Balanced Diet: What To Eat & Not Eat
Lacey I’m sure everyone has heard the well-known phrase, you are what you eat, but it is undeniably true. Eating sugars and large amounts of red meat causes many health problems, so it’s good to try and eat healthy.
What Shouldn’t I be Eating?
Let’s get the obvious items out of the way; limit sugars and processed foods. Sugars can cause many problems in and of themselves, but the main problem with them is that they actually increase your hunger by causing resistance to leptin which is a hormone that regulates your hunger.
Sugars can also increase your risk of getting diseases, diabetes, and even cancer. Processed foods have basically the same problem as they usually contain added sugars, but they also contain large amounts of salt, saturated fats, and artificial ingredients. If eaten in excess can cause more health problems.
Our bodies need fuel to function. There isn’t anything else you should be totally avoiding, although these next foods you may want to eat in moderation.
What can I have a Little of?
Coffee, beef, and dairy products aren’t the healthiest, but they can be eaten in moderation with minimal problems.
Coffee is the best consumed in the afternoons instead of the early mornings since coffee depletes your serotonin, which makes you feel well. So drinking coffee the moment you wake up can lead to more anxiety and stress.
Drinking coffee in the afternoon though can give your hormonal and neural connections a boost.
Beef is high in saturated fats which raises blood cholesterol. If beef is eaten frequently, it can lead to heart disease or cancer. Dairy products are also high in saturated fats and pose the same problems as beef, but with the added risk of diabetes and breast, ovarian, and prostate cancers.
What Should I be Eating then?
Fruits, nuts, olive oil, fish, poultry, and vegetables are all great to be eating, just don’t eat huge amounts of them in one sitting.
Fruits have tons of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. By eating fruits daily you’ll be getting much-needed vitamins and minerals, while also keeping your gut healthy and preventing digestive problems with the fiber.
Nuts are high in unsaturated fatty acids that can lower cholesterol, but they are high in calories so make sure to portion them. Olive oil is rich with antioxidants that help the body maintain itself. Olive oil can even help reduce cholesterol and improve blood vessels.
Fish has tons of protein and vitamins — containing omega-3 fatty acids that can reduce heart disease.
Poultry is a lean, low-fat protein that can help with muscle development and it promotes a healthy body weight.
Finally, vegetables are all around just good to eat because of their vitamins and low fat and calories.