Staying Healthy through Nutrition

Most of us know the importance of nutrition in order to increase wellbeing and overall health.

A good diet accompanied by regular exercise is a great step to help improve and sustain your health. When we say “diet,” we aren’t necessarily using the word in the sense of losing weight or referring to a fad diet; we mean an actual sustainable nutritional lifestyle plan. A good diet should provide you with enough calories for energy but should also give you the nutrients, vitamins and minerals your body needs.

There are so many schools of thought as to what constitutes a healthy lifestyle. However, most experts agree on a few general rules of thumb.

Try and stick with unrefined, minimally processed foods like fruits and veggies, whole grains, as well as healthy fats and proteins.

Avoid processed snack foods, surgery beverages, white grains, fried foods and foods that are high in saturated, trans fats and sodium.

There are many different diet plans you can follow. Below you’ll find a general guide that most experts agree is a healthy plan type. The food type is ranked by importance with 5 being the most important (meaning your diet should include more of these food types) and 1 being least important (meaning your diet should include less of these food types.)

Food Type Importance Level
Grains 5
Fruits 4
Vegetables 4
Low fat/nonfat Dairy 3
Nuts, Legumes, Seeds 2
Lean Meats, Fish, Poultry 2
Fats and Sweets 1

Your diet should vary depending on your nutritional goals and activity level. If you regularly exercise, chances are you’ll require more calories because you’re active. However, you’ll want to consider the quality of the calories. For example, 200 calories in mixed nuts will probably give you more sustainable energy and benefit you more than a candy bar.

Also, it is important to keep in mind there isn’t a one-size-fits-all diet that’s perfect for everyone. However, by eating a nutritionally balanced diet, you’ll help prevent illness and maintain your health.