A healthy diet is paramount for us all to stay fit and live a long life. Unfortunately, many of us misunderstand what eating healthy actually means. There is a large portion of the general public that still believes that eating fruits and vegetables alone is enough for a healthy diet and that fats and carbs should be avoided at all costs.
However, the true key to a healthy diet comes from balance. Your body needs a balance of nutrients to stay healthy, and too much or too little of one thing can result in health problems. Let’s look at some of these health issues and find out what causes them.
Read More: Essential Vitamins: Why Does The Body Need Them So Badly?
High Cholesterol
Cholesterol has always had a bad reputation. It is the fatty residue that is found in blood cells and it has a wax-like texture. Most of us consider it to be a negative thing, a substance that exists to cause health problems. However, our bodies need some cholesterol in our system to survive.
On the other hand, too much cholesterol can be detrimental to you. High cholesterol is caused by eating too many fatty foods and a lack of exercise. Having high cholesterol can lead to complications such as heart failure or a stroke.
Of course, one of the recommended ways to prevent high cholesterol is by reducing the amount of fat in your diet and regularly hitting the gym.
Tooth Decay
Your teeth are the first line of defense that your digestive system has. Failure to break up your food properly can lead to all kinds of digestive discomfort. The only way you can achieve this is with a full set of working teeth. Fortunately, a balanced diet can provide you with exactly that.
There are two main dietary causes of tooth decay. One of these is eating too many sugary snacks. The bacteria in your mouth love sugar and your teeth are often damaged when consuming too much of the stuff. The second cause is a lack of calcium in your diet.
Calcium can be found in most dairy products and is the nutrient responsible for strengthening teeth and bones. Therefore, you can take care of your teeth by reducing the sugar in your diet and making sure that you get enough calcium.
Stomach Distension
Stomach distension is a more serious condition than those discussed above. It involves the swelling or protrusion of the abdomen. Again, there are many causes for this condition but most can be traced back to our diets.
Some people can suffer stomach distension because of a build-up of gas, but it is usually caused by overeating. The main culprit this time is salt. Sodium is a unique substance that can cause the human body to retain fluids, usually in the abdomen.
You can reduce your risk of stomach distension by reducing your salt intake. What’s more, potassium can help reduce bloating. This means that eating a banana can assist you with this unwanted extension in your stomach.
Depression
That’s right. Even our minds are affected by our diet. Depression is a mental illness with symptoms that include low moods, tiredness, and even suicidal thoughts. It is caused by a lack of serotonin in the brain, the chemical responsible for happiness.
While there is no specific food that can increase serotonin levels in your system, eating a balanced diet will give you a better chance of fighting this condition. Magnesium is a nutrient that has been found to help people feel a sense of calm.
You can find this nutrient in food like spinach and other green vegetables. These foods won’t provide you with a cure for depression, but they are the best dietary assistance you can receive. Again, it is all about balance.
Anemia
Anaemia refers to an iron deficiency in our blood. Many people are born with the disorder, but it can also be caused by heavy blood loss. Once again, though, you should always look to your food for a healthy source of iron.
If you find yourself tired and sluggish, this may be a result of low iron in your body. Therefore, you should seek to find it in foods like red meats and seafood.
Anemia is not something that will affect us all, but you can prepare yourself with the knowledge of anemia in the event that you are struck with an iron deficiency. Again, there is no cure if you are born anemic, but these food choices can help.
Summary
As you can see, there are more benefits to a balanced diet than you may have thought. Your body is a complex assortment of systems and each one requires its own set of vitamins and nutrients. Make sure that you are getting all of this to avoid some of the health conditions listed above.
