Is it a healthy diet for you? Let's take a closer look at that question! “Your health is your greatest wealth,” many people say. We agree. However, it seems that most of us have forgotten how to nurture that greatest wealth or health.
How did that happen? Well, for example, our busy lifestyle has caused our eating habits to deteriorate drastically. In other words, we've forgotten what a healthy diet is.
Eating a well-balanced diet has numerous health benefits. Many of these benefits, such as feeling happier and more energetic, have a major impact on our well-being – both in the short and long term.
A varied and healthy diet leads to these health benefits
Many people living in the Netherlands use one or more nutritional supplements. That's not surprising. The right supplements can contribute to achieving a healthier and more vital life.Nevertheless, you should take what you eat as a starting point when you strive for better health. Supplementation should only take place as a supplement to your diet and not the other way around.
And so it is logically essential that we understand the benefits of a healthy diet – with the associated impact on your health. In addition, it is good to consult a specialist, such as a dietician, if you want to adjust your daily diet. They can look at your personal nutritional needs.
In this article, we take a closer look at the health benefits that can be linked to a healthy and varied diet.
1. Healthy Diet Facilitates Weight Loss
Obesity and overweight are global health problems. Fortunately, eating healthy can help reduce the chances of these problems.
Consuming more green vegetables, fruits, healthy fats (olive oil, fish oil, nuts, and seeds), lean proteins (chicken breast, fish, eggs, mushrooms, tofu, and skinless lentils), and whole grains help reduce calorie intake. In addition, the consumption of these foods contributes to a faster feeling of fullness and a lower BMI (Body Mass Index).
Also, a healthy diet helps improve insulin sensitivity and maintain normal thyroid function. This could make it easier for you to lose weight and achieve a healthier life faster.
2. It helps regulate diabetes
Type 2 diabetes affects millions of people worldwide, regardless of age. Unhealthy eating habits, insulin resistance, and genetic factors can lead to type 2 diabetes.
Adjusting both your eating habits and your lifestyle can effectively help reduce the risk of diabetes tip 2 (and related complications).
Avoid eating junk foods and foods high in sugar. In other words, banish these bad foods from a healthy diet. Eat healthy vegetables, beans, low-glycemic index foods, dark chocolate, and healthy snacks to curb your cravings and hunger pangs.
3. It improves your heart health
Excessive use of unhealthy food, alcohol, and smoking harms our heart health. Cholesterol and triglyceride levels rise and cause heart block, eventually weakening the heart muscles.
Including healthy foods – such as fresh green vegetables, fruits, fruit juices, and vegetable protein sources – in your diet and avoiding unhealthy foods (such as junk foods and sugary foods) is likely to lower cholesterol levels and improve heart health.
4. A Healthy Diet Lowers Cancer Risk
Cancer is one of the most common causes of death worldwide. An unhealthy lifestyle and genetic factors can cause the cells in your body to divide exponentially, resulting in abnormal cell functions.
Researchers have found that consuming organic and unprocessed foods is the best way to reduce the risk of cancer. Certain foods contain nutrients that can slow the progression of cancer.
These foods include berries, watermelon, broccoli, cabbage, tomato, garlic, turmeric, ginger, and leafy greens.
5. Immunity is boosted by a healthy diet
Improving your immune system helps fight infectious diseases, autoimmune diseases, and the common flu. It also contributes to a faster recovery and healing process.
To help your immune system, consume foods that are full of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Healthy foods such as blueberries, strawberries, oranges, grapefruit, leafy greens, carrot, tomato, cheese, milk, oily fish, herbs, and spices help to improve your immunity.
6. It boosts your brain health
A healthy diet improves your brain health and optimizes your mood.
Foods naturally high in omega-3 fatty acids (olive oil, fatty fish, fish oil, nuts, and seeds) help maintain cell membranes and normal brain function. They also facilitate so-called “synaptic plasticity” (ie the connection between cells).
These foods are used as “diet therapy” by people suffering from dyslexia, attention deficit disorder, schizophrenia, depression, and bipolar disorder.
7. Natural Foods Improve Digestion
Vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and probiotics are crucial for maintaining good gut health and improving digestion.
Dietary fiber is found in fruits and vegetables. Dietary fiber cannot be digested by humans, but the good gut bacteria ferment it, allowing them to thrive and survive in your gut.
