May 7th, 2021 | 2 min. read
Leading nutrition specialists and physicians are repeatedly discussing the role that nutrition has in preventing illness and disease. But sometimes this can feel easier said than done. You find yourself asking: “What does ‘eating well’ actually entail? And how do I know which specific foods and nutrients will help prevent disease?”
It’s actually more simple than you might think. The answer may seem too good to be true, but eating a healthy, balanced diet can be one of the most powerful but easy ways to protect your body from disease.Here’s a look at why it’s recommended to use good nutrition for disease prevention and what you can do to make healthier choices.
Many health professionals describe food with the metaphor of a car needing fuel to keep its engine running. In the human body, food is the equivalent of that fuel. This explains why it’s important to eat a healthy number of calories each day to keep your body energized and strong.
Although food keeps our engines running, it also plays a chemical role in our bodies that the car metaphor doesn’t quite address. The quality and quantity of food you’re using to fuel your body can have a significant impact on your overall health.
While individual dietary needs vary, there is a strong consensus in the nutritional health community that a diet built upon whole fruits and vegetables with informed meat, fat, carbohydrate and sugar choices is a healthy one.
Reducing and removing processed foods, including fast food and boxed or manufactured groceries, is a significant way to limit your consumption of sodium and nutritionally superficial food.
Swap these options out for nutritionally-dense vegetables, fruits, meats and natural fats whenever possible. If you suffer from chronic inflammation, an anti-inflammatory diet that reduces or eliminates grains, dairy and sugar can also help you achieve your best health.
Many people simply hope that they won’t develop a chronic illness in their lifetime–but you can do more than just hope. You can make simple, daily nutritional changes to help prevent illnesses and alleviate or reduce the symptoms of illnesses you have already developed.
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