Think of your health as the amount of money in your bank account. Just as you’d like to have more money and keep growing, it’s also wise to have more health in your body and keep that growing as well.

And while maintaining a balanced diet may not always be convenient or cheap, it’ll definitely pay off both in the short and long- term health plan you intend to have for your body.

 

A healthy diet means you’re doing the following on a daily, or in some cases weekly, basis:

 

• Eating a healthy breakfast
• Eating foods rich in folate, as dark leafy greens, carrots, tomatoes, and bell peppers
• Balancing your intake of nutritious protein and whole-grain carbohydrates
• Eating enough healthy fats
• Cut back on sugar, salt, and alcohol
• Eat fish 2 or 3 times a week
• 4 to 6 servings of fruits and vegetables per day
• Drink caffeine in moderation
• Intermittent fasting

“I would say that the most important thing [in keeping one’s heart healthy] is a well-rounded diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables and whole grains and fiber,” says Sally Barclay, a registered dietician at the Nutrition Clinic for Employee Wellness at Iowa State.

A good trick is to divide your plate. Mentally visualize your plate divided into 4 quarters. One quarter should be healthy protein the size of your palm; one quarter (unless insulin resistance) should be complex carbohydrates, as higher carb vegetables like sweet potatoes or sourdough bread; the last 2 quarters should be fruits and/or vegetables. Also, a good point to keep in mind is the more colorful your plate, the healthier it is for you.

(If you are insulin resistant, then drop that one quarter of complex carbohydrates and change that to healthy fats instead.)

 

Enhancing your emotional state:

For a quick pick-me-up, the first thing we crave is pastries or some French fries. But the truth is those foods contain refined carbs which even though they may help the brain produce serotonin, they also cause a quick crash. Serotonin is also known as the “feel good” hormone which your brain secretes when you feel pride after hitting a milestone or reaching a goal. On the healthy side of the spectrum,complex carbs produce a more lasting effect on your mood and sustain the levels of serotonin in your body. Healthy fats often really contribute to a more stable and comfortable emotional state.

 

Maintaining a healthy weight:

Staying within your recommended daily caloric intake and eating moderately sized meals are two ways you can be in control of your weight. Intermittent fasting is a key way to keep control of your weight. Having a healthy weight means you’re reducing your risk of chronic diseases, like heart disease and diabetes just to name a couple.

 

Boosting your energy levels:

Eating foods high in iron sustains your energy levels throughout the day since the mineral iron helps carry oxygen throughout the body. Examples of food sources rich in iron are spinach, grass fed liver,  Swiss chard, almonds and quinoa. Also, snacking on nuts and fruits, and drinking water helps maintain your energy levels.

 

This is what happens to your body when you start eating a healthy, nutritious diet:

 

After 1 day:

Less hunger pangs

Boost in metabolism

Increased focus and clarity

 

After 1 week:

Increased energy levels

Better sleep

Decreased bloating

Emotional stability

 

After 1 month:

Youthful skin

Eating healthy becomes a lifestyle choice

You save money on soft drinks, fatty junk food and snacks

 

After 6 months:

Boost in self-confidence

Better sex

Lower blood pressure

Stronger bones

 

After 1 year:

You’ve reached your goal weight

You’re smarter about your food choices

You feel stronger and more alive

You get sick less often

Your concentration and memory have increased

 

In their book Perspectives in Nutrition (1990) by Gordon M. Wardlaw and Paul M. Insel, they state that “…nutrients are the nourishing substances in food that are essential for the growth, development and maintenance of body functions. The essential meaning is that if a nutrient is not present, aspects of function and therefore human health decline. When nutrient intake does not regularly meet the nutrient needs dictated by the cell activity, the metabolic processes slow down or even stop.”

 

If you think about it in that perspective, you’ll realize that food is much more than just counting calories or reading food labels. It makes us look at food as the sustenance we need to keep going strong for many years to come.