A healthy diet should provide the essential nutrients you need as well as the fuels for physical activity and daily functioning. Healthy eating can also help you manage your weight and reduce your risk for a variety of chronic diseases.
By now, you've probably heard the good news that not all fats are bad for you. In fact, eating a fat-free diet can harm your body. Fat transports essential vitamins, including A, D, E and K, to your body, also providing energy,...
You've probably heard that it's important to drink enough water; most people have heard the directive to drink at least eight 8-oz. glasses of water per day many times. According to MayoClinic.com, 60 percent of your body weigh...
In recent years, potatoes have been deemed a "fattening" food because of their color, grouped with foods like white bread and white pasta. This may be because most Americans eat their potatoes in its french-fried form. But a po...
A healthy diet is an important part of health. Eating well allows your body to fight infections, maintain energy levels and maintain a healthy body weight. To manage medical conditions, it may be necessary to modify the types...
Bananas are one of the most readily available fruits around. They are seemingly never out of season at grocery stores, and the high demand makes them much more affordable than many other fruits. While bananas aren't a "must" in...
Beets can also be mashed, boiled, baked and pickled. By whatever method they are prepared, beets can be an important component of a healthy, balanced diet, because beets are rich in several nutrients that your body requires for...
Children have the best chance for success in every area of life when their bodies and minds are healthy. That's why healthy eating is one of the most important things a child age 10 or 11 can do to ensure proper growth and deve...
Nutrition is important for patients undergoing chemotherapy for cancer treatment. Good nutrition can help prevent weight loss, maintain your strength and help immune function. Side effects associated with chemotherapy can make ...
Different people have different nutritional needs, so what's healthy for you might not be the healthiest thing for your neighbor, but in general people need a moderate amount of calories, some protein, some foods high in calciu...
Eating balanced meals as part of an overall healthy lifestyle supports good health and helps you reach and maintain a healthy weight. A healthy eating plan focuses on nutritional and calorie needs and includes at least three me...
Eating a healthy diet is not difficult, but it does take planning and commitment. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most Americans do not eat enough fruits or vegetables. Many Americans suffer from ob...
Throughout history fruits have been highly prized, both for their flavor and health benefits. Sailors prevented scurvy by eating oranges and lemons while apples sparked the adage, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Althoug...
The American Heart Association declared in an official statement published in August 2009 that Americans eat too much sugar -- 22.5 tsp. daily. Moderating your sugar intake has important implications for your health and weight.
When you're in a hurry, eating breakfast doesn't feel like a priority. If you're trying to find your left shoe, while rushing out the door, your health is probably the last thing on your mind. But breakfast not only helps you s...
Once you determine how many calories you need in a day, you can then figure out how many should come from carbohydrates and fat, as well as from protein. All of these nutrients are essential for your health. Speak with a doctor...
You need a certain amount of nutrients to function properly and prevent disease. A healthy diet has foods from each of the five food groups: grains, dairy, fruits, vegetables and protein. Eating healthy involves self-discipline...
When you get what your body needs, your good health supports these processes and accepts daily challenges. When you don't, your complex metabolism breaks down, creating symptoms from mild fatigue and muscle pain to life-threate...
These problems take a toll on health care costs and worker productivity, as well as the long-term outlook for children's well-being. Aside from these aspects, healthy eating carries personal significance for the quality of your...
It's much simpler to stay healthy than to repair your health in the wake of acute or long-term injury and illness. By getting the right nutrition and adequate sleep throughout your life, your body systems will work together for...
We've all heard that diet and exercise are the keys to a healthy lifestyle, but it's important to understand the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Eating well and getting regular physical activity can lead to a number of health ...
A healthy diet is essential for teenagers because of their heightened nutritional needs, but also because the foods they eat as teenagers can impact their health when they reach adulthood. Healthy eating also promotes good food...
Good nutrition boosts your energy level instantly and keeps you sharp for mental and physical tasks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention note that developing good eating habits in childhood sets the stage for lifelon...
Reducing your sodium and sugar intake is also an important component of a healthy diet. Using healthy cooking methods, like baking, grilling, broiling and boiling keep your food healthy without adding extra fat and calories fro...
Healthy eating is essential for a healthy body, for a myriad of reasons. Most people know that eating a balanced, healthy diet is important for the body, but might not know why. Once you know the reasons, you may just be more w...
