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What you eat in a day makes a massive difference in your health. You probably know what healthy eating looks like: less sugar, fewer stops to the drive-through, and more fruits and veggies. But when it comes to having good nutrition, many of us don’t know the benefits of proper nutrition or how to achieve it. 

Learn what happens when you don’t take care of your nutrition and the benefits a healthy diet has on your overall well-being. 

What is Good Nutrition?

Proper nutrition means your body receives all the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals it needs to function correctly. A healthy diet usually includes nutrient-dense foods from all major food groups, like lean proteins, whole grains, healthy fats, and fruits and vegetables. 

On the other hand, poor nutrition can contribute to stress, tiredness, irritability, and increase the risks of developing severe health problems like obesity, tooth decay, and high blood pressure. 

10 Ways Good Nutrition Boosts Your Overall Health

01. Weight Management 

Eating a nutritious diet is the best way to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Fad or crash diets won’t provide your body’s essential nutrients. Replacing unhealthy junk food and snacks with nutritious food is the first step to maintaining a healthy weight. Working alongside a professional can create a custom meal plan that aligns with your goals. 

02. Protection From Illnesses

Many life-altering chronic diseases like high blood pressure, type-2 diabetes, and heart disease are caused by poor nutrition and obesity. Incorporating a healthy nutrition plan into your daily life can significantly reduce the risk of developing chronic illnesses. 

03. Helps Improve Memory

A good diet can help you maintain cognition and brain health. For example, foods like omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins D, C, and E can help protect against cognitive decline and dementia. 

Fruits, veggies, whole grains, fish, and olive oil can also help improve the health of your blood vessels, limiting the risk for a memory-damaging stroke. 

04. ​​Strengthening the Immune System 

Our immune system fights off sicknesses to help keep us healthy. We need to incorporate essential vitamins and minerals into our diet to help ensure our immune systems function optimally. Eating nutritious meals can help keep your immune system in check and guard against illnesses and immunodeficiency problems.

 05. Stronger Bones & Teeth 

A balanced diet with enough calcium and magnesium can help keep your bones and teeth strong. Maintaining your bone health can also minimize the risks of issues later in life, like osteoporosis. You can find calcium in dairy products, tofu, and veggies like broccoli and cauliflower. 

A lot of food manufacturers fortify products with calcium. Look for cereals, plant-based milk, or juices with calcium if you feel like you need a boost. Magnesium is naturally abundant in foods like leafy green vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains.

06. Reduced Cancer Risk

Nutritious foods like berries, nuts, leafy greens, and pumpkins that contain antioxidants can reduce your risk of developing cancer by protecting cells from damage. Antioxidants help remove free radicals from the body. Free radicals can increase the risk of cancer. 

07. Supports Your Mental Health

Eating healthy foods can make you happier. Nutrients like iron and omega-3 fatty acids can boost your mood. On the other hand, people who eat a lot of refined carbs (cake, white bread, sugar) have a high glycemic load, triggering increased symptoms of depression and fatigue.

08. Helps You Get a Good Night’s Sleep

Did you know that eating healthy, nutritious meals can help you sleep better? For example, eating a low-fiber, high-saturated fat diet can decrease your number of restorative sleep hours. 

Also, one of the most common sleep disruptors is sleep apnea. People who are obese, drink alcohol, and eat an unhealthful diet are at a higher risk of developing sleep apnea. 

09. Delaying Aging

Some superfoods like berries and nuts can increase vitality and improve cognitive performance while protecting your body against the effects of aging.

10. Promotes Healing

Finally, did you know getting the proper nutrition can enhance your ability to recover from illness or injury? Things like the common cold or a sports-related injury will heal faster if your body has adequate nutrients. 

How to Get Your Nutrition On Track?

Nutrition isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. While everyone should try to include more nutrient-dense foods in their diet, what works best for you might not work for someone else. That’s why seeking support from a professional is beneficial. 

Customized nutrition or a weight loss program can help you understand the underlying cause of poor eating habits and give you the tools and resources to make a meaningful change.