Have you ever heard that to be healthy, we need to stop eating certain foods? Or maybe allot time reading nutrition labels and start avoiding delicious meals? We live in a world surrounded by food restrictions, and it often makes us feel anxious while being happy to consume our favorite meals. These restrictions often produce the million-dollar question of what is the best diet for someone’s health and mood. A balanced diet might be the answer to this constant dilemma.
There is no single food item that can provide all of the nutrients our body requires. Thus, consuming different foods that include a variety of vitamins and minerals is important to ensure that our body receives what it necessitates, which becomes the key to a balanced diet.
A balanced diet includes a variety of foods in sufficient quantities and proportions to meet calorie, energy, and other requirements, with a modest allowance for extra nutrients to help the body cope with short-term diseases. Rather than focusing on tight limitations and rules, the key to a balanced diet is to consume each food item in moderation. And doing so comes with numerous advantages as follows:
Pleasure for your taste buds
If you believe that anything delicious should be avoided to be healthy, you can put that belief aside. Instead of restricting yourself from certain foods, a balanced diet encourages you to eat various foods in the right amounts. The food needs to contain protein, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, and vitamins that can be found in meat, fish, chicken, nuts, and fruits.
In addition, you can also have a balanced diet in various cuisines and cooking methods, such as the Korean-Style Balanced Diet or the Japanese Traditional Diet. Therefore, by enjoying numerous cuisines, healthy food does not mean being boring and bland.
Improves physical health
A balanced diet is related to a stronger immune system which is really helpful, especially during the pandemic.
It also has the advantages of healing and maintaining the build-up of muscle mass. For these essential processes to take place, the body needs a balanced diet that contains particular vitamins and minerals. For instance, you may drink a glass of fresh orange juice to fulfill the vitamin C your body needs. Therefore, you may enjoy this delightful yet healthful summer drink while taking care of your physical health.
Boosts productivity
In 2015, the Global Nutrition Report revealed that 2 billion people worldwide had prevailing micronutrient deficiency cases, which translated to an estimated productivity loss value of $3.5 trillion per year.
Macronutrient deficiencies can lead to negative implications for workplace productivity. Maintaining a balanced diet not only takes care of your physical body but also helps you gain the energy to be more productive and achieve your career goals.
Maintain good mental health
Aside from providing the necessary nutrients to your body and avoiding physical illnesses, sustaining a balanced diet can also lessen the possibility of mental illnesses.
Research led by Joaquim Radua in 2022 found that implementing a balanced diet can prevent depression and anxiety. The study mentioned that the most basic principle in countering depression and mood swings is to eat a balanced diet that contains foods from all the different food groups, such as vitamins, proteins, and carbohydrates.
A balanced and high-quality diet, such as the Mediterranean diet, provides all the nutrients needed for our mental and physical health.
Progress in brain health
Other than improving our physical health, a balanced diet may also improve brain health. There is a strong relationship between physical health and brain health that should not be overlooked.
The human brain shapes people’s identity as a human and how they function in daily life, such as when they adapt to the new workplace environment and communicate with people around them. By improving your brain health, you will have a better ability to think, learn, solve problems, and enjoy an emotional balance. Enhancing brain health can also improve memory and enhance mental health.
According to a study, having a low-quality unbalanced diet can reduce brain volume and connectivity, which might negatively affect memory, learning, and decision-making. Therefore, having a balanced diet is highly beneficial for a healthier brain.
In conclusion
Experimental research shows that eating various foods positively affects someone’s energy intake. Therefore it is all about finding the right balance when it comes to eating well. Even if your favorite foods are rich in calories, fat, or sweets, you can still enjoy them. The idea is to eat them in moderation, and this is the answer to your constant dilemma of which food you should eat to be healthy and which food brings you joy. You may enjoy the food that brings pleasure to your taste buds while having less burden of the consequences of it.
For more science-based resources on nutrition, visit the Personal Science Labs. The lab uses the research of the Institute for Life Management Science to produce courses, certifications, podcasts, videos, and other learning tools. Check out the Personal Science Labs today.
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