Understanding the Benefits of a ‘Balanced Diet’ for your Health

A balanced diet can prevent certain diseases, improve your energy levels and even improve your mood. Hence overall, a good diet has an incredible impact on your health.

Forget about the assumptions you have for the word “diet” in the healthy eating discourse. Diet shouldn’t mean restricting yourself to eating only that same romaine lettuce/carrot/cucumber salad dish your avoiding in the back of your frig or making grilled chicken breast 24/7.

Diet refers to the organization of your nutrition throughout the day. Basically, what foods you eat daily. Ultimately keeping an overall basic perspective of eating plant-based foods most often in ones diet, while keeping highly processed and packaged foods at a minimum.

How does food impact your health?

Your body is an organically complex machine that depends on how you decide to nurture it. Now of course it cannot be fundamentally compared to a machine  but consider it in some respects as a car in the following example. Imagine you choose to use low-quality fuel or motor oil in your engine. In that case, expect to notice some poor performance and even hearing some weird sounds that may indicate certain malfunctions happening within. Have you had that experience of eating a meal (ie a bag of chips) and afterwards feeling more gassy or bloated?

A poor diet will have implications on your energy levels, digestion, and mood.

With any upset in one’s diet you can potentially feel more tired than usual, angry or moody without ‘apparent reason,’ and possibly experience headaches. All of these symptoms can be related to shifts and an unbalanced diet. Food is like the fuel your body needs to function optimally. The better you eat, the better your body will work.  Every time you eat, you are giving your body the resources it needs to perform all its internal functions properly. These resources are the information and materials that your metabolism uses in its processes.  If you provide your body the wrong information, then functions start to falter.

But as the wrong diet can affect your health negatively: A balanced diet can be extremely beneficial for you. 

Benefits of a Good Diet on Your Health

Positive things happen to your body when you maintain a good, balanced diet. It can help prevent heart disease, obesity, diabetes, cerebrovascular strokes-and even reduce cancer risk. Plus, if you add regular exercise or any form of physical activity to your daily routine, the positive impact on your health is even higher. Furthermore, there are other things that also improve with a good diet.

• increased energy levels
• Better Sleep
• Heart Health
• Reduced Cancer Risk
• Healthier gut and Improved Digestion
• Better Mood
• Mental Health and Better Memory
• Diabetes Management
• Strong bones and teeth
• Healthier skin

Increased Energy

We mentioned that food is like fuel for your body, and it certainly is. Through food, you receive the nutrients you need to function properly, and that reflects on your energy levels. Your energy levels will depend on your sleeping habits and also on your diet.

A healthy diet helps you keep your energy levels up high; to help you prevent fatigue.

But what does a good diet include? A good diet includes a variety of complex carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, with lots of greens, whole grains, and healthy oils. Also, to prevent fatigue, you can reduce your intake of refined sugars and white starches. You can consume those but only occasionally as they are associated with low energy and fatigue.

Better Sleep

I talked about your energy levels and how a good diet can improve them.  But the other thing that can be improved by your diet is sleep. Sleep apnea occurs when your airways become blocked while you are asleep. Few of the factors that produce apnea include obesity, alcohol intake and a poor diet. Caffeine is commonly known to affect and lead to sleep disruptions due to its stimulant effects. Also be wary of soda, alcohol and other energy drinks consumed later in the day that can also potentially impact sleep quality. Now, let’s move on to matters of the heart.

Heart health

According to The American Heart Association (AHA), almost half of the adult population in the United States of America suffers from some form of heart disease. But it doesn’t stop there. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that “Heart Disease is one of the main causes of deaths for adults in the U.S.” 

DASH DIET

Some nutrition programs were designed to attack hypertension; one of them being the DASH DIET, designed by The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

The DASH diet plan includes: 

• Plenty of vegetables, greens, fruits, and whole grains
• Fat-free or low-fat dairy products
• Fish, poultry, beans, nuts and vegetable oils
• Limiting saturated and trans fat intake, like fatty meats and full-fat dairy products
• Low intake of beverages and products with added sugars including limited caffeine and alcohol intake.
• Reduced sodium intake to less than 2,300 milligrams per day and an increased intake of potassium, magnesium, and calcium

If you include produce and less processed foods in your diet, you will potentially reduce the risk of heart disease, including hypertension.

This last one is very important; for instance, reducing the intake of saturated and trans fats improves your heart health as it helps to decrease the cholesterol levels that can potentially accumulate in your arteries; provoking heart attacks or strokes.

Of course, you can treat yourself to decadent food once in a while, but remember; only occasionally. The key is to find a balance between both worlds to maintain a healthy diet that doesn’t restrict you from eating the food you love.

Reduced cancer risk

In 2020, there were approximately 1,806,590 new cases of cancer diagnosed in the United States. According to the World Health Organization, Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. And even though there’s no designated cure for it besides treatment, there are some ways that can help you reduce the risks of getting it. Cancer is a disease related to the uncontrollable growth of cells beyond their usual boundaries. Some of its risk factors include genetics and environmental aspects, which cannot be controlled. But studies show that there are other factors within your controlling capabilities that can reduce your risk of getting cancer. Yes, a healthy diet is one of them.

Antioxidants help remove free radicals in your organism that increase the risk of cancer. Have you ever heard of Beta-carotene or lycopene? These act as antioxidants in your body, just like vitamins A, C, and E that are also considered antioxidants reducing the impact of free radicals damage in your organism.

