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THE IMPORTANCE OF A HEALTHY DIET

16 September 2020 | Healthy, Health, Lifestyle, Diet, Mental Health, Wellbeing, Wellness, Food, Dietician

It’s never been more important to be living a healthy lifestyle. Getting enough sleep and exercise, and eating the right foods are the best ways to stay in great condition. Making sure you have a balanced, healthy diet can also help in other ways, from boosting your immune system to reducing stress.

It helps maintain a healthy weight

Keeping your weight and BMI healthy is vital, as it’s the best way to reduce your risk of serious illnesses. Eating too much of the wrong foods can lead to obesity, which increases your chance of developing diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.

Maintaining a healthy weight also means you can enjoy life to the fullest. You’ll feel better about yourself, have more energy, and you’ll find it easier to stay active.

A healthy diet could prevent illness

Eating the right foods will make sure you’re getting the nutrients that are vital for overall wellbeing. A study found that bad diets are now thought to cause more deaths than smoking, with high salt and saturated fats being the two biggest contributing factors.

Making sure you pack your diet full of fresh fruit, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats will reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, many cancers and even problems with teeth.

It can reduce stress and anxiety

A healthy diet isn’t only great for physical condition, it also helps to boost mental health and wellness. Some foods contain certain enzymes that boost serotonin, while others have plenty of vitamin D, which has been shown to help ease depression and anxiety.

Taking the time to fill your diet with the right foods is also a great act of self-care, which is important if you’re suffering with mental health problems.

A healthy diet can boost your immune system

Eating plenty of nutrition-packed, vitamin-rich foods doesn’t only reduce your risk of serious illness, it also means your body is more able to fight off minor problems. Superfoods such as garlic, ginger, leafy greens and berries all help to boost your defences and keep colds and bugs at bay.

Top Tips for a Great Diet

If you’re trying to improve your diet, but you’re not sure where to start, we’ve rounded up some great tips:

• Eat the rainbow! Packing your diet full of fresh fruit and vegetables in a variety of colours will mean you’re getting a wide range of vitamins and nutrients.
• Choose oily fish to help your heart. Fish such as salmon and sardines contain plenty of Omega-3 fatty acids, which are vital for heart health.
• Saturated fats are bad, but you do need a certain amount of healthy fats in your diet. Polyunsaturated fats in eggs, avocadoes and nuts are great for cholesterol levels and overall health.
• If you want to get serious about your diet, choosing to consult a dietician for help and advice is a great idea. We have a range of great dieticians working with us here at Hapi, that can provide you with information on all your nutritional needs.