What Is A Healthy Diet & Why Is It Important?

A healthy diet provides you with the energy and nutrients you need to maintain your weight, boost your immunity to diseases like cancer and keep your body functioning to its best. Healthy foods strengthen your body for a lifetime, while unhealthy ones contribute to weakening your bodily systems, which may lead to illness and disease. Eat a wide variety of nourishing foods in moderation, and combine a healthy diet with regular exercise to gain the biggest benefits. Consult your doctor before beginning any new diet or exercise regimen.

Nutrient-Rich Foods

Foods as close to their natural state as possible --- also called whole foods --- supply a variety of nutrients that keep your body running smoothly. A fresh apple and a bunch of broccoli are good examples of whole foods. Fresh fruits and vegetables in an assortment of colors are full of phytochemicals --- natural nutrients that help protect you from diseases like cancer by defending your cells against damage from free radicals, the University of California-Berkeley's Wellness Letter website explains. These foods offer vitamins to boost immunity and minerals for bones and nerve health. Vegetables, fruits and beans also supply fiber, which aids your digestive system. The protein in whole foods like lean meats, beans and nuts is necessary to build muscles and maintain and repair bodily tissues.

Depleting Foods

Many of the foods available in supermarkets aren't real foods at all, but "food products." Food manufacturers start with whole foods and heavily refine them to lengthen their shelf life, lower their cost and boost their convenience to consumers. Some examples include jarred spaghetti sauce, toaster pastries, microwave meals, canned soups and vegetables, snack packs and boxed cereals. Processing strips out a lot of natural nutrients, and also adds salt, sugar and fat as flavor and preservatives. Over time, eating heavily processed foods and fatty fast foods full of calories and low in fiber and nutrients will take a toll on health. When your body does not obtain enough nutrients from the food you consume, it begins to use stored nutrients from your tissues, organs, muscles and bones, leading to medical problems.

Nutrition-Related Illnesses

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as many as 580,000 deaths a year are attributable to unhealthy eating. Obesity, for example, is now an epidemic in the United States, largely fueled by Americans' increasing dependence on sugary drinks and fatty convenience and fast foods. Overweight and obesity can lead to other nutrition-related conditions such coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes and even some forms of cancer. Diabetes, in turn, can result in kidney failure and other complications. Additional medical conditions linked to dietary choices include high blood pressure, stroke, liver disease, digestive disorders, osteoporosis and dental problems.

Economic Costs

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that Americans could save $71 billion a year in medical costs if they followed healthier diets. Many nutrition-related illnesses often require expensive treatments, surgery and medications. The cost of treating coronary heart disease, for example, is $112 billion a year, while diabetes care weighs in at $98 billion annually as of 2010. With the incorporation of dietary and exercise changes, many people now living with chronic diseases could enjoy better health and require fewer medical interventions.