Your body runs on fuel in the form of food, and if the fuel you put in your body is not high-grade, you should not expect your body to give you peak performance. To keep your body running to the best of its ability, it is up to you to feed it healthy foods. Unhealthy foods may satisfy your hunger, but they may also break your body down in the long run.
Facts
The foods you eat can influence how you feel and how you look, and they can affect your health. Healthy food contains vitamins your body requires to function normally, and these vitamins include Vitamins A, D, E, K, C and the B vitamins. Necessary minerals are also found in healthy foods. The foods you eat now can result in good or bad health in the future. Some of the health conditions that arise from unhealthy eating include high blood pressure, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.
Significance
It is important to know how eating healthy and unhealthy foods affects your body as knowledge in this area can make you aware of the health benefits of consuming foods considered healthy and the consequences of eating foods that are considered unhealthy. Information on this topic can help you make wise choices when deciding on what foods to eat, resulting in better health.
Healthy Foods
Healthy foods such as spinach, carrots, kale, mango, cantaloupe and apricots contain vitamin A, which contributes to healthy eyes, skin and hair. Fruits and vegetables like oranges, melon, grapefruit, broccoli, bell peppers, tomatoes, brussel sprouts and cauliflower contain vitamin C, which contributes to healthy teeth and gums and aids in iron absorption. Foods such as chicken, pork, beef, fish, nuts, beans, eggs and bananas supply vitamin B6, which is good for normal brain performance and protein buildup. The very important mineral, calcium, aids in bone strength and is found in foods such as sardines and dairy foods.
Unhealthy Foods
Foods that contain saturated fat, trans fat or cholesterol are foods that can lead to narrowing of the arteries due to plaque formation on artery walls. Foods that contain saturated fat include meats with a high fat content and whole milk products such as cheese and ice cream, store-bought cookies, cakes, doughnuts, mayonnaise and palm oil. Foods with trans fat are cakes, cookies, crackers, pies, potato chips and other processed foods. Liver, pork, sausage and some whole milk foods contain cholesterol. Other unhealthy foods are salty foods that can raise blood pressure and sugar foods that can result in Type 2 diabetes when consumed in excess.
Prevention/Solution
Start eating healthy foods when you are young, and continue to include healthy foods in your diet. Avoid eating foods that may cause health problems if you want to stay healthy. Choose to eat foods that are fresh, and include fruit, vegetables, whole grains, low- or no-fat dairy foods, lean meat and fish in your diet instead of fatty meats, whole-milk foods and processed foods. Consume vegetable oils that contain healthy polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, not saturated fats.
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