Breakfast is a nutritious way to start out your day. Eating breakfast refuels your body, enhances your mood, improves your concentration, helps you maintain a healthy weight, and is the foundation of a healthy diet. Eating a he...
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has set guidelines for a healthy diet. The USDA's "MyPyramid" divides food into five groups and explains how much of each food group you need, as well as the benefits of each food group. Follo...
Good nutrition is important for staying healthy and preventing illness. Eating a diet that lacks essential nutrients can have the opposite effect -- it can cause a decline in health and may even contribute to disease. The Ameri...
Proper nutrition for children and teens is a major focus these days as there is growing evidence of the link between childhood eating patterns and chronic disease in adulthood. The increase in overweight and obesity is also a c...
In general, healthy foods are high in essentials nutrients, while less-healthy foods might be heavily processed and full of empty calories. A healthy diet can help you control your weight and reduce your risk for chronic diseas...
The formula for staying healthy is to assess your body's needs and to satisfy them on a regular basis. This way, you won't accumulate stress or place undue strain on any one area, which encourages injury or illness. It's much e...
When undergoing chemotherapy, however, you may not have much of an appetite, or may be experiencing symptoms such as nausea and vomiting that make it difficult for you to eat. But not eating will make your recovery process hard...
Almost everybody knows that it's important to eat healthy. However, not everybody can explain exactly why. Healthy eating is essential for a number of reasons, and not all of them are as obvious as "getting your vitamins." A he...
Eating healthy is important because the foods that you eat are how your body gets the nutrients that it needs to keep you healthy. If you do not provide your body with healthy foods and proper nutrition, you can develop symptom...
Beginning a healthy diet doesn't require that you learn all kinds of crazy and difficult rules. According to the National Federation of Professional Trainers, healthy dieting should include eating the right foods, avoiding the ...
Fortunately, these are two factors that you can control to improve your overall well being. Furthermore, a personalized healthy diet can address unique health challenges. For example, people with a history of high blood pressur...
Eating healthy and regular exercise are two of the best ways to change this statistic. Before changing your current eating plan and exercising, it is important to discuss your goals with your family doctor first.
On average, this is the time when you will gain 50 percent of your adult weight and 20 percent of your adult height, according to HelpGuide.org. Beginning healthy eating habits at a young age can help instill healthy eating hab...
This is where you eat many meals. It is your home. The foods you keep in your home define how healthy you will eat throughout the day. Stocking your pantry with the right foods is the most important part of healthy eating and...
If you don't pay much attention to your diet but know it's not the best, it is important to make changes for healthy eating. Fast food, packaged foods and diets without much variety may not provide all of the nutrients your bod...
When choosing what you eat, don't focus solely on calories and weight loss. This may not take into account important factors like pH which, when balanced and regulated, can result in health benefits. Studies have shown that dis...
Many foods are high in fat, calories and sugar, but end up as regular parts of your diet because they taste good. There are multiple reasons for choosing healthy foods instead of junk food, and knowing the most important ones m...
Snacking helps you remain active and alert between breakfast, lunch and dinner. However, not all snacks are good for you. Choose snacks from fruits, vegetables, whole grains and healthy drinks to supply your body with nutrients...
The flu is a viral infection that causes cold-like symptoms. The flu can be a serious medical condition that can lead to death, according to MayoClinic.com. Young children, the elderly and people with an autoimmune disorder are...
Having a healthy body composition correlates highly with having a nutritious diet and being physically active. Those two areas may be lacking if your body composition is noticeably poor. A very-low body fat composition is not n...
Dr. Bircher-Benner believed that apples had cured him of jaundice, and extrapolated that a diet of muesli and fresh vegetables, with little or no meat, was the way to optimal health. There is no "official" muesli diet plan, but...
Whether you're busy and stressed and living "la vida loca," or you're a contented couch potato who loves your creature comforts, it may seem like the effort and sacrifice it takes to maintain a healthy body is simply not worth ...
If you follow a 2,000-calorie diet, split up your calories and have about 400 for breakfast, 500 for lunch, 600 for dinner and save the remaining 500 calories for a couple of snacks throughout the day. You will feel energized ...
