what is healthy eating habits and lifestyle essay

Healthy Lifestyle and Eating Essay

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Healthy eating is the process of keeping the body clean, strong, and healthy at all times (Allen, 1926). Healthy living, on the other hand, means that one should be able to eat the right food, get enough exercise, and maintain cleanliness (James, 1907). Unfortunately, many people do not keep track of these requirements. Thus, they end up with serious health problems, which can be difficult to treat. Prevention of these problems can be accomplished through maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Such a lifestyle is achievable by eating the right food and adhering to all the requirements of healthy living.

The human body needs a balanced diet, which includes enough minerals, fats, vitamins, fiber, and carbohydrates (Albrecht, 1932). These substances are required by the body to facilitate the growth and functioning of body tissues. Low energy foods such as vegetables and fruits have small amounts of calories per unit volume of food. Therefore, it is advisable to eat this combination of foods in large volumes as it contains fewer calories, but has nutrients that are essential for optimal body functionality. Incidentally, one should take food that is free from unhealthy fats, but should ensure that whole grains and proteins go alongside fruits and vegetables.

Apart from choosing the best foods for the body, it is also advisable that people should maintain moderate quantities of food intake. For instance, it is prudent to eat less of unhealthy foods such as refined sugar and saturated fats and more of healthy foods such as vegetables and fruits. This pattern of eating has massive health benefits to its adherents. As such, people should strive to develop good eating habits that can sustain them throughout their lives.

Further, it is recommended that one should eat a heavy breakfast an hour after waking up. The breakfast needs to consist of carbohydrates, healthy fats, and proteins in balanced proportions. It should then be followed by light meals throughout the day. This requirement is important since breakfast helps to initiate the body’s metabolism. The light and healthy meals thereafter help maintain a high body energy level that keeps one active throughout the day (Allen, 1926). People should avoid eating late at night. Early dinners are advisable followed by an average of 15 hours of no food until breakfast time the next morning. Past studies show that this pattern helps regulate body weight (James, 1907).

People who are diagnosed with lifestyle diseases such as anemia, high blood pressure, and diabetes among others are advised to follow diets that are rich in fruits and vegetable content (Allen, 1926). Depending on the stage of illness, such people should strictly watch what they eat. For example, high blood pressure patients should cut down on sodium, which is mainly found in salt. They should also avoid foods that have high cholesterol and saturated fats since diets of this sort prompt a high risk of artery clogging. Consequently, it increases the risk of heart attacks and blood vessel diseases (Albrecht, 1932). Further, they need to control the amount of carbohydrates they take.

Carbohydrates should only account for 50% of their daily calories (Allen, 1926). Finally, they are discouraged from foods with a high phosphorous content since they may lead to bone diseases (Allen, 1926). Overweight people constitute another special needs group. They should reduce weight to be healthy. Consequently, they need at least 30 minutes of rigorous physical exercise everyday and a lean diet.

In conclusion, all these groups of people should increase their water intake. Water is essential in the human body since it facilitates the regulation of all body functions. As such, it enhances body health. In this regard, people should strive to take at least eight glasses per day. Apparently, healthy living calls for discipline and commitment. If people foster these two values in the lifestyles, the world will be full of healthy people.

Albrecht, Arthur E. (1932). About foods and markets : A teachers’ handbook and consumers’ guide . New York City, NY: Columbia University. Web.

Allen, Ida C. (1926). Your foods and you or the role of diet . Garden City, NY: Doubleday Page & Company. Web.

James F. (1907). How we are fed: A geographical reader . New York, NY: Macmillan. Web.

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IvyPanda. (2020, May 22). Healthy Lifestyle and Eating. https://ivypanda.com/essays/healthy-lifestyle-and-eating/

"Healthy Lifestyle and Eating." IvyPanda , 22 May 2020, ivypanda.com/essays/healthy-lifestyle-and-eating/.

IvyPanda . (2020) 'Healthy Lifestyle and Eating'. 22 May.

IvyPanda . 2020. "Healthy Lifestyle and Eating." May 22, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/healthy-lifestyle-and-eating/.

1. IvyPanda . "Healthy Lifestyle and Eating." May 22, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/healthy-lifestyle-and-eating/.

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IvyPanda . "Healthy Lifestyle and Eating." May 22, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/healthy-lifestyle-and-eating/.

