Healthy diet for a healthy mind and body

Some of the many potential benefits of eating a well-balanced, wholesome and nutritious diet include greater longevity and better overall health and fitness. By taking the few easy steps in this blog post, you can be in great shape in no time!

Green leafy vegetables are particularly beneficial, as they are high in some of the nutrients your body needs most. Broccoli and brussels sprouts, for example, belong to the cruciferous family of vegetables, and are known to be helpful in promoting health and vitality. Broccoli is also high in vitamin C, a vitamin which is most notable for supporting the immune system.

Fruit also has an abundant supply of vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre. Most fruits are also high in antioxidants. Nutritionists recommend you consume at least four or five servings of fruit each day, and the raw, ripe kind is the best – particularly in terms of alkalising the body. Apples are a great fruit to eat. They provide vitamins A, C, E and folate, along with a good amount of fibre.

Eat the rainbow – seek out brightly coloured fruits and vegetables to ensure a regular intake of beneficial antioxidants, phyto-nutrients and digestive enzymes.

When you are looking for whole wheat products, also look for products which specify that they are whole grain. If you see 100% whole wheat on the label, that can mean that whole wheat flour is used and you are not necessarily getting the benefit of the whole grain. Whole grains are nutrient-dense with more fibre, complex carbohydrates and vitamins, and are therefore of greater benefit to the body. Similarly, a product claim that something is “high in fibre” does not necessarily speak to the quality of the fibre. Some fibre (such as extracted bran) is actually irritating to the gut. Whole grain fibre, in contrast, is not.

Refined sugar, saturated fat and man-made chemicals are to be eliminated from the diet as far as possible. While ocassional treats are fine, processed foods and drinks are nutrient-poor (and can even be anti-nutrients, i.e. actively drain your body of nutrients) and should therefore be avoided if you are looking to improve your overall health, vitality and mental focus. The result of eating and drinking these kinds of food-stuffs is poor nutrition, higher toxic load plus weight gain.

Hydration is another very important, and often forgotten, aspect of health and nutrition. Water keeps your digestive system working properly and flushes out toxins from your body. The rule of thumb is to drink 8 glasses of water each day, but drinking more than that is a good idea if you are exercising or perspiring heavily.

Natural yoghurt and other probiotic foods make for great snacks. If efficient digestion is the cornerstone of good health, maintaining (and even building) levels of friendly bowel bacteria in the gut can only be a good thing.

Unfortunately, the foods that make up the average daily diet in the modern world do not supply the range of nutrients they once did. This is due, for example, to poor farming methods (including the use of pesticides etc), long-distance transportation of fresh produce, extended shelf-lives and synthetic ingredients. The only ways to offset this is to opt for organic produce wherever possible and supplement your balanced diet with high quality, food form nutrients.

It is essential that you get all the nutrients your body needs to perform at its full potential on a daily basis. Use the information in this article to make sure your mind and body are the best they can be.

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