Why is Healthy Eating Important

"High-tech tomatoes. Mysterious milk. Supersquash. Are we supposed to eat this stuff? Or is it going to eat us?" - Annita Manning

Fast food, fried foods, fatty foods, processed foods - and all such foods, which we have got so used to eating in our everyday diet, do nothing for our health. To remain fit and disease-free and to make sure that our heart, brain and muscles work properly, we need to inculcate healthy eating habits, right from the childhood to the teens to the time one grows up to be an adult. Why is healthy eating important to us? Let's discuss this in detail.

Why is Healthy Eating Important for Children, Teens and Adults

A balanced diet is a must for everybody - be it children, teens or adults. When a child takes a balanced diet, with the right amount of all the important nutrients, it helps in his proper growth and development. Due to healthy eating, the child's bones, muscles, teeth and heart gets formed properly. As obesity has become so common among children and teens today, by eating a healthy diet a child can save himself from all the health problems caused due to over weight and grow up to become an energetic and fit adult. This explains why is healthy eating important for teenagers and children.

Calcium
Breakfast is a very important meal and should never be skipped. Having cereals and milk in breakfast is the best thing to do especially for children. Cereals provide the body with a number of minerals, vitamins and nutrients and keep the energy levels high throughout the day. Milk is rich in calcium and thus, helps in strengthening the bones and the teeth. If the calcium intake is appropriate there are very less chances of developing diseases such as osteoporosis in one's old age. Besides milk, some other good sources of calcium are yogurt, salmon, Chinese cabbage, asparagus, dried kernels of sesame seeds, celeria, beet greens, alfalfa sprouts and cheese.

Iron
Iron rich foods are a must in diet. Iron deficiency can produce many side effects such as weakness, feeling tired all the time, irritability and restlessness. To avoid this, iron enriched foods such as red meat, poultry, tofu, fish, chickpeas, green leafy vegetables, beans, lentils, legumes, chicken, pumpkin seeds, spinach, prunes, egg yolk and dried apricots should be included in the diet.

Proteins
Proteins perform the function of building up and replacing the tissues in the body. Most of the body's muscles, organs and even some hormones are made up of proteins. So, including some high protein foods in diet is very important. Some of the good sources of proteins are turkey, chicken, lean meats, egg white, brown rice, potatoes, mushrooms, oatmeal, lentils, bacon, fish, salmon, wheat, beans, yogurt, rye, cornmeal, ham and cheese. Certain vegetable and fruits such as broccoli, cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes, banana, papaya, peach and watermelons are rich in protein too and hence should be included in one's healthy diet plan.

Fats and Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates and fats provide the body with energy to function properly. Carbohydrates are essential for the proper functioning of the nervous system, digestive system, immune system and the heart. Fibers which help in eliminating the toxins and waste matter from the body are a type of carbohydrate. So, including carbohydrates in the diet by eating foods such as whole wheat bread, lentils, apples, raisins, brown rice, oatmeal, orange, sweet born, lentils and beans is very essential so that all the body systems can function properly.

Fruits and Vegetables
Vegetables and fruits are some other healthy foods which should be eaten in every meal. Vegetables are rich in antioxidants and prevent various types of cancers from developing in the body. Fruits and vegetables also keep the blood pressure and the levels of cholesterol in check.

I hope now you know why is healthy eating important for people of all ages. When it comes to foods, the key lies in maintaining variety, including all the important nutrients i.e. proteins, carbohydrates, fats, calcium and iron in the diet and also eating everything in moderation. Junk foods and foods which are chemical laden should be avoided at all costs. And the most important tip on healthy eating before I sign off - water intake should be high, almost two liters a day, considering the fact that water eliminates toxins from the body and almost 70-75 % of our body is made of water.