When it comes to food, we can't ignore the facts - or the science. You need a healthy diet for a healthy life.
Research shows a healthy diet could help or prevent a number of health problems, including cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. And that number keeps growing as researchers learn more about how nutrition affects your health.
What You Should Know
Adopting a disease-fighting diet is easier than you think. When you shop, choose fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains, such as brown rice and whole-wheat bread. Avoid foods high in sugar and fat.
Here are some tips for arming yourself against disease with good-for-you foods:
Follow the Food Guide Pyramid
This guide tells you what foods to include in your diet each day and in what portions. It shows you how to have a balanced diet by eating foods from all the basic food groups:
Think colour
When it comes to fruit and vegetables, eat lots of deep-coloured produce. Oranges and dark berries, like blueberries and cranberries, are especially rich in natural plant chemicals that can protect you against diseases like cancer and heart disease. Orange and dark green vegetables, such as carrots, sweet potatoes, and spinach are also rich in these plant chemicals.
Remember fibre
Eating lots of fruits and vegetables will give your body extra water and fibre, which will help keep your digestive tract clean and healthy. Beans, bran, whole-grain breads and brown rice, and high-fibre cereals are also good sources of fibre.
Make good bacteria your friend
Fermented foods like yogurt are especially good for you as you get older because they contain "good" bacteria that keep your digestive tract healthy. Check food labels for these bacteria.. The good bacteria in these foods also fight the bad bacteria that can enter your body through spoiled food and make you sick.
Eat fatty fish
Your body needs some fats to stay healthy, and the fats found in fish like salmon and tuna are good for your heart. Fish also provides a rich source of protein without the large amount of unhealthy fat you get from red meat.
Try soya
Eating about one to two ounces of soya protein daily can help lower cholesterol and unhealthy fat in your diet and protect you from heart disease. You can find many different soya products, which come from soyabeans, in your food store. The most popular are tofu, soya milk (in different flavours), soya burgers and hot dogs, soya ice cream, soya nut butter, and soya flour.
Drink plenty of water
To stay healthy, drink at least eight glasses of water daily. Pay special attention to drinking enough because your thirst decision dulls with age, and remember that if you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated.
Don't abstain if you don't have to
Beer and red wine, in moderation, are another rich source of plant chemicals. This means no more than one glass of beer or red wine a day for women, two for men.
Following a healthy diet, along with regular exercise, will prevent you from gaining weight, which is important for good health. Losing 10 percent of your body weight, for instance, could be enough to lower your cholesterol. Choose healthy foods for a longer and healthier life!
Don't lose out, watch this space for regular updates!
About The Author
Jon Wickham is the owner of Mabels?Maintaining Bygone Times, containing numerous articles thoughtfully researched mainly for the older person. You may access these articles by visiting http://www.mabels.org.uk/ - You will learn about the best tips to improve your health, fitness, finances, safety as well as information on nostalgic topics, places to visit & leisure & lifestyle.
Some of the things you think you know that just... Read More
Having a personal wellness program has become a concern for... Read More
We come from a society where growing organic and just... Read More
Bright white teeth and fresh breath does not necessarily... Read More
Fats (triacylglycerols) ...Some basic terminology ...fat or fatty acid ...In... Read More
Have you ever felt like you were completely losing your... Read More
Eating healthy and taking care of yourself is essential to... Read More
Since the 1930's the western diet has dramatically changed. This... Read More
Numerous reports have recently appeared in both the lay and... Read More
Water is a vitally important component of any valuable and... Read More
The makers of Bumble Bee Tuna generated some buzz today... Read More
High blood pressure (hypertension) is a dangerous condition that can... Read More
Sugar intake is a real concern for people who've had... Read More
Picture yourself in one of the following scenarios.You're cruising along... Read More
There are a number of common food mistakes that costs... Read More
Initially discovered as a new element in 1811 by Barnard... Read More
Do you need omega 3 fatty acid in your diet?... Read More
Increasing the fiber in your diet has been shown to:... Read More
Is the thrill gone? Has the thrill gone out of... Read More
How To Have A Healthy ThanksgivingEnd of the year holidays... Read More
America's major dietary deficiency - EFA a panacea for good... Read More
Enzymes are the workers in our body that make everything... Read More
I read a lot about the topics of health and... Read More
The cry of "I have no willpower!" often emerges from... Read More
The reason I remember the first time I was served... Read More
For a considerable amount of time, nutrition has not played... Read More
Nature works mostly on the principle of thing and no... Read More
The best weight training and cardio workouts will do very... Read More
Some experts consider carbohydrate craving and addiction as something more... Read More
For decades science has been looking for the answers to... Read More
Although many realize that the liver has its own cleansing... Read More
Have you ever watched someone who appears thin and healthy... Read More
Coke, more commonly known as cocaine is a highly addictive... Read More
Just what is the "New Biology of Health?" And who's... Read More
America's focus on nutritious eating began to receive national attention... Read More
Whether you're concerned about cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or simply... Read More
Oats (botanical name Avena sativa)An oat is a grass that... Read More
Nutrition is extremely important for any young person, especially an... Read More
In the brain, a typical protein can live for approximately... Read More
If you want to lose weight, there is one thing... Read More
THE RISKNo doubt you've heard of the increasingly popular "raw... Read More
Spring is in the air and ? summer is around... Read More
Initially discovered as a new element in 1811 by Barnard... Read More
This is usually the forgotten element of most mass programs.... Read More
What are Glyconutrients? Glyconutrients are eight newly discovered biologically-active sugars... Read More
Constipation is a condition whereby the fecal matter traveling through... Read More
Secretly we all want just a few things in life,... Read More
Because I believe diet and exercise are so important, I'm... Read More
Why does disease begin in the digestive tract? Your digestive... Read More
A beautiful smile and healthy mouth actually can come from... Read More
Nutrition |