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Healthy Eating Habits

Introduction, nutrition and healthy eating, healthy living strategies, works cited.

Proper nutrition and physical activity are important aspects of healthy livings as their contribution to reducing the rates of chronic diseases is a well-established fact. On the other hand, unhealthy eating habits and lack of physical exercise lead to diseases such as diabetes, obesity, stroke, heart diseases, and osteoporosis, which can sometimes be fatal.

The findings of a study conducted in 1990 established that 14% of all deaths in the U.S. could be attributed to poor eating habits and physical inactivity with sedentary lifestyles, a contributor to 23% of disease-related deaths[1]. Healthy eating habits involve the inclusion of fruits, vegetables, and important minerals in the diet and the reduction of saturated fat intake.

Regular physical activity is essential for healthy living as it reduces the chances of developing coronary heart disease. The reduced physical activity and the changes in eating and dieting habits have long-lasting health consequences on the general health of the public, particularly the children and adolescents.

Developing good eating habits for children and adolescents is important for their long-term nutritional well-being. Proper nutrition, together with regular physical activity, enhances proper physical growth, promotes positive self-esteem, and promotes the children’s capacity to learn. In addition, good nutrition and physical activity also prevent diseases such as obesity.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, there has been a rapid increase in the rate of children becoming overweight over the past twenty years, attributed to poor nutrition and exercise habits[2]. Proper nutrition and physical exercise habits are important in maintaining a healthy living, and this can be started at an early age.

The parents eating habits influence the children’s feeding practices, and therefore, teaching children healthy eating habits in schools would make them practice healthy behaviors throughout their lives[3]. Increased consumption of vegetables and fruits with a reduction in fat intake coupled with physical activity are among the healthy habits to curb the overweight problems in children.

The consequences of physical inactivity and poor dietary habits in children and adults alike are obesity, which is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of more than 30k/m2.

The prevalence of obesity increased among the population between 1991 and 2000, affecting all the segments of the population in the U.S[4]. Obesity is the major cause of health complications, including diabetes (type II), hypertension, heart diseases, stroke, osteoarthritis, respiratory complications, and some cancers.

The socio-economic consequences of obesity, now an epidemic, are overwhelming. The intervention strategies usually focus on promoting good eating habits, including a reduction in calorie intake and helping people increase their physical activity. In children, breastfeeding prevents excessive weight gain and obesity in early childhood and adolescence and, thus, a good strategy of reducing childhood obesity[5].

For adults and young people, poor dietary habits and lack of physical activity increase the risk of developing health-related complications. These segments of the population have an increased risk for chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol levels.

By establishing healthier eating habits combined with physical activity, the onset of these diseases would be prevented[6]. Additionally, active lifestyles and healthy eating behaviors help people with chronic diseases to cope with or control the effects of the diseases and prevent deterioration of their physical condition.

In order to promote healthy living and prevent complications arising from poor eating habits such as obesity, various healthy living strategies involving behavior change are important[7]. To reduce health-related complications in the elderly, regular physical exercises and sporting, including jogging and regular visits to the gym, can be very helpful.

Given the immense benefits of physical exercises, social support is one way of motivating people to remain physically fit and live healthy lifestyles. This can be achieved by providing programs that help people incorporate exercises into their daily routines.

Furthermore, increasing community-based programs and facilities would encourage people to exercise and in the process, live healthy lifestyles. Increased consumption of vegetables and fruits with lower calorie intake lowers the incidences of diseases, including cardiovascular diseases and some cancers[8].

Excessive intake of saturated fats is the major cause of cardiovascular diseases and cancers[9]. Therefore, to achieve healthy living, the diet should constitute plenty of fruits and vegetables and less saturated fat. Daily consumption of at least two servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables is recommended for healthy living; however, less than 25% of the U.S. population consumes this[10].

For young children and adolescents, school-based physical education (PE) enables students to engage in physical activities to promote their physical well-being and learning. Prolonged television watching among children and adolescents increases overweight incidences among children[11].

This may be because television watching leads to a decline in calorie-burning physical activity and reduces the children’s metabolic rate. Furthermore, television watching may influence the children’s eating habits contributing to an increased risk of obesity.

