Benefits of Healthy Eating

HERE'S WHY YOU SHOULD

Eating healthy isn't always easy, but committing to a healthy diet can be one of the smartest decisions you ever make. Not only eating well make you look and feel better, it can also save you money on future health costs.

But even if you intend to 'eat healthy' knowing exactly what that means can be challenging. Following a healthy diet includes plenty lean meats, eggs, vegetables, fruit, whole grain and dairy products.

Eating well also means leaving out or only rarely consuming foods that are high in added sugar, saturated fat and sodium. That includes most fast food, full-calorie sodas, processed snacks like chips and crackers, and anything with more milligrams of sodium than there are calories in a serving.

1. Increase productivity

Like a car, your brain needs quality fuel to run efficiently. When it comes to your job working more efficiently can help you earn more, since high achievers are usually first in line for promotions and raises. 

How much can eating healthy help? One study found that an unhealthy diet represented the highest risk for low productivity.

2. Save money on life insurance

If you're shopping for life insurance, the life insurer will likely ask for permission to get your medical records, and may require a life insurance medical exam. You could in fact double the life insurance cost if you'r e unhealthy. Switching to a healthier diet and maintaining a good health could significantly lower your costs.

3. Enhance Mood

What you eat has an impact on your brain, including the parts that regulate mood. Although there is no single food that acts as a proven antidepressant, maintaining stable blood sugar through regular, proper nutrition will help you feel better overall on most days.

Foods rich in vitamins and minerals, such as fruits, whole grains and vegetables, have been associated with an overall lower risk of depression, as have foods rich in Omega-3 fats, such as nuts, salmon and other fatty fish.

Eating healthy can reduce stress too. When your body is in a chronic state of stress, it breaks down protein to prepare for battle, but certain foods have the ability to moderate the body's level of cortisol, the stress hormone.

4. Regulate Weight

Simple health choices such as replacing soda with water, choosing veggies instead of chips, and ordering a side salad in place of fries not only will help you lose weight, it also can help you save money. 

5. Be Healthier

Not everybody who is thin is healthy, and not everyone who is overweight is unhealthy, but eating right can improve health for even thin people who are junk food junkies. 

You can think of junk food as anything that's high in calories and low in micro-nutrients like vitamins and mineral . This includes potato chips, greasy foods like french fries, and soda.

If you miss out on too much of the vitamins and minerals that your body needs, you could put yourself at risk for early death. 

6. Live Longer

The same diseases that make you feel bad and cost a lot of money may also lower your life expectancy. A diet of fruit and vegetables, in combination with exercise, was associated with life expectancy for women in their 70's,, according to a study done. 

A healthy diet plan can play an important role in how long you'll live.