Food as fuel
You may have heard the expression, “You are what you eat.” This stems from the 1825 writings of French gastronome Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin who penned, “Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are.” This statement rings true as food is fuel for the body. Just like a car, if you put junk in the tank, a car may perform poorly. If you fill the tank with proper fuel, the car will run well. When we fill our bodies with fast food, candy, and processed foods, we essentially put poor things in our tank. This can wreak havoc on health. However, when you consume nutritious foods, you are feeding the body with decent fuel to help it grow and stay strong. So, it’s essential to make the right food choices by eating properly.
Here are some valuable tips to healthy eating:
Cook at home where you control the ingredients and diversify your diet. A diverse diet means eating foods from a variety of sources to meet daily nutritional needs. National Institute of Health describes this as being a widely accepted recommendation to gain “various macro and micronutrients and best ensure nutrient adequacy.” Diverse diets generally include:
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Grains
- Legumes
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Dairy
- Meat
- Poultry
- Fish
When shopping, read labels to understand exactly what you are consuming. Labels present vital information such as:
- Serving size/serving per container
- Total fat/saturated fat/trans fat
- Cholesterol
- Sodium
- Total carbohydrate
- Sugars
- Fiber
- Protein
- Nutritional content (vitamins, calcium, etc.)
The FDA explains that labels on food and beverages allow people to make informed food choices. Watch out for products with high salt content, added sugars, bad fats, and additives that are not so good for the body.
Choose foods wisely. Opt for plant-based foods to include fresh vegetables, fruits, beans, and nuts. Per MD Anderson, “Eating a plant-based diet improves the health of your gut so you are better able to absorb the nutrients from food that support your immune system and reduce inflammation.” Fiber also stabilizes blood sugar, lowers cholesterol, and improves bowel habits.
Also choose protein-rich fish, poultry, nuts, and beans. Protein helps repair the body and build and maintain muscles, skin, blood, and other tissues, per Kidshealth.org.
Limit red meat and processed meat consumption as these are associated with health conditions such as coronary heart disease and cancer. The American Institute of Cancer Research recommends that people consume less than 18 ounces of red meat per week. Health.com shares that this amount is about the equivalent of eating a child-size fast-food hamburger each day.
When choosing carbs, opt for whole grains. Whole grains offer fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Watch what you drink. Drinking sugary soft drinks, for example, offers virtually no vital nutrients and can lead to complications like weight gain, diabetes, and fatty liver disease, as explained by Healthline.
Healthy eating habits are essential to good health. And, luckily for us all, we can make dietary changes starting today to begin gaining health benefits immediately. Eating well is a proven key to good health. For questions about what foods are right for you, talk to your family doctor. Or address food requirements for medical conditions with a dietitian offering medical nutrition therapy.
High blood pressure? Improving the diet may be beneficial. Click here to learn more.
This article is purely informational and is not intended as a medical resource or substitute for medical advice.