Physical inactivity and poor eating habits cause health-related complications such as obesity and heart diseases. The intervention methods usually focus on promoting physical exercises and healthier eating habits. Given the current increase in health-related diseases, it is evident that reduced physical activity and unhealthy eating habits have adverse impacts on the general health of the public, more especially the young people.

CDC. Healthy Youth! Childhood Overweight , 2006.

DHHS. Healthy People 2010 . Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. 2000.

McGinnis, John, and Foege, Wrights. “Actual causes of death in the United States.”  JAMA 37.2 (1993): 2207-12.

Ness, Amie, and Powles, Jacobs. “Fruit and vegetables and cardiovascular disease: a Review”. Int. J Epidemiol 26.4 (1997): 7-13.

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StudyCorgi . "Healthy Eating Habits." January 8, 2020. https://studycorgi.com/healthy-eating-habits/.

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Healthy Food Essay 150 and 300 Words in English for Students

• Updated on  
• Apr 4, 2024

Eating healthy food is important for a healthy and disease-free life. A person who eats healthy food means he/ she is taking good care of his/ her body and overall well-being. From childhood, we are told to eat healthy food, which includes green vegetables, fruits, dry fruits, dairy products, etc. On this page, we will be discussing healthy food essay 150 and 300 words for school students.

Table of Contents

• 1 Healthy Food Essay 150 Words
• 2 Essay on Healthy Food in 300 Words
• 3 10 Healthy Food Essay Lines

  Quick Read: Essay on Good Habits

Healthy Food Essay 150 Words

‘Healthy food means food that is good for our physical growth and overall well-being. From an early age, we are told to eat healthy foods, ones that are rich in protein, fiber, and calcium. There are five types of healthy foods: Fruit and vegetables; starchy food; dairy products; proteins and fats.

Food is essential for growth and development, and when we talk about healthy food, it means better growth and a healthy lifestyle. Taking care of our bodies is our responsibility, and it all starts with eating healthy food. 

Today, India is the largest producer of milk and pulses, and the second largest producer of rice, wheat, sugarcane, groundnut, vegetables, and fruit. The country not only sustains its 1.4 billion population with healthy food but also exports a large amount of it. 

Our health is our responsibility, which can only be achieved by eating healthy food and exercising. There is a saying in sports, ‘ Your performance is determined by the type of fuel you provide to your body.’ So, let’s all live a healthy and happy life with healthy food.’

Quick Read: 200+ English Essay Topics

Essay on Healthy Food in 300 Words

‘Food is a source of energy for every living being. Even plants require food in the form of sunlight, water, and minerals from the soil. As humans, we all want to eat our favorite and most delicious food, which is mostly unhealthy. Healthy food, on the other hand, is not preferred by all, as some people don’t consider it tasty. Healthy food is known for its rich fiber and protein content. There are several benefits of eating healthy food, which are very important for our growth, body functioning and to live a sustained life.’

‘A healthy diet is generally a balanced diet of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals and vitamins. Proteins and fats are required for energy, carbohydrates support our bodily functions and physical activity, and vitamins and minerals help boost the immune system, and support normal growth and development.’

‘India is one of the largest producers of healthy foods. In India, the Northern Plains, the Central Highlands, and the coastal areas are known for their rich production of healthy and nutritious food. Uttar Pradesh is the leading producer of sugarcane and wheat, West Bengal of rice, Karnataka for coffee, and Rajasthan of millet. We are surrounded by so many natural and healthy food resources, which can help lead a healthy and sustained life.’

‘Healthy food helps maintain a good body weight. It’s all about balancing what we eat and drink with the energy we burn. Sure, filling our plates with good food is important, but watching how much we take helps too.’

‘Eating healthy food is not just advice to live a healthy life. It’s a way of life that we all must adhere to. Adding fruits, vegetables, and dairy products to our diets will help us maintain good body weight, boost our immune system, and enhance our cells and body functioning.’

10 Healthy Food Essay Lines

Here are 10 healthy food essay lines for students: 

• Eating healthy food is very important for a healthy and happy life.
• We get all the important nutrients and minerals from healthy food.
• Vegetables, fruits, dairy products, and dry fruits are part of healthy food.
• Dairy products such as milk, eggs, ghee, butter, and cotton cheese are rich sources of protein.
• Healthy food keeps our mind and body fit.
• Avoiding junk food and switching to healthy food can help us live a healthier life.
• World Health Day is celebrated on April 7 every year to promote a healthy lifestyle and healthy food.
• Healthy food makes us agile and increases body functioning.
• Healthy food can help boost our immune system and digestion.
• Healthy food can uplift our mood and make us feel good.

