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Diet

Healthy vs Unhealthy

One of the most important aspects that influences our physical condition can be found right under our noses. What we put into our digestive system on a day to day basis plays a massive role when discussing the health of our bodies. It is scientifically proven over countless studies that one of the keys to living a long and fulfilling life is rooted in our diet. A healthy diet is know to have a plethora of benefits spanning throughout all bodily functions. Increases in energy level and improved cognitive function are two of the most noticeable impacts of a healthy diet, and to some are the driving force to maintain a healthy diet.  Meanwhile, an unhealthy diet can have the exact opposite effect on bodily function through increased weight gain, malnutrition, and in worst cases the development of a critical illness. Today we will be discussing what delineates the differences between a healthy or unhealthy diet. 

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- Rita Premas, Kinesiology Major, University of Nevada Las Vegas

Healthy Diet

To sustain a healthy diet, you must maintain a balanced variety of food groups. To be specific, you must include some combination of fruits, vegetables, oats, grains, nuts, protein, and top it all off with an increase in water intake. Water plays a crucial role within a healthy diet, as it helps to flush out the unwanted storage of unneeded chemicals, such as sodium. A healthy diet does not include any processed foods, such as processed sugar or flour which can often be found in many grocery store "snacks". Even the healthiest of granola bars, and the freshest baked goods will all have these processed ingredients that are unsuitable for digestion. It is best to steer clear of pre-cooked prepared meals, as these meals will often times have preservatives and other added ingredients to help lengthen the freshness of the food. In general, to sustain a healthy diet you are going to want to begin looking at the ingredient lists of the food you are consuming, with the fewer ingredients, the better. Watermelons, almonds, grass-fed beef, quinoa, avocado, beans, these are all examples of food items with very minimal ingredients used to produce them. Listed below are some nutritious dish options to help kickstart a healthy diet.

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  • Grilled Chicken Salad with Lentils and Chickpeas​​​

  • Baked Salmon with Broccoli and Cauliflower

  • Ground Beef & Veggie Stuffed Bell Peppers

  • Super Fruit Smoothie with Blackberry and Ginger

  • Avocado Toast with Tomatoes and Chia Seeds

Unhealthy Diet

There are many ways that a bad diet can turn into an unhealthy habit that causes harm to the body. An unhealthy diet is one that consists of sugary drinks, fried food, desserts, and any sort of processed snack ( such as chips, cookies, candy, pastries, etc. ). These foods are not only fattening to consume, they are also designed to try and entice the consumer to come back again, forming a habit of consuming the junk food. Examples of this are most commonly found in America, where ultra processed fast foods filled with untraceable amounts of true ingredients are marketed relentlessly to both adults and children. These multi-million dollar marketing budgets are designed to create recurring customers, which inevitably has worked and is the driving cause of the obesity epidemic within the United States. To avoid an unhealthy diet, stay away from fast food, junk food, and snacks. Stick to products with few ingredients, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, oats, and proteins. These products will contain only what is necessary for your nutrition, as compared to processed snacks which are loaded with processed sugars, flours, and preservatives that have lasting effects on human health. Below is a list of foods to avoid.

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  • Fast Food

  • Snacks (Chips, Candy, Etc.)

  • Sugary Drinks / Alcohol

  • Desserts (Cookies, Pastries, Etc.)

  • Fried Foods

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References

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