Top Benefits of Healthy Food
It is no secret that healthy eating leads to a healthier life. The benefits that come from eating right are many but there are a few that top our list of top benefits of eating healthy. Before we get into the various ways that healthy eating can help you lead a more fulfilled life, let’s define healthy food.
A healthy diet is balanced and varied. It is packed with the nutrients that our bodies need and lacking in all the things that bring us harm. Plenty of vegetables and fruits are necessary for a healthy diet, as are lean proteins, whole grains, seeds, nuts, and starches. Read more about eating a healthy diet.
The Top 10 Benefits of Eating Healthy
Here are the top 10 benefits of eating healthy that we here at Cloud 9 feel are the most vital to a full and happy life.
- Fights Disease – There are many diseases, many of them life-threatening, that are caused by a poor diet. Diabetes, depression, arthritis, cancer, and metabolic syndrome are just a few of the diseases that a healthy diet can help you avoid.
- Strong Bones and Teeth – In order to keep strong bones and teeth, it is crucial that we include some specific nutrients in our diet. Calcium-rich foods are important but also focus on foods with Vitamin D as it helps with the absorption of calcium.
- Weight Loss – Giving your body more of what it wants and less of what it doesn’t means better metabolic performance, higher energy levels, and natural weight loss. Cutting out things like saturated fats, overly processed foods, and excessive sugar and salt can help you bring your body to a healthy weight.
- Heart Health – Nearly all the foods that make up a healthy diet, including fruits, whole grains, nuts and seeds, as well as vegetables, assist in maintaining a healthy heart. Limiting salt and saturated fat intake has a positive impact on blood pressure and cholesterol levels which are the main culprits to many issues threatening heart health.
- Better Mood – The higher energy levels that come from eating a healthy diet make it easy to feel good which leads to a better mood overall – tasks that seemed difficult prior to your change to healthy eating suddenly feel much more manageable. A more positive outlook also makes it easier to take up other healthy habits like exercise, social activities and hobbies, all of which can release endorphins making you feel more relaxed and less stressed.
- Higher Energy Levels – When we have a healthy diet, the work of processing the foods we eat is cut significantly. Our bodies spend a tremendous amount of energy trying to digest highly processed and refined foods, sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats. When we reduce these from our diet, we end up with a surplus of energy.
- Safeguards Mental Health – A healthy diet ensures that you get the nutrients necessary for a healthy brain. Eating a healthy and varied diet supplies your brain with all the nutrients it needs to function properly. Indirectly, a healthy diet can help your brain as well. Improving gut health through healthy eating choices is one way that you can keep your brain strong.
- Improves Longevity – A large portion of premature deaths occur due to a lack of exercise and poor diet. Eating healthy maintains your body, mind and soul, ensuring that all of your bodily systems are working together in harmony. When you give your body the nourishment that it needs, you give it the tools it needs to reach its full potential.
- Reduced Stress – A healthy diet makes it easier for your body to respond to events in your life. Cortisol levels don’t get out of control when your body is in balance. Another factor of a healthy diet that leads to lower stress is the better mood and sense of well being – both of which make it easier to cope with life’s many challenges.
- Better Sleep – One aspect of eating right has to do with not what you eat but how you eat. Eating heavy foods that are difficult to digest right before bed, for example, can wreak havoc on the quality of your sleep. If you must eat right before you sleep, keep it light and choose foods that are full of nutrients.