Ans: ‘Healthy food means food that is good for our physical growth and overall well-being. From an early age, we are told to eat healthy foods, ones that are rich in protein, fiber, and calcium. There are five types of healthy foods: Fruit and vegetables; starchy food; dairy products; proteins and fats.’ ‘Food is essential for growth and development, and when we talk about healthy food, it means better growth and a healthy lifestyle. Taking care of our body is our responsibility and it all starts with eating healthy food.’

Ans: Food is a source of energy for every living being. Even plants require food in the form of sunlight, water, and minerals from the soil. As humans, we all want to eat our favourite and delicious food, which is mostly unhealthy. Healthy food, on the other hand, is not preferred by all, as some people don’t consider it tasty. Healthy food is known for its rich fiber and protein content. There are several benefits of eating healthy food, which are very important for our growth, body functioning, and living a sustained life.

Ans: ‘Healthy food helps in maintaining a good body weight It’s all about balancing what we eat and drink with the energy we burn. Sure, filling our plates with good food is important, but watching how much we take helps too. Healthy food makes us agile and increases body functioning. Healthy food can help boost our immune system and digestion. Healthy food can uplift our mood and make us feel good.

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Essay on Healthy Food Habits

Students are often asked to write an essay on Healthy Food Habits in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Healthy Food Habits

Introduction.

Healthy food habits are essential for our well-being. They involve consuming balanced meals, rich in nutrients, to maintain good health and growth.

Importance of Healthy Food

Eating healthy food helps us stay active and keeps diseases away. It boosts our immunity and promotes healthy growth and development.

Healthy Eating Habits

Start by eating fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Avoid junk food, and drink plenty of water. Remember, breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

In conclusion, adopting healthy food habits is vital for a healthy and productive life. So, make wise food choices!

250 Words Essay on Healthy Food Habits

The importance of healthy food habits cannot be overstated, especially in the context of an increasingly sedentary lifestyle. These habits not only contribute to physical health but also mental well-being.

The Impact of Healthy Food

Consuming a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains provides the necessary nutrients for optimal body function. These nutrients boost the immune system, aiding in the prevention of diseases. Moreover, they support cognitive functions, enhancing concentration and memory, which is crucial for college students.

The Role of Portion Control

Portion control is an essential aspect of healthy eating. Consuming large quantities of even healthy foods can lead to excessive calorie intake. Therefore, understanding portion sizes and practicing mindful eating are key to maintaining a healthy weight.

Importance of Regular Meals

Eating at regular intervals is another vital healthy food habit. Skipping meals, especially breakfast, can lead to overeating later in the day. Regular meals help maintain stable blood sugar levels, preventing energy slumps and promoting overall health.

In conclusion, adopting healthy food habits is a vital step towards a healthier lifestyle. It requires conscious efforts to choose nutrient-rich foods, practice portion control, and eat regularly. These habits not only ensure physical health but also enhance mental well-being, contributing to academic success. As the saying goes, “You are what you eat,” and indeed, our food choices significantly shape our health and life.

500 Words Essay on Healthy Food Habits

The importance of healthy food habits.

Our food choices significantly influence our health. A balanced diet provides the body with the necessary nutrients, vitamins, and minerals required for its proper functioning. Consuming a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats can reduce the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Moreover, it can improve mental health, boost energy levels, and support healthy body weight.

Understanding Healthy Food Habits

Healthy food habits involve more than just choosing the right foods. They also encompass other aspects such as portion control, regular meals, and mindful eating. Portion control is about understanding how much a serving size is and how many calories it contains. Regular meals ensure that our bodies receive a constant supply of energy, keeping us active throughout the day. Mindful eating involves being conscious of what and when you eat, helping you to avoid overeating and emotional eating.

The Role of Exercise

Challenges in adopting healthy food habits.

In today’s fast-paced world, it can be challenging to maintain healthy food habits. The convenience of fast food, the abundance of processed foods, and the lack of time often lead us to make unhealthy food choices. However, with a bit of planning and determination, it is possible to overcome these challenges. Preparing meals at home, carrying healthy snacks, and making conscious food choices can go a long way in promoting healthy food habits.

