Healthy eating may improve your health and increase your longevity. Yet for some people, this is easier said than done. Healthy eating requires you change your dietary habits. The USDA Dietary Guidelines recommends you emphasize eating nutrient-dense foods, balance your calories from foods with calories expended through physical activity to maintain a healthy weight and avoid eating processed foods high in calories, sugar, sodium and unhealthy fats. Consult your nutritionist about your diet.
Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are nutrient-dense foods that contain high amounts of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Harvard School of Public Health encourages you to eat plentiful amounts of fruits and vegetables every day to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, stroke, cancer and loss of vision. Eat a variety of colors of fruits and vegetables to maximize your intake of micronutrients. Green leafy vegetables, such as collard greens, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and broccoli, are among the most nutrient-dense vegetables. Fruits, particularly citrus fruits, are high in vitamin C. Fruits and vegetables also contain fiber to help you have regular bowel movements.
Healthy Fats
Fat provides 9 calories per gram, more than twice the amount from carbohydrates or proteins which provide 4 calories per g each. Although it is important for you to watch the amount of calories you consume each day to help you manage your weight, it is also important to consume your fats from healthy fat sources and not unhealthy fat sources, so you can reduce your risk of heart disease. Healthy fats include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fat is found in nuts, seeds, avocados and olive oil. Omega-6 fatty acids from vegetable oils and omega-3 fatty acids from walnuts, flax seeds and fish, are polyunsaturated fatty acids. Avoid consuming unhealthy fats that include saturated fat from meat and dairy and trans fats in processed foods.
Whole Grains
A healthy diet includes whole grains and avoids refined grains. Whole grains contain all of the nutrients contained in the seed kernel, including fiber, an indigestible component that may enhance the regularity of your bowel movements. Research by scientists at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis and published in the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition" in 2000 discovered that women who consume mostly whole grains have a lower death rate than women who consume mostly refined grains.
Legumes
Legumes, such as lentils, peas and beans, are part of a healthy diet. Legumes contain protein, folate, iron, potassium, magnesium and soluble and insoluble fiber, no cholesterol and low in fat. The different types of beans include adzuki, black, fava, white, lima and red kidney. Consuming beans may reduce your risk of colon cancer. Research by scientists at Michigan State University in East Lansing and published in "Nutrition and Cancer" in 2002 found that eating black beans and navy beans significantly lowers the incidence of colon cancer incidence in rats.
References
- United States Department of Agriculture; Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010; 2010
- Harvard School of Public Health; Vegetables and Fruits: Get Plenty Every Day; 2010
- The Regents of the University of California; Calories Count; 2005
- Harvard School of Public Health; Fats and Cholesterol: Out with the Bad, in with the Good; 2010
- "Journal of the American College of Nutrition"; Fiber from Whole Grains, but Not Refined Grains, Is Inversely Associated with All-Cause Mortality in Older Women: The Iowa Women's Health Study; D. R. Jacobs, et al.; Jun 2000
- MayoClinic.com; Beans and Other Legumes: Types and Cooking Tips; 2010
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