Eating a healthy diet is essential...

...for both physical and mental health to stay strong. 

A balanced diet has many benefits including reducing the risk of developing chronic disease, helping you to recover faster from illness and maintain a healthy weight while also playing an important role in your state of mind.

Other benefits include: 

• Getting a good night's sleep
• Strong bones and teeth
• Weight Loss
• Improved memory
• Better mood

A healthful diet typically includes nutrient-dense foods from all major food groups, including lean proteins, whole grains, healthful fats, and fruits and vegetables of many colors.

Healthful eating also means replacing foods that contain trans fats, added salt, and sugar with more nutritious options. Following a healthful diet can impact you severely.

Getting a good night’s sleep

A variety of factors, including sleep apnea, can disrupt sleep patterns.

Sleep apnea occurs when the airways repeatedly become blocked during sleep. Risk factors include obesity, drinking alcohol, and eating an unhealthful diet.

Reducing alcohol and caffeine intake can help a person gain restful sleep, whether they have sleep apnea or not.

Strong bones and teeth

A regular diet needs to have adequate levels of calcium and magnesium as these are important to develop strong bones and teeth.  Keeping these in check reduces the risk of bone issues such as osteoporosis. For that purpose, here are some foods that are rich in calcium and should be included in your diet. 

• low fat dairy products
• broccoli
• cauliflower
• cabbage
• canned fish with bones
• tofu
• legumes

 Weight loss

Maintaining a moderate weight can help reduce the risk of chronic health issues. Having overweight or obesity are risk factors for several conditions, including:

• heart disease
• type 2 diabetes
• poor bone density
• some cancers

Many healthful foods, including vegetables, fruits, and beans, are lower in calories than most processed foods.

Maintaining a healthful diet free from processed foods can help staying within their daily limit without monitoring calorie intake. Dietary fiber is particularly important for managing weight, for example plant-based foods contain plenty of dietary fiber, which helps regulate hunger by making people feel fuller for longer.

Improved memory

A healthful diet may help maintain cognition and brain health.

Certain nutrients and foods protect against cognitive decline and dementia which help in the long term survival of the brain and enhance memory.  The following are the most impactful. 

• Vitamin D, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E
• Omega-3
• Fish

Better mood

Diet and mood are interconnected. This can be explained through the glycemic factors that triggers symptoms of depression and fatigue.

A diet with concentrated carbs such as those found in soft drinks, cakes, white bread, and biscuits has higher glycemic load while vegetables, whole fruit, and whole grains have a lower glycemic load.

If you suspect to have symptoms of depression, talking to a doctor or mental health professional can help.

Tips for a healthy diet

In sum, to improve your diet here are some small steps to take:

• swap soft drinks for water 
• eating less red meat 
• swap cow’s milk for plant-based milk
• consume whole fruits instead of juices, which contain less fiber and often include added sugar
• avoid processed meats, which are high in salt 
• eat more lean protein, which people can find in eggs, fish and nuts

In addition, it could also be beneficial to undertake cooking classes to understand how to incorporate more greens like vegetables into your meals. 

References 

Importance of a healthy balanced diet

NHS Live well Eat well 

Balanced Diet

10 Benefits of eating healthy