In conclusion, healthy food habits are crucial for maintaining good health and preventing diseases. They involve choosing a variety of nutritious foods, practicing portion control, eating regular meals, and combining this with regular exercise. While there may be challenges in adopting these habits, the benefits they offer make them worth the effort. It’s important to remember that healthy food habits are not about strict dietary limitations or depriving oneself of the foods one loves; rather, it’s about feeling great, having more energy, and improving one’s health.

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English that goes straight to the heart

Healthy Eating Habits Essay

The greatest wealth is our own health. People eat junk foods and other unhealthy food items only for taste. They don’t even have time to nourish their bodies with the required diet.

After going through our post “Healthy Eating Habits Essay” you will be able to understand the importance of healthy food.

Healthy Eating Habits Essay (500+ Words)

Introduction:

In our fast-paced world, where the pursuit of material wealth often dominates, it is crucial to recognize the paramount importance of maintaining good health. While wealth can be accumulated through hard work and dedication, it cannot buy genuine well-being. Healthy eating habits play a pivotal role in nurturing our bodies and promoting a balanced, fulfilling life. By prioritizing a nutritious diet and making conscious food choices, we can safeguard our physical, mental, social, intellectual, and financial well-being.

The Importance of a Balanced Diet:

A balanced diet is one that incorporates all the essential nutrients our bodies require in adequate quantities. It is essential to consume a variety of foods that provide essential proteins, vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, and calories. A wholesome diet should include fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, dairy products, and healthy fats. These nutrients work synergistically to maintain and improve overall health, boost immunity, reduce stress levels, and prevent chronic diseases.

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Promoting Physical Health:

Nourishing our bodies with a balanced diet is crucial for maintaining optimal physical health. The consumption of fresh, unprocessed foods provides us with essential vitamins and minerals, which are vital for the proper functioning of our organs and bodily systems. Regular intake of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Additionally, a well-balanced diet supports healthy weight management, provides sustained energy levels, and enhances physical performance.

Mental and Emotional Well-being:

Healthy eating habits not only benefit our physical health but also significantly impact our mental and emotional well-being. Research has shown a strong connection between diet and mood. Nutrient-rich foods help regulate brain chemistry, leading to improved concentration, enhanced memory, and reduced risk of mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety. A well-nourished brain is better equipped to handle stress, promoting a positive outlook and emotional resilience.

Social and Intellectual Enhancement:

Adopting healthy eating habits can also foster positive social interactions and intellectual growth. Sharing meals with loved ones creates opportunities for bonding and nurturing relationships. Additionally, proper nutrition supports cognitive function, enabling sharper focus, improved memory retention, and enhanced problem-solving abilities. By fueling our bodies with the right nutrients, we optimize our potential for personal and professional growth.

Financial Implications:

Maintaining good health through healthy eating habits can have significant financial benefits. While the immediate cost of nutritious food may seem higher, it pales in comparison to the long-term expenses associated with medical treatments and managing chronic illnesses. By prioritizing preventive measures, such as a balanced diet, we can minimize healthcare costs and invest in a healthier future. Furthermore, optimal health positively influences productivity, potentially leading to higher career opportunities and financial success.

Conclusion:

In a world where materialistic pursuits often take precedence, it is essential to recognize that the greatest wealth lies within our own health. Healthy eating habits play a fundamental role in nurturing our bodies and fostering overall well-being. By adopting a balanced diet and making conscious food choices, we can enhance physical health, promote mental and emotional well-being, improve social connections, stimulate intellectual growth, and even benefit financially. Let us prioritize our health and embrace the gift of good health as nature’s most valuable treasure.

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Essay on Healthy Lifestyle for Students and Children

500+ Words Essay on Healthy Lifestyle

It is said that it is easy to learn and maintain bad habits but it is very difficult to switch them back. The issue of a healthy lifestyle is very serious but the people take it very lightly. Often, it is seen that the people take steps to improve their lifestyle but due to lack of determination quits in the midway.

Moreover, for a healthy lifestyle is it important that you take small and one-step at a time. Also, do not go overboard with it. Besides, this healthy lifestyle will help you in life in a lot of ways.

Habits That Keeps You Healthy

For keeping your body and mind healthy you have to follow certain rules that will help you achieve your goal. Besides, there are certain measures that will help you to stay healthy.

