The best foods to eat every day are nutrient-dense and have proven health benefits. Avoid foods high in calories and fat, such as fast food and junk food. These foods have no nutritional value and contribute to obesity and chronic disease. Instead, eat foods that are packed with vital nutrients that give you energy and keep you healthy. Add a multivitamin and a vitamin D supplement to fill in potential gaps in a healthy diet, advises the Harvard School of Public Health.
Healthy Fats
Fat is essential for good health and should make up 20 to 35 percent of your daily calories. Saturated fats -- found in red meat, butter and full-fat dairy products -- raise cholesterol and increase risk of heart disease. Monounsaturated fats do just the opposite -- they lower cholesterol and reduce your risk of heart disease, and they benefit blood sugar and insulin levels. Add healthy fats to your diet every day with olives, avocados, nuts and olive and canola oils. People who eat an ounce of nuts several times a week have reduced risk of heart attack, sudden cardiac death and heart disease.
Fish
Fatty fish -- such as herring, salmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel -- contain omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential nutrients lacking in the typical American diet. Omega-3 fats lower blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides, and they lower the risk of heart attack, deadly abnormal heart rhythms and stroke. Evidence shows that omega-3 fats may slow the buildup of plaque and prevent blood clots that clog arteries. Because fish may contain contaminants such as polychlorinated biphenyls, mercury and other heavy metals, limit your fish intake and add a purified omega-3 fatty acid supplement. Ask your doctor about omega-3 supplementation prior to use.
Whole Grains
The best sources of energy-producing carbohydrates are whole grains, such as whole-wheat bread, brown rice and oatmeal. Avoid refined grains such as white bread and white rice that are digested rapidly, causing sharp spikes and dips in blood sugar and insulin levels that may lead to type 2 diabetes. Whole grains, which have the nutrient-rich germ and fiber-rich bran intact, provide sustained energy, control blood sugar and insulin, help you manage hunger and may prevent heart disease. Read nutrition labels and look for whole grain to be listed as the first ingredient to ensure you're getting a true whole-grain product.
Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are high in fiber, low in calories and packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. They also protect you from cancer, heart disease, macular degeneration and diverticulitis. Add a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables to your diet every day. Especially nutritious fruits and vegetables include kale, broccoli, mustard greens, spinach, bok choy, yams, winter squash, carrots, oranges, mango, cantaloupe, blueberries and other types of berries.
Low-fat Dairy
Include one or two servings of dairy products in your daily diet to get enough calcium to keep your bones strong. Most dairy products are high in saturated fat, so choose low-fat or no-fat cheese, milk and yogurt instead.
What Should I Eat Every Day to Lose Weight?
Going on a diet to lose weight does not have to be so routine that eventually you toss the diet because of its repetitive food choices. A natural diet provides an entire range of tastes you are looking for in a healthy diet. Eating a natural, well-balanced diet is key to preventing boredom and monotony. Consider it a part of a complete lifestyle change.
Non-processed Carbohydrates
Non-processed carbohydrates are fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber. Because they provide fewer calories per serving than other carbohydrate-rich foods, fruits and veggies aid in weight loss. Fiber-rich fruits and vegetables help keep you full longer. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables also lowers blood pressure, reduces risk of heart disease and stroke and aids in balancing your blood sugar.
Unsaturated Fat
Fats provide satiety to meals and also aid in keeping you full throughout the day. The key is to choose the right kind of fats to include in your diet. Saturated and trans fats are bad fats, because they increase bad cholesterol, lower good cholesterol and increase your risk for heart disease. These fats are found in beef and dairy products, cookies, pastries, crackers, chips and fried foods. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are good fats because they do the complete opposite for your health as the bad fats. The good fats are found in avocados, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, pumpkin seed, flax seed, flax oil and olive oil.
Lean Meat
Skinless poultry and fish are considered lean meat, because they are low in saturated fat when compared to fatty cuts of red meat, pork, duck, goose and lamb, which are high in saturated fat. Your body already makes all the saturated fat you need, so you do not need to consume more saturated fat from your diet.
Considerations
When at the grocery store, avoid going into the aisles. Just stick to the perimeter. All the foods on the perimeter of the grocery store are frozen, refrigerated or fresh--unlike the foods in the aisles, which have preservatives. By avoiding the middle aisles, you can also avoid getting random cravings while you shop.
Benefits
Balanced eating of carbohydrates, fat and protein will ensure you are getting enough nutrients from these foods for optimal health. A deficit in any of these macronutrients can cause health issues. For example, carbohydrates are your body's main source of energy. The central nervous system functions off carbohydrates, and they can be stored in muscle tissue for energy use later. A daily intake of fat is important for your body because it helps with growth and development, energy, absorbs certain vitamins and helps protect the organs. Protein aids in growth, tissue repair, immune function, enzyme and hormone production and preserving lean muscle mass. A general guideline to follow is to obtain 40 percent of your calories from carbohydrates, 30 percent from fat and 30 percent from protein.
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