Maintaining good nutrition is essential for healthy living. Your daily food choices affect how you are going to feel today and tomorrow.
In this article, we are going to elaborate on the meaning of good nutrition, why you should always maintain good nutrition, and how you can eat nutritiously.
What is good nutrition?
Good nutrition means that the body gets all the minerals, vitamins, and nutrients it needs to function its best. To eat nutritiously, plan all your snacks and meals to include majorly nutrient-dense foods with low calories.
Why is good nutrition important?
- Increases your energy levels.
- Improves your mental and physical health
- Lowers high cholesterol.
- Improves your ability to fight illnesses.
- Reduces high blood pressure.
- Reduces the risk of lifestyle diseases like diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, and some cancers.
- Improves your ability to recover from injury or illnesses.
- Delays the effects of aging.
- Positively affects your mood.
- Increase focus
Tips for eating nutritiously
Eat lots of vegetables
Include a variety of vegetables in your daily meals. You could plan your meals to include different combinations of vegetables each day.
Eat lots of fruit
Make it a point to eat your fruits whole. This way, you reap the benefits of the natural fiber in the fruit.
Choose lean meats
Lean cuts of poultry and meats have fewer calories and less fat but they are still great sources of protein.
Eat lots of whole grains
Some examples of whole grains include barley, brown rice, millet, bulgur. If you enjoy cereals, crackers, breads, or pastas, try to choose those made from whole grains more often.
- Try other sources of proteins
- Try replacing poultry and meat with beans, tofu, or fish.
- Choose fat-free or low-fat milk
- These provide vitamin D and calcium which help keep the bones strong.
- Other good practices important for healthy living
- Physical exercise
To maintain a healthy lifestyle, it is important to make time for physical exercise. Regular exercise promotes strong bones and muscles. In addition to helping you maintain your weight, it also improves cardiovascular, respiratory, and overall general health.
Eliminating processed foods from the diet
Examples of processed foods include carbonated drinks and chips. Processed foods often have high calories but barely contain any healthy nutrients. Additionally, they contain many unnecessary toxins, for example, coloring, artificial flavoring, preservatives, to mention but a few.
Get quality sleep
Sleep helps to keep you focused and it boosts your mood. What’s more, it improves one’s overall mental and physical health.
Reduce salt and sugar intake
High salt intake could result in high blood pressure and increase your risk of cardiovascular diseases. Hence it is important to take salt in moderation.
Just like salt, sugar should be taken in moderation. Excessive sugar intake can be linked to a number of health conditions, including diabetes, obesity, heart disease, chronic inflammation, and dental cavities.
In conclusion, maintaining good nutrition is not just about food, it is a lifestyle. In addition to physical exercise, good nutrition will help sustain your mental, emotional, and physical health for a long time.