Antioxidants can be found in foods like:

• Berries
• Dark greens (like kale)
• Pumpkin
• Carrots
• Nuts and various seeds

A diet rich in fruits and vegetables can help you prevent the risk of getting cancer, specifically stomach cancer, liver cancer, and colon cancer.

A Healthy Gut

Your colon has a bacterial ecosystem which makes up 3 percent of your body mass and is essential for metabolism and digestion. Good Bacteria can boost the synthesis of vitamins K and B, which are extremely good for your colon and also help to fight harmful bacteria and viruses. Also, a good diet high in fiber can help you improve your bowel movements and digestion while keeping your colon un-inflamed; which can help you prevent the risk of bowel cancer and diverticulitis. Consumption of fiber feeds those bacteria, keeping them happy and consequently better able to communicate with our gut cells in a chemical network that promotes balance and a peaceful coexistence that is important to our immune system.

Food high in fiber provides a combination of prebiotics and probiotics that help good bacteria thrive in the colon and improve digestion. You can find fiber in legumes, grains, fruits, and vegetables. In short, a diet rich in fiber, probiotics, and prebiotics is great for your colon and digestion.

Better mood

There are some studies that demonstrate the relation between your mood and your diet. Here, of course, we’re not talking about how grumpy you will be changing that exchanging that slice of pizza for a lettuce wrap! We are talking about something deeper. Researchers back in 2015 found out that diets high in glycemic levels help increase depression and fatigue. By high glycemic levels, I’m referring to food high in refined carbohydrates such as cakes, sodas, cookies, white bread, pizza, pasta, etc. This is why having a good diet can help you improve your mood. By reducing the refined carbohydrates in ones diet, you can reduce the risk of depressed mood and fatigue.

Better memory and improved mental health

Another benefit of a good diet is improved memory. 

As a matter of fact, your brain consumes 20% of your calorie intake. This is why it is so important to nurture it with good food.   Back in 2015, researchers identified foods that can protect your mind against cognitive decline and dementia. Antioxidants reduce cellular stress and inflammation which are two factors linked to brain aging and neuro-degenerative disorders, like Alzheimer’s.

We can find these in fish, nuts, seeds, dark chocolate and berries.

Weight loss

Weight is often considered as an indicator of health, even though it is not a determining factor. Overweight is often related to chronic diseases like diabetes, heart attacks or strokes, cancer, bone pains, etc. Maintaining a healthy weight can help you prevent the risk of getting those diseases. A healthy diet with reduced intake of processed foods accompanied by physical activity can be beneficial for you as it will help you maintain your healthy weight or lose it.

Managing Diabetes

A good diet can help people with diabetes control their blood sugar levels, which is essential for them to stay as healthy as possible. A diet rich in nutrients, low in fat, refined carbohydrates and added sugars is essential.

This type of diet will help you: 

• Manage blood sugar levels
• Preventing or delaying any complications of diabetes
• Maintaining a moderate weight
• Keep your blood pressure and cholesterol within target ranges

Strong bones and teeth

A healthy diet can reduce the risk of bone issues in the long term, such as osteoporosis. The intake of food rich in calcium and magnesium is very beneficial for your bone structure and teeth. Adequate calcium and magnesium are important for strong bones and teeth.

You can find both of these in: 

• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Cabbage
• Low-fat dairy products
• Tofu
• Legumes
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Whole grains

Your skin health and appearance

Last but not least: a good diet benefits your skin . Your skin is the largest organ in your body, and like all other organs, consumption of micronutrients is important for stability and regeneration.

Certain types of foods-like dairy-are associated with skin inflammation and acne. For people with acne-prone skin, it is recommended to avoid dairy or reduce the consumption of these products. There are known negative effects with the consumption of alcohol and smoking such as increased signs of aging, wrinkling and destruction of collagen; decreasing elasticity. Tips for maintaining a well-balanced diet

There are a few things you can implement in your daily routine to improve your eating habits:

• Drinking more water and less sugary beverages
• Reducing the intake of red meat
• Eating less processed foods as mentioned
• Consuming whole fruits instead of juices
• Avoiding processed meats, like ham and sausages, that are high in sodium
• Eating more vegetables
• Eating more lean protein, which you can find in eggs, tofu, fish and nuts

It might look like a lot to include in your diet, but it is not as hard it sounds. If you lack creativity when it comes to cooking, you can take a look at the healthy recipes in our book. Healthy doesn’t mean boring. There are plenty of delicious dishes that you can include in your daily meal plan!

What are the benefits of a balanced diet?

• More energy levels
• Better Sleep
• Heart Health
• Reduced Cancer Risk
• Healthier gut and Improved Digestion
• Better Mood
• Mental Health and Better Memory
• Diabetes Management
• Strong bones and teeth
• Healthier skin

Finally: Benefits of a Balanced Diet on your Health

We have reached the end of this article and, as you can tell, there are various benefits of leading a good diet and a healthy lifestyle. Eating healthy doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming; there are a lot of delicious and nutritious recipes that you can make at home! So go ahead and take a look at our Book and if you want to learn more about benefits of a healthy diet, you can read our blog. Your journey to a healthier life starts here.

Thank you for reading our blog post on Benefits of a Balanced Diet for your Health. If you found it helpful, let us know in the comments below. Moreover, you can visit the blog section on our website to learn more about nutrition, body care, and exercise-related topics. To learn more about the steps you can take to achieve a healthier lifestyle, check out our book. In it, we detail a set of meal plans and exercises that can help you achieve your body goals. Transition your lifestyle into a healthier, more fulfilling one with NubianDoc today.