In recent years, the idea of healthy eating and looking after ourselves has become increasingly popular. However, how many of us actually are aware of the important benefits that eating healthy brings, or are we just being drawn in with the trend? This has been a question on my mind recently, due to recent shows, such as Operation Transformation being on TV. It is a hot topic at the moment! I have therefore decided to share eight (surprising) benefits of eating healthily (and in simple terms for those of us who are not dieticians by nature!)
As we are all aware, maintaining a healthy diet and eating well leads to increased weight loss. Putting aside the short term, losing weight will increase your life span and lead to greater benefits. A fact that many people do not know is that the food you eat is in fact more important than the exercise you do when trying to lose weight!
Along with weight loss, eating well and maintaining a balanced diet will lead to decreased risk of both illness and disease (for example cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes). Most people are aware of but do not completely understand the fact that what we put into our bodies can impact our health to this extreme level.
Also, despite decreasing the risk of illness, eating healthily can also cure illnesses, if you do happen to catch them. To sum it up, your health has a dramatically greater chance at success by eating well!
What surprises many people is that eating healthily can in fact improve your overall mood. Taking part in exercise, along with eating a healthy diet, can release endorphins (chemicals released in the brain), that make you happier and more content. This can also lead to reduced stress levels. As we all know, looking after our mental health is now viewed in society as just as important as looking after your physical health, if not more important.
So grab that banana and go for a jog (as the summer nights start to get longer) and have yourself feeling happier and less stressed in no time!
One thing that surprises many people is that by eating the right foods, you can increase your energy levels and likewise, reduce your feeling of tiredness! Processed foods and food with high volumes of sugar, (including junk food) can leave you feeling tired and drained, after an initial buzz of energy.
Instead, sticking to foods such as nuts and fruit will maintain your energy more efficiently in the long term! (We can't just think short term!)
Follow the link here to discover ways to make it easier to cut out junk food!
https://cspinet.org/tip/six-strategies-help-you-say-no-junk-food
Many factors lead to decreased sleeping quality, and many people struggle with the difficulty of not being able to sleep. These can be affected by the kinds and types of foods you eat during the day!
Caffeine and alcohol are often blamed. However, what people don't often know is that an unhealthy diet can also impact sleep quality.
By adapting a good diet, people may not be aware that they are in fact also increasing the quality of sleep they get each night. What a bonus!
As we all are aware, children pick up on the habits of their parents, sometimes in good ways and sometimes not so good in others! If we ourselves develop and maintain a healthy diet, there is a high chance that we will in turn pass these habits on to our children, which they will then hopefully maintain for the course of their lives!
Not only that, but introducing a healthy diet in the home is essential for children through the course of their growth and development. It is very important to start children eating the right kinds of food while they are young.
A poor diet with unhealthy food leads to decreased attention span and productivity. Whatever skills we use in an average day, we all need to be able to focus and be productive.
By eating a healthy diet, I have already spoken about how sleep quality will increase, along with energy and mood levels. Together, these benefits will improve attention span, along with your levels of production. And who doesn't want to be productive?!
I have saved the most surprising benefit for last! It is a common myth that healthy food is more expensive than junk food. And I must admit, I am sometimes guilty of using this as an excuse to clear my own conscience around my eating habits!
However, it all depends on how you eat. If you take time to plan and prepare your own meals, you can do it on a budget.
Cutting out expensive takeaway food can also increasingly save you money. In truth, it is all about priorities. When you have the determination to eat healthy and are willing to put in the effort, healthy eating can be accomplished in a cost-efficient, sustainable and worthwhile way!
https://news.tradimo.com/how-do-you-save-money-for-trading/
With all of the benefits I have talked about above, I know I certainly want to throw on my runners, get some exercise and then remove all of the junk food from my house! What we can't ignore is that the benefits to healthy eating are endless. I could continue this post forever if I had the time! However, I unfortunately cannot so I hope you all want to take the hints and tips above and implement them into your daily lives!