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WHAT IS HEALTHY EATING?

The United States Department of Agriculture recently published Dietary Guidelines for Americans that says a Healthy Diet includes the following:

• fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and 
  fat-free or low-fat milk products;
  

• lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts; and is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars.
  

WHY EAT HEALTHY?

Maintain a healthy weight

Excess weight is bad for you. Not only does it affect the way you look, it also affects your overall health. Being overweight has been directly linked to leading causes of death such as heart disease, stroke, certain types of cancer and diabetes.

The problem is so widespread that the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has stated that obesity and the lack of exercise would become the leading cause of preventable deaths in the United States “within the next few years”.

Reduce your risk for disease

Eating a well-balanced, healthy diet cannot only reduce the risk for these diseases, it can also boost your energy levels, improve alertness and keep your brain in tip-top shape. That’s right; vitamins found in whole grains, pasta, fish, legumes and nuts contain B vitamins (B5, B6 and B12) all of which are very important to brain health. So is the potassium found in bananas, apricots, and cantaloupes to name just a few.

Feel Better

Fueling your body with the proper nutrients and daily exercise will not only improve the way you physically feel, but research has shown that a healthy diet can also improve our moods.

Look Better

Proper nutrition also impacts our skin, hair, muscle tone and bones. In short the old adage “You are what you eat” is not too far from the truth. If you eat healthy, you greatly increase the likelihood that you will be healthy!