From before you were born until now, your liver has been a powerhouse of an organ. It is essential to regulating various life processes, from blood formation in utero to detoxifying everything you ate today. Maintaining your li...
Adopting healthy eating habits is important for your overall health. Learning to eat a well-balanced diet will help you maintain your weight and may also reduce your risk of chronic diseases. Your children will follow your eati...
You may be tempted to skip breakfast if you're trying to lose weight, but skipping breakfast is not beneficial and will not help with weight loss. Eating a healthy breakfast is a valuable way to begin your day. A healthy breakf...
Developing healthy eating habits can help ensure continued good health for senior citizens. Disease prevention, increased energy levels and reduced health care costs are a few of the advantages of a healthy geriatric diet. Acco...
Eating healthily is especially important during pregnancy because the proper growth and development of your baby depends on you eating foods that contain enough nutrients for both your needs and those of your baby. Not getting ...
When it comes to getting the proper nutrition, fruits and vegetables are an important part of the process. In their report, "Nutritional Quality of Fruits, Nuts and Vegetables and their Importance in Human Health," Adel A. Kade...
A healthy, well-balanced diet can help you get enough energy and nutrients for optimal growth and development, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, or UMMC. It can also lower your risk for some chronic condi...
Carbohydrates are an essential part of the diet to carry out energy processes for cellular work. They are readily available and are important for sustaining life. Books on low-carbohydrate diets fill the shelves of bookstores, ...
When patients lose their appetite, weight begins to drop, the immune system is further compromised and they can fall victim to malnutrition. The most important step that an individual can take during treatment is to maintain ad...
Since the 1950s, families eating meals together has been an important and beneficial aspect of family life. However, in recent years the frequency of shared meals has decreased for American families, which is causing negative e...
Eating healthy foods and exercising regularly are challenges for almost everyone. It's tough to find the time and motivation to devote to a healthy diet and workout routine, and to balance those factors with other activities. H...
Certain nutrients and chemical compounds that should be consumed daily are important to maintain a healthy brain. Eating "smart" foods is not only important for babies and the elderly, but for everyone. How your brain develops,...
Coupled with exercising regularly and being physically active every day, forming and following a healthy diet may be the most important thing you can do to improve and maintain your health. Along with tasting good and providing...
Proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals are essential components of a healthy diet and are supplied by the major food groups. It is important to eat a wide variety of healthy foods to help ensure proper nutrition a...
Most everyone has been told in some form or another to "eat a healthy diet," and for good reason. The benefits of a nutritionally sound lifestyle are countless and include decreased risk for and treatment of infections and dise...
Food is the source of energy for all of our bodily functions and directly affects how our bodies and minds function in every stage of life. There are a variety of reasons why a healthy diet is important, including disease pre...
According to Betty Kamen, PhD, and Si Kamen, authors of "Kids are What They Eat," the causes and cures of behavior difficulties, as well as allergies and illnesses, can be diet-related. Nutritionally-dense foods are vitally imp...
Because children are growing and developing, they have particular nutritional requirements. Even teens are still growing, often in ways we cannot see. Giving children nutritionally dense food options is important for proper ove...
Runners also have specific nutritional requirements that they need to meet in order to facilitate for muscle recovery after running. Proper nutrition allows for the maintenance of healthy muscle mass, good energy levels and min...
Most people know that making good food choices is a good idea, but it may not always be clear why eating healthy is important.
There are two good reasons to eat healthy foods on a regular basis. The first is to enjoy robust health now. If you're active and enjoy sports, you might need essential vitamins and minerals for top physical performance. If you...
If you eat healthy, chances are you will look and feel healthy. Foods you eat are for far more benefit than simply pleasing the palate. You eat to nourish or fuel the body with necessary nutrients for optimal performance. A hig...
The American Dietetic Association cites scientific evidence linking a nutritionally balanced diet with a lower risk for chronic illness, such as diabetes. Meanwhile, the public has indicated a strong interest in nutritional the...
They are an excellent source of many vitamins and minerals, and are also full of water and fiber, which contribute to a "full" feeling and help you lose weight. Eat at least five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables ever...
The Koran--the Muslim holy book--places emphasis on eating correctly as both a religious injunction and an important part of healthy living. For this reason, many of the principles of halal are familiar, such as (according to s...