First of all, for being healthy you have to plan and follow a strict diet. This diet should contain all the essential minerals and vitamins required by the body. Also, eat only healthy food and avoid junk and heavily carbohydrate and fatty food.

In addition, wake up early in the morning because first of all, it’s a healthy habit. Secondly, waking up early means you can get ready for your work early, spend some quality time with your family. Besides, this decides time for your sleep and sleep early because it de-stresses body.

Doing exercise regularly makes your body more active and it also releases the pent-up stress from the muscles.

Avoid the mobile- the biggest drawback of this generation is that they are obsessed with their mobile phones. Moreover, these phones cause many physical and mental problem for them. So, to avoid the negative effects of mobile the usage volume of them should be reduced.

Connecting with positive minds because the more you indulge with these people then less you will go to the negative side.

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The things that should be avoided for a healthy lifestyle

We knew that there are several bad habits that affect our healthy lifestyle. These habits can cause much harm to not only to the body but to the society too. In addition, these habits are also the cause of many evils of society. The major healthy lifestyle destroying habits are smoking, drinking, junk food, addiction , meal skipping, and overuse of pills.

All these activities severely damage body parts and organs which cannot be replaced easily. Besides, they not only cause physical damage but mental damage too.

Benefits of a Healthy Lifestyle

A healthy lifestyle has many benefits not only for the body but for the mind too. Also, if you follow a healthy lifestyle then you can reduce the risk of having cancer, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and osteoporosis.

To sum it up, we can say that there are various benefits of living a healthy lifestyle. Also, a healthy lifestyle has many benefits to your social as well as personal life. Besides, it improves the relationships in the family. Most importantly, the person who lives a healthy lifestyle lives longer as compared to those who do not.

FAQs on Healthy Lifestyle

Q.1 Give some tips to live a healthy lifestyle. A.1 Some tips for staying healthy are eating a balanced diet, maintain weight, having enough sleep, sleep early and wake up early, use mobile lesser, etc.

Q.2 What is good health? A.2 Good health means freedom from sickness and diseases. It is a costly gift of nature to us for living a purposeful life. Also, good health means that we can do more work than our capacity without getting tired.

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Essays About Eating Healthy Foods: 7 Essay Examples And Topic Ideas

If you’re writing essays about eating healthy foods, here are 7 interesting essay examples and topic ideas.

Eating healthy is one of the best ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle. But we can all struggle to make it a part of our routine. It’s easier to make small changes to your eating habits instead for long-lasting results. A healthy diet is a plan for eating healthier options over the long term and not a strict diet to be followed only for the short.

Writing an essay about eating healthy foods is an exciting topic choice and an excellent way to help people start a healthy diet and change their lifestyles for the better. Tip: For help with this topic, read our guide explaining what is persuasive writing ?

1. The Definitive Guide to Healthy Eating in Real Life By Jillian Kubala

2. eating healthy foods by jaime padilla, 3. 5 benefits of eating healthy by maggie smith, 4. good food bad food by audrey rodriguez, 5. what are the benefits of eating healthy by cathleen crichton-stuart, 6. comparison between healthy food and junk food by jaime padilla, 7. nutrition, immunity, and covid-19 by ayela spiro and helena gibson-moore, essays about eating healthy foods topic ideas, 1. what is healthy food, 2. what is the importance of healthy food, 3. what does eating healthy mean, 4. why should we eat healthy foods, 5. what are the benefits of eating healthy foods, 6. why should we eat more vegetables, 7. can you still eat healthy foods even if you are on a budget.

“Depending on whom you ask, “healthy eating” may take many forms. It seems that everyone, including healthcare professionals, wellness influencers, coworkers, and family members, has an opinion on the healthiest way to eat. Plus, nutrition articles that you read online can be downright confusing with their contradictory — and often unfounded — suggestions and rules. This doesn’t make it easy if you simply want to eat in a healthy way that works for you.”

Author Jillian Kubala is a registered dietitian and holds a master’s degree in nutrition and an undergraduate degree in nutrition science. In her essay, she says that healthy eating doesn’t have to be complicated and explains how it can nourish your body while enjoying the foods you love. Check out these essays about health .

