A healthy diet is imperative for maintaining a healthy body. Consistently eating the wrong foods increases the risk of minor illness and serious disease. The best approach for most people is to follow the recommendations outlined by the U.S. government’s “Dietary Guideline for Americans.”

I thought I was doing pretty good, but recently had a choking incident, and ER visit and an endoscopy.  They found some issues in my esophagus and healed ulcers in my stomach.  I truly believe this started with high doses of Ibuprofen that I was put on for a knee injury, the health care professionals seemed to want to mask the symptoms and pain, until I pushed for an MRI knowing that high doses of Ibuprofen were not the answer. We know our own bodies, and we need to be our advocates, make smart food choices, and take care of the one body God gave us.  Fight sometimes, get a second opinion and face it verses mask it. 

I Corinthians 3:16 SAYS, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?”  I know this but life stress, fatigue and poor decisions haven’t helped my diet.  I too need to get back on track, eat my My Plate – ½ my plate if veggies and I get at LEAST 3 servings of veggies and 2 of fruit a day for better health.  Optimal health requires even more, so trying to have a plant-based diet, with raw, fresh, non-GMO, organically grown foods is paramount to make my temple it’s best.  God can heal, but I also need to make better choices!

Eating a healthy diet is integral to maintaining good health and feeling good.

Our food choices affect our health, TRUE or FALSE?  True of course. 

Food choices have a substantial impact on health, in the near and long terms. By eating healthy foods, you improve your overall health and wellbeing. By choosing unhealthy foods, you can gain unwanted weight and/or increase the risk for chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. To maintain optimal health and sustained energy, the body requires a balanced intake of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and water. These nutrients provide energy and help regulate bodily functions. Make healthier eating choices by becoming knowledgeable about good nutrition.

Choosing a healthy diet that promotes wellness and protects against disease is a two-step process:

Step 1: Know what nutrients your body needs.

Step 2: Discover nutritious foods you enjoy. Eat for fuel not for entertainment.

Eating the right foods can help you feel better. Knowing about essential nutrients supports a healthy diet that includes foods you enjoy. Healthy eating doesn’t have to be bland. There are healthy substitutes for most everything you like, whether eating at home, on the go or while dining out.  When you season, use herbs and spice, stay away from added salt. 

Following a nutritious plan provides the correct balance of nutrients while staying within recommended calorie limits. USDA My Plate and the Harvard My Plate are 2 great resources to use.  The American Heart Association also has healthy recipes!

I hope this inspires you and gives you some resources to start your journey with better food choices and fixing that temple!

What are those limits?

The macro nutrients are: Protein, Complex Carbohydrates, Fiber, Water and Healthy Fats. “Macronutrients are the nutritive components of food that the body needs for energy and to maintain the body's structure and systems,” says MD Anderson Wellness Dietitian Lindsey Wohlford.  Some sources will not list fiber and water as macronutrients, like your Fitbit for example, but they are needed to maintain the body.  We will die without water in 3 days.  That sounds pretty important to me!  And fiber, we all know fruits and veggies are full of it, and it is needed for healthy digestion and the prevention of diseases like diverticulitis. 

There are seven major classes of nutrients: carbohydrates, fats, dietary fiber, minerals, proteins, vitamins, and water.

Protein is necessary for healthy muscles, bones, and cell structure. Blood, enzymes, hormones, and cell membranes require protein. Without it, the body begins breaking down muscle to get it. Major protein food sources include meat, fish, poultry, eggs, milk, cheese, soy, and nuts. Some vegetables such as bean and lentil sprouts, sun-dried tomatoes, green peas, spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, artichoke, and asparagus contain smaller quantities of protein.

The body stores fat for energy. Fat also insulates and cushions vital organs, builds cell membranes, supports hormone production, and waterproofs skin. Many people still think of all dietary fat as the nutritional enemy. Although it should be limited, cutting out all fat is not good. Healthy, unsaturated fats (containing necessary essential fatty acids) can be found in olive oil and fish. They can reduce the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and blood clotting. Less healthy, saturated fats are found in meat, poultry, butter, and other whole-milk dairy products and should be limited. Unhealthy trans fats (trans fatty acids) raise “bad” (LDL) cholesterol and lower “good” (HDL) cholesterol. Trans fats are found in French fries, packaged cookies and other processed foods and should be avoided.

Minimize Saturated Fat

• Found in: animal fat (especially fatty meats, poultry fat and skin), butter, cheese and other high-fat dairy products

• Possible effects on health: raises total cholesterol and “bad” (LDL) cholesterol levels, increases risk of heart disease

Avoid Trans Fat

• Found in: French fries and other deep-fried fast foods, stick margarines, shortening, packaged cookies and crackers, processed snacks and sweets

• Possible effects on health: raises total cholesterol and “bad” (LDL) cholesterol levels, lowers “good” (HDL) cholesterol levels, can increase risk of disease

Consume Moderate Amounts of Unsaturated Fats

• Found in: Olive, corn, canola, soybean oils; many nuts and seeds including almonds, cashews, pistachios, macadamia, avocado, fish (salmon, trout)

• Possible effects on health: may reduce risk of heart disease and stroke, may lower total cholesterol and “bad” (LDL) cholesterol levels

Carbohydrates are the body’s primary source of energy. There are two types: unhealthy, i.e., simple (or refined), and healthy/quality, i.e., complex. Simple carbohydrates are found in sweets containing table sugar. The body digests these quickly for bursts of energy. Healthier, complex carbohydrates take longer to digest and make you feel full longer. They are found in starches, dietary fiber, whole grains, and beans.

Low Glycemic Index GI foods, like complex carbs, won't raise your blood sugar very quickly. Examples of these include oatmeal, pasta, sweet potatoes, fruits, and carrots. Medium GI foods include rice, couscous, pita bread, and brown rice. Jun 23, 2020 Iowa Diabetes.com

What are micronutrients? The micronutrients are minerals and vitamins.

Vitamins are in almost everything we eat. They play a role in chemical reactions in the body and are important to unlocking energy stored in fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. Some vitamins act as antioxidants, which maintain healthy cells and prevent cancerous cells from forming. Maintaining a balanced level of vitamins is important to avoid unhealthy deficiencies or overloads. Obtaining vitamins through a balanced diet instead of supplements helps to avoid overloads.

Minerals are necessary to regulate bodily functions, grow and maintain tissue, and sustain energy. The body does not produce minerals, so it’s important to obtain them from foods. Required minerals include calcium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, and chloride. Without calcium, bones can become brittle and unhealthy. A lack of potassium could cause heart arrhythmias, drowsiness, muscular weakness and/or nausea. Necessary minerals are found in milk, fish, fruit, and vegetables.

Key Takeaways 

• Eating a healthy diet helps maintain health, wellness and well-being.

• The body needs proteins, (healthy) fats, (healthy) carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and water for energy and proper body system function.

• Saturated and trans fats can increase the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure, clog arteries and induce a heart attack.

• A healthy diet can help lower the risk of heart disease and a plethora of other diseases.

  “Poor diets were responsible for 10.9 million deaths, or 22% of all deaths among adults in 2017, with cardiovascular disease (CVD) as the leading cause, followed by cancers and diabetes.” Apr 3, 2019 Health Data.org.

  For more information, download the 2022 WHO health statistics.  It’s 125 pages long!