Healthy foods, The benefits of healthy food for human health and its importance for the health of our children.
Healthy food
A healthy diet (healthy food) is defined as eating different types of foods, which provide the body with the nutrients needed to maintain health, feeling good, and energy.
Good nutrition is important for all different age groups, and these foods include carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals, vitamins, and water.
Benefits of healthy eating for humans
benefits of healthy eating are many, and a healthy diet, includes a variety of fruits and vegetables with multiple colors, whole grains, carbohydrates, good fats and lean proteins.
among the benefits of healthy eating it reduces the risk of cancer, helps in losing weight and managing diabetes. It also maintains heart health, stroke prevention, bones, teeth, and others.
Healthy food also means avoiding foods that contain large amounts of salt and sugar, and the following are the most important benefits of a healthy food.
Benefits of healthy food for humans
- 1- Weight loss
- 2- Reducing the risk of cancer
- 3- Diabetes management
- 4- Heart Health and Stroke Prevention
- 5- Health of the Next Generation
- 6- Strong bones and teeth
- 7- A better mood
- 8- Improve memory
- 9- Improve gut health
- 10- Get a good night’s sleep
1- Weight loss
Losing weight can help reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases. If a person is overweight or obese, they have a higher risk of developing several conditions, including:
- Heart disease.
- Non-insulin dependent diabetes.
- Impaired bone density.
- Some types of cancer.
Whole vegetables and fruits contain fewer calories than most processed foods. and a person looking to lose weight should reduce their caloric intake to , what they do not need each day. It is easy to determine an individual’s caloric requirement , using the nutritional guidelines published by the government.
Maintaining a healthy diet free of processed foods, can help a person stay within their daily limits without the need to count calories.
Fiber is one of the elements in a healthy diet , that is especially important for weight management. and plant foods contain a lot of dietary fiber, which helps regulate hunger. by making people feel full for longer.
In 2018, researchers found that a diet rich in fiber, and lean protein resulted in weight loss without the need to count calories.
2- Reducing the risk of cancer
An unhealthy food can lead to obesity, which may increase a person’s risk of developing cancer. and weight within a healthy range may reduce this risk.
Also, in 2014, the American Society of Clinical Oncology reported , that obesity contributed to an increased outlook for people with cancer.
However, food rich in fruits and vegetables, may help protect against cancer. Many phytochemicals found in fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes act as antioxidants, which protect cells from damage that can cause cancer. Some of these antioxidants include beta-carotene, lycopene, and vitamins A.
3- Diabetes management:
Healthy food helps manage diabetes. Eating a healthy food can help a person with diabetes:
- Lose weight, if necessary.
- Managing blood glucose levels.
- Keep blood pressure and blood cholesterol within target ranges.
- Prevent or delay complications of diabetes.
It is essential for people with diabetes to limit the intake of foods that contain added sugar and salt. It is also best to avoid fried foods , high in saturated and trans fats.
4- Heart Health and Stroke Prevention
According to figures published in 2017, up to 92.1 million people in the United States suffer from at least one type of cardiovascular disease. these conditions primarily involve the heart or blood vessels.
According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, up to 80 percent of cases of heart disease and early stroke, can be prevented through lifestyle changes. such as increased levels of physical activity and healthy eating.
The medical community has long recognized the link between trans fats and heart-related diseases, such as coronary heart disease. If a person removes trans fats from the diet, it reduces the levels of LDL cholesterol. This type of cholesterol causes plaque to build up in the arteries. This increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Lowering blood pressure can be essential to heart health. and limiting salt intake to 1,500 milligrams per day can help.
Salt is added to many processed and fast foods, and a person hoping to lower blood pressure should avoid it.
5- Health of the Next Generation
Children learn most health-related behaviors from the adults around them. and parents who design healthy eating and exercise habits tend to pass them on.
And in 2018, researchers found that children who regularly eat meals with their families ate more vegetables and fewer sugary foods than their peers who ate at home less frequently.
Additionally, children who participate in gardening and home cooking , may be more likely to make healthy food and lifestyle choices.
6- Strong bones and teeth
Among the benefits of healthy eating, if they eat a diet with adequate calcium and magnesium is essential for strong bones and teeth.
Maintaining bone health is vital in preventing osteoporosis and bone later in life. The following foods are rich in calcium ; Low-fat dairy products – broccoli – cauliflower – cabbage – legumes.
7- A better mood
One of the benefits of healthy eating is that it helps a better mood, and emerging evidence indicates a close relationship between diet and mood.
In 2016, researchers found that a diet with a glycemic load may cause increased symptoms of depression and fatigue. A high glycemic diet includes many refined carbohydrates, such as those found in soft drinks and muffins. And white bread and biscuits.