“Eating provides your body with the nourishment it needs to survive. A healthy diet supplies nutrients (such as protein, vitamins and minerals, fiber, and carbohydrates), which are important for your body’s growth, development, and maintenance. However, not all foods are equal when it comes to the nutrition they provide. Some foods, such as fruits and vegetables, are rich in vitamins and minerals; others, such as cookies and soda pop, provide few if any nutrients. Your diet can influence everything from your energy level and intellectual performance to your risk for certain diseases.”

Author Jaime Padilla talks about the importance of a healthy diet in your body’s growth, development, and maintenance. He also mentioned that having a poor diet can lead to some health problems. Check out these essays about food .

“Eating healthy is about balance and making sure that your body is getting the necessary nutrients it needs to function properly. Healthy eating habits require that people eat fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fats, proteins, and starches. Keep in mind that healthy eating requires that you’re mindful of what you eat and drink, but also how you prepare it. For best results, individuals should avoid fried or processed foods, as well as foods high in added sugars and salts.”

Author Maggie Smith believes there’s a fine line between healthy eating and dieting. In her essay, she mentioned five benefits of eating healthy foods – weight loss, heart health, strong bones and teeth, better mood and energy levels, and improved memory and brain health – and explained them in detail.

You might also be interested in our round-up of the best medical authors of all time .

“From old generation to the new generation young people are dying out quicker than their own parents due to obesity-related diseases every day. In the mid-1970s, there were no health issues relevant to obesity-related diseases but over time it began to be a problem when fast food industries started growing at a rapid pace. Energy is naturally created in the body when the nutrients are absorbed from the food that is consumed. When living a healthy lifestyle, these horrible health problems don’t appear, and the chances of prolonging life and enjoying life increase.”

In her essay, author Audrey Rodriguez says that having self-control is very important to achieving a healthy lifestyle, especially now that we’re exposed to all these unhealthy yet tempting foods that all these fast-food restaurants offer. She believes that back in the early 1970s, when fast-food companies had not yet existed and home-cooked meals were the only food people had to eat every day, trying to live a healthy life was never a problem.

“A healthful diet typically includes nutrient-dense foods from all major food groups, including lean proteins, whole grains, healthful fats, and fruits and vegetables of many colors. Healthful eating also means replacing foods that contain trans fats, added salt, and sugar with more nutritious options. Following a healthful diet has many health benefits, including building strong bones, protecting the heart, preventing disease, and boosting mood.”

In her essay, Author Cathleen Crichton-Stuart explains the top 10 benefits of eating healthy foods – all of which are medically reviewed by Adrienne Seitz, a registered and licensed dietitian nutritionist. She also gives her readers some quick tips for a healthful diet. 

“In today’s generation, healthy and unhealthy food plays a big role in youths and adults. Many people don’t really understand the difference between healthy and unhealthy foods, many don’t actually know what the result of eating too many unhealthy foods can do to the body. There are big differences between eating healthy food, unhealthy food and what the result of excessively eating them can do to the body. In the ongoing battle of “healthy vs. unhealthy foods”, unhealthy foods have their own advantage.”

Author Jaime Padilla compares the difference between healthy food and junk food so that the readers would understand what the result of eating a lot of unhealthy foods can do to the body. He also said that homemade meals are healthier and cheaper than the unhealthy and pricey meals that you order in your local fast food restaurant, which would probably cost you twice as much. 

“The Covid-19 pandemic has sparked both an increased clinical and public interest in the role of nutrition and health, particularly in supporting immunity. During this time, when people may be highly vulnerable to misinformation, there have been a plethora of media stories against authoritative scientific opinion, suggesting that certain food components and supplements are capable of ‘boosting’ the immune system. It is important to provide evidence-based advice and to ensure that the use of non-evidence-based approaches to ‘boost’ immunity is not considered as an effective alternative to vaccination or other recognized measures.”

Authors Ayela Spiro, a nutrition science manager, and Helena Gibson-Moore, a nutrition scientist, enlighten their readers on the misinformation spreading in this pandemic about specific food components and supplements. They say that there’s no single food or supplement, or magic diet that can boost the immune system alone. However, eating healthy foods (along with the right dietary supplements), being physically active, and getting enough sleep can help boost your immunity.

If you’re writing an essay about eating healthy foods, you have to define what healthy food is. Food is considered healthy if it provides you with the essential nutrients to sustain your body’s well-being and retain energy. Carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water are the essential nutrients that compose a healthy, balanced diet.

