Why eat nutritiously

By using these simple tips, you can cut through the confusion and learn how to create—and stick to—a tasty, varied, and nutritious diet that is as good for your mind as it is for your body. While some extreme diets may suggest otherwise, we all need a balance of protein, fat, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals in our diets to sustain a healthy body.

Protein gives you the energy to get up and go—and keep going—while also supporting mood and cognitive function. Too much protein can be harmful to people with kidney disease, but the latest research suggests that many of us need more high-quality protein, especially as we age.

Learn more ». Not all fat is the same. While bad fats can wreck your diet and increase your risk of certain diseases, good fats protect your brain and heart. In fact, healthy fats—such as omega-3s—are vital to your physical and emotional health. Including more healthy fat in your diet can help improve your mood, boost your well-being, and even trim your waistline.

Eating foods high in dietary fiber grains, fruit, vegetables, nuts, and beans can help you stay regular and lower your risk for heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. It can also improve your skin and even help you to lose weight.

As well as leading to osteoporosis, not getting enough calcium in your diet can also contribute to anxiety, depression, and sleep difficulties. But most should come from complex, unrefined carbs vegetables, whole grains, fruit rather than sugars and refined carbs. Cutting back on white bread, pastries, starches, and sugar can prevent rapid spikes in blood sugar, fluctuations in mood and energy, and a build-up of fat, especially around your waistline.

A better approach is to make a few small changes at a time. Keeping your goals modest can help you achieve more in the long term without feeling deprived or overwhelmed by a major diet overhaul. Think of planning a healthy diet as a number of small, manageable steps—like adding a salad to your diet once a day.

As your small changes become habit, you can continue to add more healthy choices. To set yourself up for success, try to keep things simple. Instead of being overly concerned with counting calories, for example, think of your diet in terms of color, variety, and freshness. Focus on avoiding packaged and processed foods and opting for more fresh ingredients whenever possible.

Prepare more of your own meals. Make the right changes. Replacing dangerous trans fats with healthy fats such as switching fried chicken for grilled salmon will make a positive difference to your health.

Read the labels. Focus on how you feel after eating. This will help foster healthy new habits and tastes. The more junk food you eat, the more likely you are to feel uncomfortable, nauseous, or drained of energy. Drink plenty of water.

Water helps flush our systems of waste products and toxins, yet many of us go through life dehydrated—causing tiredness, low energy, and headaches. What is moderation? In essence, it means eating only as much food as your body needs.

You should feel satisfied at the end of a meal, but not stuffed. For many of us, moderation means eating less than we do now. Eating bacon for breakfast once a week, for example, could be considered moderation if you follow it with a healthy lunch and dinner—but not if you follow it with a box of donuts and a sausage pizza. Start by reducing portion sizes of unhealthy foods and not eating them as often.

As you reduce your intake of unhealthy foods, you may find yourself craving them less or thinking of them as only occasional indulgences.

Think smaller portions. Serving sizes have ballooned recently. The AHA goes on to state that high blood pressure, excess body fat and high cholesterol are among the changeable risks. Keeping your sodium, cholesterol, saturated fat and trans fat intake low can help keep your heart healthier and at less risk for disease. Nutritious eating habits that can help prevent diabetes include choosing foods with more fiber, such as whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables.

A high-fiber diet improves your ability to control blood sugar and can help you lose weight by making you feel more full so you don't overeat.

Not only can you be more motivated to get active, but the endorphins from that activity keep you happy. One healthy eating choice you can make that will help improve your mental state is cutting back on refined sugar.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, increased refined sugar intake may lead to higher rates of depression.

NAMI recommends limiting your refined sugar intake to 10 percent of your daily calorie intake. Having a good variety of these foods every day leaves less room for foods that are high in fat and sugar - a leading cause of weight gain.

Together with exercise, eating a healthy diet in the right proportions can also help you lose weight, lower your cholesterol levels and blood pressure and decrease your risk of type 2 diabetes.

More about how to lose weight safely. Home Healthy living Food and nutrition Eating well Health benefits of eating well. Health benefits of eating well. A well-balanced diet provides all of the: energy you need to keep active throughout the day nutrients you need for growth and repair, helping you to stay strong and healthy and help to prevent diet-related illness, such as some cancers Keeping active and eating a healthy balanced diet can also help you to maintain a healthy weight.

More about vitamins, minerals and nutrients Type 2 diabetes Maintaining a healthy weight and eating a balanced diet that's low in saturated fat and high in fibre found in whole grains can help to reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

More about type 2 diabetes Heart health A healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy can help to reduce your risk of heart disease by maintaining blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Strong bones and teeth A diet rich in calcium keeps your teeth and bones strong and can help to slow bone loss osteoporosis associated with getting older. Calcium is usually associated with dairy products, but you can also get calcium by eating: sardines, pilchards or tinned salmon with bones dark green vegetables - such as kale and broccoli calcium-fortified foods - such as soya products, fruit juices and cereals As vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium, make sure you get outside your body gets vitamin D from the sun and have plenty of foods containing vitamin D in your diet - such as oily fish and fortified cereals.