Are you a healthy eater? If you are, rest assured that you are already on your path towards complete wellness. Through mindful eating, you can nourish your body without intaking the toxicity of consuming unhealthy foods.
There’s a misconception that eating healthy is complicated and restrictive. However, this is not true. Many food products are ideal for everyday consumption. By talking to our in-house dietician, you can now identify these foods, all the while maintaining your health goals and considering your personal preferences. Whether you are a vegan or you like consuming animal protein and other products, following the right balance, portion, and meal timings can help manage medical conditions, eliminate toxins and ensure complete wellness of your body.
In this blog, we will explore ten reasons you should start eating healthy under the guidance of our expert dietician.
Reason 1: Lose those extra pounds
Did you know that it is possible to lose weight by eating a healthy diet? While many people choose to lose weight by following restrictive diets or even starving themselves, the ideal way to lose your extra pounds is by eating cleaner and healthier foods.
Start by including lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, grains, legumes, and lean protein in your meals. These nutrient-rich meals will keep you full and satisfied without the extra calories and ensure that your body is getting the necessary carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, and minerals required for its proper functioning.
Reason 2: Maintain a healthy weight
The right foods will not only help you lose but also maintain a healthy body weight. Eating fibre-rich and nutrient-dense foods will also help people gain weight which they lost due to unexpected illness or chronic diseases. Foods like nuts, seeds, and dried fruits are especially good for healthy weight gain as they provide calories and energy to stay active and live better.
Reason 3: Better heart health
By including foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids and monounsaturated fats in your diet, such as nuts, fruits, grains, vegetables, and fish, your heart’s health will improve visibly. You can also keep away from cardiovascular diseases, mostly caused by trans-fat-containing foods like baked goods, fried snacks, etc. By cutting off foods that contribute to heart diseases, you are essentially increasing your lifespan.
Reason 4: Reduce the risk of diabetes
Just like heart diseases, unhealthy eating habits can trigger type 2 diabetes. Higher intake of trans fat is associated with unhealthy weight gain and obesity, which is a major risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes. By increasing your intake of healthy, nutrition-rich food, you can curb excess weight gain, reducing the risk of getting type 2 diabetes.
Even if you are a type 2 diabetic patient, a healthy low-carb diet including higher fibre carb sources such as vegetables, berries, nuts, and seeds can manage your condition by improving blood sugar levels throughout the day.
Reason 5: Better digestion
One of the worst mistakes we all tend to make is not including fibre in our diet. Fibre is vital for easy digestion. It improves gut and intestinal health and maintains normal blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Whole Grains with husk are a great source of fibre. Fruits such as berries, pears, melon and oranges, broccoli, carrots and sweetcorn, potatoes with skin, and legumes are also great choices of fibrous foods. Consuming the right amount of fibre can also help you feel full faster and stop you from overeating.
Reason 6: Fight the risk of cancer
An unhealthy lifestyle, including the continued consumption of carcinogenic foods such as processed meat, red meat, salted fish, sugary drinks, fast foods, and alcohol, puts you at higher risk of developing cancer. On the other hand, certain healthy foods are said to fight cancer and decrease your cancer risk. Wholegrains, tomatoes, garlic, citrus fruits, and carrots are often associated with fighting and preventing cancer.
Reason 7: Improved sleep quality
If you have trouble falling or staying asleep at night, the kind of foods you eat could be a reason. Oily and processed foods, caffeine, sugar, and alcohol negatively impact the quality of your sleep. Regularly consuming unhealthy foods can disrupt your sleep cycle, thereby causing your body to get exhausted and eventually fall sick. So, to get a good night’s sleep and improve your overall health, start following a healthier diet rich in essential carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, and minerals.
Reason 8: Better mental health
Although it may sound surprising, studies have shown that the food we eat has a huge impact on our mental health. It has been found that consumption of high amounts of sugar and processed foods can increase your risk of depression. Our dietician highly recommends choosing foods that can increase serotonin levels in your body, which helps stabilize your mood, feelings of wellbeing, and happiness. Whole foods like spinach, berries, sweet potatoes, pineapples, tofu, and nuts can also affect serotonin production in the body and help fight depression and other mental disorders.
Reason 9: Increased energy levels
Good food provides energy for your body. Not all foods energize you and keep you active throughout the day. Fast foods, for instance, may appease your hunger but cannot provide energy for long. Eating a diet full of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds can help stabilize your blood sugar levels and maintain your energy levels throughout the day.
Reason 10: Save money
Yes, eating healthy is cheaper. If you decide to eat healthy by including more salads, nuts, fresh juices, and home-cooked meals, it will be lighter on your pockets. All the essential nutrients for your body should come from your meals. Today, unhealthy food habits have forced people to take dietary supplements to ensure that they receive the necessary nutrients to function. These multi-vitamin tablets are costly and may also present side effects that can be easily avoided by simply eating healthier foods.
Takeaway
Following a healthy diet and being more mindful of what you put into your body can go a long way. It will not only ensure your physical and mental wellbeing but is also cost-effective. While people do know the importance of eating healthy, many are unsure where to start. This is where our resident dietician Dr. Alya can help. If you are having trouble deciding on a healthier diet and lack motivation, reach out to our dietician in Dubai today.