Dietary fiber also adds bulk to the stool and improves bowel movements, reducing constipation. In addition to probiotic supplements, there are also natural probiotics such as yogurt, buttermilk, kimchi, probiotic drinks, and sauerkraut. Consider adding these products to your daily routine if you're striving for a healthy diet.
These supplements and foods help your body get more good gut bacteria. These good intestinal bacteria in turn ensure that your digestion is positively influenced.
8. It strengthens teeth and bones
A varied and healthy diet also helps to strengthen your teeth and bones.
Fish, milk, tofu, soy, leafy greens (except spinach), oranges, soaked beans, and nuts are great sources of calcium.
In addition, it's a good idea to spend some time in the sun every day and add egg yolks, fish and shellfish to your diet so that you get enough vitamin D.
9. A Healthy Diet Slows Aging
Healthy eating has a direct influence on the speed of the aging process of our body.
Fresh vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, fatty fish, whole grains, green tea, herbs, and spices are packed with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids. These substances help remove the harmful free oxygen radicals from your body.
This, in turn, helps maintain DNA structure and slows down the aging process.
10. The Right Foods Improve Your Skin
Unhealthy, greasy junk food leads to pimples and acne vulgaris. The key to healthy skin is drinking plenty of water, green tea, and coconut water. It is also necessary to consume plenty of fruits, vegetables, oily fish, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. By adding these foods to your healthy diet, any skin problems will decrease.
Consume foods that are packed with vitamins A, C, D, and E and omega-3 fatty acids, and avoid trans fats and sugary foods. In addition to a healthy diet, take care of good hygiene and you will undoubtedly notice that your skin looks more beautiful and radiant after a while!
11. Stress is reduced by a varied diet
Fruits and vegetables are packed with natural antioxidants. Antioxidants help reduce oxidative stress in the human body, reducing inflammation. Natural antioxidants are therefore a great addition to a healthy diet!
Unhealthy foods do just the opposite. It has virtually no nutritional value and the trans fats and the high sugar content increase the risk of inflammation in your body. This results in oxidative stress, which is at the expense of good health.
So don't eat unhealthy, high-fat foods. In the long run, the best way to reduce physical and mental stress is to eat healthy foods.
12. It optimizes the quality of your sleep
A healthy diet also helps to improve sleep quality. Several factors, such as eating junk food or ice cream in the evening, dining at an odd time, and consuming fatty foods, disrupt your natural sleep-wake rhythm.
This increases the risk of obesity and “metabolic syndrome” (or metabolic complaints). It leads to poor digestion and makes you feel uncomfortable.
Healthy and responsible foods, consumed at least three hours before bedtime, aid digestion, reduce stress and help you get a good night's sleep.
13. Your productivity is increased by a good diet
Easily digestible foods help boost your energy levels and keep your brain alert. This can make you feel more active. Easily digestible food and a healthy diet go hand in hand!
Easily digestible food also helps to increase your productivity. For example, try adding the best superfoods to your daily diet. These superfoods can help you lose weight, optimize your energy levels and boost your brain function.
14. A Healthy Diet Increases Longevity and Quality
A natural and healthy diet has a direct correlation with living longer and the quality of your life. Healthy food reduces inflammation and reduces the risk of various diseases.
15. A natural diet is better for the environment
The less processed food there is, the less impact it has on the environment and climate. You too can contribute to a better living environment in a relatively simple way; for example by paying attention to what you eat and where it comes from.
Choose to eat organic, fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and vegetable proteins. Do you also want to eat meat or fish? Then choose animals that have had a good life on a farm (free-range chickens) and wild-caught fish.
The positive effects of a healthy diet summarized
In this article, we described that a healthy diet is linked to several important health benefits.Supplements can be a good addition to your diet, but the basis of good health is formed by a varied and natural diet.
We advise you to stop consuming unhealthy food today. You can easily improve your life by choosing healthy foods.
That way you will not only look more radiant on the outside but also the inside a healthy diet brings about many positive things. For example, you feel mentally stronger, better, and calmer.
In addition, by paying attention to what you eat, you can ensure a more sustainable and better living environment. Preferably choose organic products. Some examples are wild-caught meat and fish.
Before radically changing your diet, it is wise to first obtain information from a specialist (such as a dietitian). They can provide you with the right tools so that you can adjust your diet healthily and responsibly.
