A commitment to eating right represents an important step toward health and longevity, but it's not the end of your journey. Your lifestyle affects how well your diet supports your body's needs. Managing emotional strain and exercising daily are two regular habits with positive effects. Addiction to smoking cigarettes and drinking too much alcohol, on the other hand, can inhibit your mental and physical well-being. To get the most out of a healthy diet and lower your risk for chronic diseases, make a plan to reduce stress on the nervous, cardiopulmonary and digestive systems of your body.
Average American Diet
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports that the American diet has progressed away from an emphasis on plant-based foods toward more highly processed and fatty foods. A less healthy diet contains excessive calories, fat, cholesterol, salt and sugar.
Eating more of those nutrients leaves less room in your diet for eating right and getting enough fiber, vitamins and minerals. The result is a growing incidence of chronic diseases, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
A Healthy Diet
The USDA recommends a varied diet of nutrient-dense foods within caloric limits to satisfy an active lifestyle. A good diet should include vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts and seeds, low-fat milk products and lean sources of animal protein. Soy substitutes can satisfy calcium and protein requirements. Eating right will naturally reduce calorie, salt, sugar, fat and cholesterol intake.
Tobacco
Smoking affects your diet and your lifestyle, increasing your risk for type 2 diabetes and diminishing heart and lung capacity. According to the National Institutes of Health, smokers tend to exercise less and eat more than nonsmokers. A reduced sense of smell and taste may cause smokers to eat more salty and sugary foods. Smoking increases metabolism, allowing you to consume more calories without gaining weight. This creates poor dietary habits that may not become apparent until you quit smoking. The good news is that shifting to a healthy diet can offset the weight gain associated with tobacco cessation.
Alcohol
To make eating right a priority, the USDA advises limiting alcoholic beverage consumption to two drinks or fewer per day. The sugar content of beer, wine and distilled liquors may push your total of calories and carbohydrates over healthy limits. Long-term lifestyle effects include obesity, diabetes and cirrhosis. According to the Do It Now Foundation, vitamin deficiency is also a threat, as alcohol blocks absorption or drains your body's stores of essential nutrients.
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