Eating a balanced diet is essential for keeping your body healthy and getting the nutrients it needs. To make sure you're getting enough nutrients, it's important to include fresh fruits and vegetables of various colors, cereals, proteins, fish, nuts, and plenty of water in your daily diet. Eating nutrient-rich foods is the best way for your body to absorb micronutrients. The next step is to assess your caloric and macronutrient needs.
If you haven't done this yet and are just focusing on “eating healthy,” you may be missing out on key nutrients. To eat healthier, start by making small changes. Make sure every meal or snack contains nutrient-rich foods and try to avoid processed foods. A balanced diet should provide enough calories, proteins, and vitamins to keep you healthy. Without this, you may not be getting all the nutrients you need, which can lead to malnutrition.
While healthy eating may look different for everyone, balanced diets are generally rich in nutrient-rich foods, low in highly processed foods, and made up of filling meals and snacks. Additionally, it's important to chew your food properly so that it's easier for the body to extract those nutrients. If you don't know how many grams of dietary fat you need each day or don't track your fat intake, you may not be consuming this important nutrient. If you can't get all the nutrients you need from food alone, ask your doctor if dietary supplements are right for you. When possible, to ensure you're consuming as many nutrients as possible, choose organic food sources freshly grown by a local farmer. This is usually due to not eating enough (malnutrition) or not eating enough of the right foods to provide the body with the nutrients it needs.
It breaks down food into smaller pieces, making it easier for the digestive tract to absorb the nutrients found in food. As a general rule, try to eat mostly foods that are high in nutrients such as protein, fiber, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals. Not only will this support your local community but it will also help ensure the highest quality of nutrient-rich foods. Experiencing stress while eating can also cause severe digestive tension and reduce the chances that you'll get all your nutrients from food. To make sure you're getting all the nutrients your body needs from your diet, focus on eating fresh fruits and vegetables in a variety of colors as well as cereals, proteins, fish and nuts. Drink plenty of water to help the body process and transport nutrients to cells throughout the body.
Try to incorporate more of these nutrient-rich foods into your daily diet and avoid processed foods as much as possible. Additionally, assess your caloric and macronutrient needs and track your fat intake if necessary. If you can't get all the nutrients you need from food alone, ask your doctor if dietary supplements are right for you.
