6-8 glasses of water daily to stay properly hydrated. Always try to avoid sugary drinks, eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, vitamins, and minerals and drink enough fluids daily.

5. Consume less hydrogenated fat and sugar

Three main types of fat include saturated (hydrogenated), unsaturated, and trans-fats. Taking note of the kinds of fat you consume is essential. Saturated fats are fats in which the fatty acid chains all have single bonds; they are generally solid at room temperature.

Saturated fats can be found in meat, cheese, and other animal products, as well as plant oils. Consuming too much saturated fats can cause cholesterol build-up in the arteries and increase the risk of heart disease. The average intake of saturated fats per day by adults should not be more than 20-30g daily to remain healthy. Foods rich in unsaturated or healthy fats include seeds, fish, soy, olive, and sunflower oil.

Excess intake of sugary food and drinks can cause weight gain, diabetes, and numerous heart diseases. They can also affect your oral health and should be consumed moderately. Free sugars consist of sugars found in foods, drinks, honey, fruit concentrates, unsweetened fruit juices, and smoothies. Try as much as possible to cut down on the amount of free sugars present in your diet.

6. Go for high fiber foods and starchy carbohydrates

Starchy carbohydrates include potatoes, rice, bread, pasta, cereals, etc. They make up a good percentage of the food we eat daily. Starchy foods are the best source of energy and nutrients like fiber, calcium, iron, and vitamin B in our diet. Resistant starch is starch that escapes from digestion in the small intestine of healthy individuals.

Resistant starch helps lower levels of cholesterol and fat in the blood, which assists the flow of blood to your heart, brain, and muscles. It also helps the body with weight loss and disease prevention and has many other important functions.

Try to include at least one starchy food with each main meal per day, and choose higher fiber or whole grain varieties as they contain more fiber than white or refined starchy carbohydrates.

7. Consume less salt

Sodium is an important part of our diet; however, too much of it can be detrimental to our health. Over time increased levels of sodium in the body can increase your risk for high blood pressure, kidney problems, heart diseases, and stroke.

Reduced salt intake prevents cardiovascular diseases and sudden coronary heart attacks. Most of the salt we eat is already present in the food we buy, and as such, we must be careful about how much we use in our diet. Always check food labels to help you cut down on your salt intake.

Seasoned salts like celery, garlic, or onion salt are salts mixed with herbs and flavorings. To reduce the amount of sodium in your diet, it is best to use herbs on their own instead of seasoned salts to flavor your food.

8. Observe your health and changes in your body

Taking a proper assessment of your health and observing slight changes is very important to an individual’s health. Reporting small changes and symptoms has helped to tackle many dangerous diseases at their early stages. It also helps to observe what your body responds positively or negatively to add or subtract from your diet. In conclusion, health is wealth. Try your best to eat healthily for a better quality of life.