Do you love food, but want to have a healthy lifestyle? There are certain types of food that are good for you, and there are other types of food that can make your health suffer. Knowing what to consume and what types of food to avoid is crucial if you want to have a healthy diet and live a healthy lifestyle. Aside from checking the food nutrition label, you should also know what’s good and bad for you. Below are some tips.
Good food.
- Apples. We’ve all heard the saying, “an apple a day, keeps the doctor away.” Apples are good for the body, as they contain antioxidants that help combat diseases and slow down the aging process. Apples can also lower bad cholesterol levels when consumed daily.
- Salmon. Salmon contains omega-3 fatty acids that can help lower the risk of getting cancer, heart disease, and depression. It also contains niacin, which can protect against memory loss and Alzheimer’s.
- Green leafy vegetables. Studies show that green, leafy vegetables such as cabbage and spinach can reduce the risk of developing diabetes type 2. They are also great sources of vitamins and minerals when consumed raw, boiled, or steamed. Some of the vitamins you can get from them include zinc, niacin, potassium, calcium, iron, and vitamins A, B6,K, E, and C.
- Garlic. Garlic is a disease-fighting food that can add a wonderful flavor to your dishes. It can prevent the growth of certain bacteria including E. coli. In addition, it also has a compound called allicin, which has anti-inflammatory properties and can lessen blood-pressure and cholesterol levels.
Bad food.
- Diet soda. Just because it’s called diet soda, doesn’t mean it’s healthy. Diet soda contains artificial sweeteners that can cause health issues such as joint pain, headaches, chemical toxicity, and even cancer. Furthermore, it can make you gain weight easily.
- Hot dogs. Do you even know what hot dog is really made of? 80 percent of the calories in hot dogs are made from fat, and not the good type of fat. Eating processed foods can increase your risk of having colon cancer and heart disease.
- Fried foods. Anything fried can be associated with high blood pressure and cholesterol. Instead of frying your food, you can broil or bake them. Stay away from French fries, doughnuts, deep fried chicken, as they don’t only affect your health, you’ll notice added calories as well.
- Popcorn. The popcorn that you get in movie theaters is loaded with saturated fat, which is the bad type of fat that you should be avoiding. In addition to all that grease, the butter in the popcorn automatically increases your caloric intake.
Knowing what’s good for you and what you should avoid is important if you want to live a healthy life. If you can’t stay away from bad types of food, make sure that you limit your intake, so that you don’t increase your risk of getting illnesses that are related to them. You can also talk to a dietician in order to get the proper diet that you need for a healthier and happier you.