Vegetables, whole fruits, and whole grains contain less blood sugar. While a healthy diet may improve mood, it is essential for people with depression to seek medical attention.
8- Improve memory
A healthy diet may help prevent dementia and cognitive decline. and in the 2015 study, specific nutrients and foods are what protect against these negative effects.
they found that the following are beneficial:
Vitamin D, vitamin C, omega-3 fatty acids, flavonoids and polyphenols, fish.
Among other diets, the Mediterranean diet contains many of these nutrients.
9– Improve gut health
The colon is full of naturally occurring bacteria, which play important roles in metabolism and digestion.
Certain strains of bacteria also produce vitamins K and B, which are beneficial for the colon. These strains also help fight harmful bacteria and viruses.
A food low in fiber and high in sugar and fat alters intestinal microbes, which increases inflammation in the area.
However, a food rich in vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains provides a blend of prebiotics and probiotics. that help the good bacteria thrive in the colon.
Fiber also promotes regular bowel movements, which can help prevent bowel cancer and inflammation. Diverticulum.
10- Get a good night’s sleep
- A variety of factors, including sleep apnea, can disrupt sleep patterns.
- Sleep apnea occurs when the airways are repeatedly blocked during sleep.
- Risk factors include obesity, alcohol intake and an unhealthy diet.
- Reducing alcohol and caffeine consumption can help ensure a restful sleep, whether a person suffers from sleep apnea.
Benefits of healthy food for children
What young children eat strongly affects their physical, mental and nervous health in the long run.
Parents are primarily responsible for the health of their children and for everything they eat, since their birth. Here are the most important benefits of healthy eating for children.
Benefits of healthy eating for children
- 1- Strong healthy growth
- 2- Development of brain capacities
- 3- Avoid health problems and diseases
- 4- Some other benefits
- 5- Prevention of obesity and its consequences
- 1- Strong healthy growth:
Children have important daily nutritional needs to support their continuous growth. as well as their physical growth.
as foods that contain vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates and protein are necessary for the development of all their functions. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that , children eat at least five different fruits and vegetables daily.
- 2– Development of brain capacities:
Young people who eat a healthy food , have many advantages that affect better brain development. and according to a researcher at the Urban Child Institute, for example, if a child does not receive enough iodine and iron, he may suffer from cognitive delay and a delay in his motor development.
A child whose diet is deficient in essential fatty acids may have more delays in learning, self-development and awareness than his peers.
- 3- Avoid health problems and diseases:
Eating healthy foods can also reduce the health problems , that children face. Children who are provided with healthy food constantly and from an early age face fewer problems than those who eat unhealthy food. that may extend with them not only in childhood but also into adulthood.
There are many chronic diseases that may affect young people with wrong eating habits, such as obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, especially type II, cancer, some immune diseases, and osteoporosis. all of these diseases have roots related to food behaviors and the type of food provided to the child.
- 4- Some other benefits:
Eating foods rich in calcium and Vitamin D is essential for normal growth and bone development in children. as well as supporting their immune system.
Iron supports normal cognitive development in young children.
Omega-3 supports the normal brain functions, and it is one of the elements , that the body depends on obtaining from the outside, and does not produce it inside.
The best foods for young people are fruits and vegetables of all kinds. especially vegetables, whole grains such as brown rice, wholegrain bread and whole pasta.
legumes such as beans and lentils, and lean meats such as fish, especially oily fish, nuts and grains, dairy and all their products. they provide almost all the elements that Their body needs it.
- 5- Prevention of obesity and its consequences:
The most important benefits of healthy food for children at all. is that it protects them from obesity diseases and all their consequences.
such as joint diseases and mental illnesses that result from the child’s feeling of inferiority and embarrassment in front of his colleagues.
The World Health Organization estimates that more than a billion people, around the world are overweight, and he attributes the problem to diets rich in sugar and saturated fats.
all of this results from their nurturing an unhealthy diet, and healthy food helps boost metabolism, burn calories and regulate them in the body so as not to cause obesity.
Tips for a healthy diet
- There are many ways to improve the diet and get a strong and lean body.
- There are many small, positive ways to improve your diet, including; Swap soft drinks with water and herbal tea.
- Don’t eat meat for at least one day a week.
- Switching cow’s milk to plant-based milk.
- Eat whole fruits instead of drinking juices that contain less fiber and often contain added sugar.
- Avoid processed meats that are high in salt, may increase the risk of colon cancer.
- Eat more lean protein, which can be found in eggs, tofu, fish and nuts.
- A person may also benefit from taking a cooking class and learning how to incorporate more vegetables into meals.
- A doctor or dietitian can also provide advice on eating a healthier diet.
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