Healthy food

 Healthy food is defined as a variety of foods that provide the body with the nutrients necessary to maintain its health, provide it with energy, in addition to generating a good feeling for it, and these elements include carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, in addition to minerals, vitamins, and water. Eating a healthy diet helps prevent malnutrition in its various forms, and helps prevent non-communicable diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. In fact, healthy eating practices begin early in a person's life. Breastfeeding helps in healthy growth, cognitive growth, as well as other long-term health benefits, such as reducing a person's risk of obesity or overweight and some non-communicable diseases later in life.

General health

 A healthy diet is of great importance for all parts of the body. It supports it in the performance of its various functions and helps protect cells from environmental damage and repair damaged cells. Where protein helps rebuild the affected tissues, and enhances the work of the immune system, while carbohydrates and fats provide the necessary energy for the body, and all vitamins and minerals enter the various body processes. For example, vitamin C and vitamin A, in addition to vitamin E, act as antioxidants against various toxins, and for the vitamin B family They help the body to extract energy from food, and phosphorous and calcium maintain the strength and health of bones, in addition to sodium and potassium, which help the body to transmit nerve signals.

Prevention of disease 

A healthy and balanced diet helps prevent many diseases, and this is not limited to obesity and related diseases; Rather, it should be noted that a severe increase or decrease in one of the foodstuffs may result in several health problems, for example, the possibility of osteoporosis increases (in English: Osteoporosis) in cases where the food does not contain sufficient quantities of calcium, and the low intake of fruits and vegetables is associated with The risk of cancer increases, while a person's diet containing too much-saturated fat can cause cardiovascular disease.

Weight control 

Losing weight doesn't just need to reduce the number of calories you eat every day; Rather, it is necessary to follow a healthy and balanced diet, and to refrain from eating diets rich in calories such as fast food, processed foods and drinks rich in sugar, and to make sure to consume foods and drinks with a lower caloric content and higher in nutritional content, and it is worth noting that it is necessary to avoid diets Trending food, Such as those that recommend abstaining from eating for long periods, or avoiding eating certain food groups such as meat, fish, wheat, and dairy products, as these diets have bad side effects. They cause bad breath, diarrhea, and headache, in addition to being less durable and difficult to maintain.

Components of a healthy diet

A healthy diet includes all foods and drinks within the appropriate calories, according to the following recommendations.

• To include a variety of vegetables; This includes dark green vegetables, red and orange vegetables, as well as starchy vegetables, legumes, and more.

• Contains fruits; Especially whole fruits.

• To contain pills; Provided that at least half of it is whole grains.

• Contains low-fat or no dairy products.

• It contains a variety of protein products; Including seafood, lean meats, poultry, eggs, legumes, and nuts.

• Abstaining or reducing some harmful foods and foodstuffs, The consumption of added sugars should not exceed 10% of the total daily calories. Saturated fat consumption should not exceed 10% of the total daily calories. Sodium consumption should not be more than 2,300 mg/day.

Steps to follow healthy eating habits

Everyone has eating habits that were ingrained from childhood; Some are good, others are bad, such as not eating breakfast, and it is worth noting that the sudden change of such habits and others is certainly difficult, but it can be overcome by developing an organized plan, and here are some tips for that

• Writing a list of the person's dietary habits, by writing down everything that is eaten, and the way in which the food is eaten, over a period of several days.

• Identifying unhealthy food habits, which usually lead to overeating, such as: eating too fast, eating despite not feeling hungry, eating in a standing position, overeating sweets, and skipping some meals such as breakfast.

• Abandoning unhealthy habits and trying to follow healthy habits, and this is after knowing the reasons behind the bad habits, for example, eating alone may be a catalyst to eat very quickly, and to get rid of that, be sure to eat with the family or with a colleague.

• Continuing to promote new healthy habits, trying to monitor the person himself, in addition to being patient.