When it comes to being healthy, the first and most important step is to follow a diet that is healthy, well-balanced, and loaded with all of the necessary vitamins and nutrients for good health and a long life.
But for quite a few of us, a healthy diet is not always followed on a regular basis, if at all.
Why do so many of us eat unhealthy foods when we know the benefits of a healthy diet, and when there are so many delicious healthy foods out there that are much better for us than the junk food we crave? There are many reasons people do not follow healthy diets.
- Some of us use time as an excuse.
We don't have time to cook.
We're too busy to sit down to a healthy meal.
We have to grab take-out food on the go because we are in a hurry.
These are really just lame excuses, and there are plenty of ways to overcome them and start eating healthy.
- Others use fussiness as an excuse.
This is especially true of those who have children who are fussy eaters and don't get the proper nutrition they need to grow and be healthy.
There are many different foods that you can get your children to eat that are very nutritious, and if you do it right, they won't even have to know.
If they don't like vegetables, use a juicer to make fruit and vegetable juice.
You can't taste the vegetables, so they'll never know they are eating them.
- A lot of us just like junk food, and don't want to give it up.
But as long as your regular diet is a healthy one, it is okay to indulge in treats once in a while, even once a week.
So, you can't really use this as an excuse, either.
A Healthy Diet Helps Prevent Many Diseases There are a number of diseases and other health conditions that can be the direct result of a poor diet.
For example, many people with diabetes have developed the disease because they were not eating right and not getting the nutrients they needed to fight off the disease.
The same goes for heart disease, which is often caused by a diet high in fat and cholesterol.
It is important to make sure that you are following a healthy diet in order to help prevent the development of these and other conditions.
And with so many food choices available that are healthy and touted for being helpful in disease prevention, it is really easy to make a few simple dietary changes to get back on the right track to good health.
There are certain things that we all need to have in our diets in order to be healthy and in order to survive.
We all know about the need for vitamins, particularly vitamins B, C, and D, but did you also know that there are three macronutrients that everyone must have in their diets? These macronutrients are protein, carbohydrates, and fats.
Now, you have certainly heard many people denouncing fat and carbohydrates, but there are good fats and carbohydrates, and we all need them in certain amounts.
Good carbohydrates are complex carbohydrates that come from such dietary sources as whole grains, nuts, fruits, and vegetables.
Bad carbohydrates are simple carbohydrates, which come from sugar sources such as white bread.
The fats we need are polyunsaturated or monounsaturated.
Try to avoid anything that is high in trans fat, which is the fat that can be problematic.
Following a Healthy Diet Is Easy with the Right Foods You are probably thinking that if you decide to change your diet to a healthier one, you are going to have to give up taste.
This is so untrue.
Just think about all of the delicious things you can have in your diet that are excellent for you, including lean beef, low-fat dairy products, fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, whole grains, pasta, rice, and much more.
If you don't believe that you can have delicious meals from healthy foods, here is a sample daily diet plan to show you what you have been missing out on: - Breakfast - This is the most important meal of the day, but one that so many people skip.
It is simple to have a healthy breakfast.
It only takes a few minutes, so you can't use time as an excuse.
All you really need to do is have a glass of juice with a bowl of whole grain cereal and low-fat milk.
Top it off with a piece of fruit, which you can take along with you, and you have had a tasty breakfast in less than five minutes.
- Lunch - If you make it the night before, you don't have to run to the nearest take-out for a greasy, unhealthy lunch.
You can make a tasty sandwich with whole grain bread and white meat poultry, or bring in some leftovers from last night's supper, such as a pasta dish that you can reheat in a couple of minutes.
- Dinner - If you think you don't have time to cook a healthy, delicious dinner, think again.
Gather all the ingredients to make a healthy stew the night before, and toss them into a slow cooker before heading off to work.
By the time you get home, you'll have a healthy, delicious dinner waiting to be eaten.
- Snacks - You thought we forgot about snacks, didn't you? Well, it is perfectly alright to snack.
In fact, it is actually encouraged.
There are all kinds of delicious healthy snack foods out there, including nuts and seeds (unsalted, of course), light microwave popcorn, dried or fresh fruits, and vegetables with light salad dressing or cream cheese for dipping, just to name a few.