ACTABLOG

The importance of eating well for your health

Eating well is crucial for our health. Food provides a series of nutrients our body needs to perform all its physiological functions properly.

Enjoying a balanced and varied diet is crucial to promoting good physical and mental health and generally enhancing quality of life.

Why is it necessary to eat well?

According to several studies, there is a very close link between a healthy diet and preventing illness and enjoying good health. Indeed, it reduces the chances of developing some disorders such as diabetes and obesity.

That’s why it’s essential to eat the right food and have a complete and varied diet that gives you energy, nutrients and other elements such as fibre and natural antioxidants. This will help our bodies be stronger in both the short and long run.

What should having a healthy diet entail?

• Consuming oily and white fish, at least four times a week.
• Eating at least five pieces of fruit and vegetable a day to take in sufficient dietary fibre.
• Vegetables, rice and pasta between two and four times a week.
• Choosing lean meats first such as chicken, turkey, rabbit, veal, pork loin, etc.
• Including enough cereals every day such as bread.
• Drinking two litres of water a day to stay sufficiently hydrated.

* It’s important to reduce salt to avoid high blood pressure and cut the amount of saturated fats we eat every day to 10% and trans-fatty acids to 1%. This reduces the risk of becoming overweight or obese. However, olive oil is one of the healthier fats, as is avocado and salmon, which is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. Also avoid eating added sugars and go for natural and minimally processed foods.

Good habits along with a balance diet

• Choose a variety of foods and avoid eating large amounts of any single one.
• Stick to mealtimes and try not to skip meals. Three meals a day are recommended (breakfast, lunch and dinner), and a snack mid-morning or afternoon.
• Go for healthier ways of cooking: roasting, boiling, steaming, grilling, raw (especially vegetables), etc.
• Include spices which, as well as being very healthy, add flavour to your dishes.

Other key habits that will protect your health

• Exercise daily and regularly so our body gets used to being active.
• Avoid a sedentary lifestyle as much as possible.
• Give up those bad habits such as smoking and excessive drinking.
• Lead a relaxed lifestyle with healthy routines and avoiding stress and irregular timetables.

Following all these guidelines and advice will not only help you keep illnesses at bay but also mean you have enough energy to lead an active lifestyle.

And as always, if you’d like to discuss anything in particular or have any questions, just send us a message via social media: Facebook o Instagram.

Meanwhile, perhaps this article about cholesterol will interest you, or this one on how to identify unhealthy foods from the labelling.