Eating healthy foods is essential for having good health and nutrition – it protects you against many chronic non-communicable diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. If you’re writing an essay about eating healthy foods, show your readers the importance of healthy food, and encourage them to start a healthy diet.

Eating healthy foods means eating a variety of food that give you the nutrients that your body needs to function correctly. These nutrients include carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water. In your essay about eating healthy foods, you can discuss this topic in more detail so that your readers will know why these nutrients are essential.

Eating healthy foods includes consuming the essential nutrients your body requires to function correctly (such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water) while minimizing processed foods, saturated fats, and alcohol. In your essay, let your readers know that eating healthy foods can help maintain the body’s everyday functions, promote optimal body weight, and prevent diseases.

Eating healthy foods comes with many health benefits – from keeping a healthy weight to preventing long-term diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer. So if you’re looking for a topic idea for your essay, you can consider the benefits of eating healthy foods to give your readers some useful information, especially for those thinking of starting a healthy diet.

Ever since we were a kid, we have all been told that eating vegetables are good for our health, but why? The answer is pretty simple – vegetables are loaded with the essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that our body needs. So, if you’re writing an essay about eating healthy foods, this is an excellent topic to get you started.

Of course, you definitely can! Fresh fruits and vegetables are typically the cheapest options for starting a healthy diet. In your essay about eating healthy foods, you can include some other cheap food options for a healthy diet – this will be very helpful, especially for readers looking to start a healthy diet but only have a limited amount of budget set for their daily food. 

For help with this topic, read our guide explaining what is persuasive writing ?

If you’re stuck picking your next essay topic, check out our round-up of essay topics about education .

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• Healthy Lifestyle Essay

Essay on Healthy Lifestyle

The top secret of being physically fit is adopting a healthy lifestyle. A healthy lifestyle includes regular exercise, a healthy diet, taking good care of self, healthy sleep habits, and having a physically active daily routine. Lifestyle is the most prevailing factor that affects one’s fitness level. A person leading a sedentary lifestyle has a low fitness level whereas living a healthier life not only makes a person fit but also extends life. Good health has a direct impact on our personality. A person with a good and healthy lifestyle is generally more confident, self-assured, sociable, and energetic.

A good and healthy lifestyle allows one to relish and savor all the pleasures in life without any complications. Even all the wealth is less valuable when compared to sound health. Having all the luxuries in the world does not fulfill its purpose when one is continuously ill, depressed, or suffering from a significant health complication. A healthy person has a clear and calm perception of everything without prejudice. His actions and decisions are more practical and logical and are hence more successful in life.

A good habit is a key factor for a healthy lifestyle. To maintain a stable body and mind, one needs to inculcate good habits. Waking up early in the morning, regularly exercising or a good morning walk helps to keep our body energetic and refresh our mind. Maintaining a balanced and nutritious diet throughout the day is vital for maintaining a good lifestyle. Too much indulgence in alcohol or smoking excessively is not at all appropriate for a healthy lifestyle.

Self-Discipline

Self-discipline is important for maintaining a good lifestyle. When we are self-disciplined then we are more organized and regular in maintaining good health. A disciplined life is a regulated life. A man without discipline is a ship without a rudder. Discipline needs self-control. One who cannot control himself can seldom control others. The level of discipline and perseverance largely determines a person’s success. Self-discipline is the act of disciplining one’s own feelings, desires, etc. especially with the intention of improving oneself. It strengthens our willpower. The stronger our will power the positive will be our decision. It enables us to conquer our own self.

Punctuality

Punctuality is the habit of doing things on time. It is the characteristic of every successful person and everyone must observe punctuality in order to win success in life. Punctuality is necessary for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. It should become a habit with us. A punctual person is able to fulfill all his responsibilities and hence is treated with respect in society. It is needed in every walk of life.

Diet is an important component for overall fitness and works best in combination with exercise. A balanced diet and exercise regularly help to maintain good health. It is necessary to reduce weight if one is overweight or obese, failing which one cannot be physically fit for long. For people with obesity, more exercise and a strict regime are necessary, preferably under guidance. There are many ways of making the diet healthier.

Use less sugar and salt while cooking food.

Use less oil while cooking. Avoid deep-frying as much as possible. 

Eat more fruits daily. They provide more vitamins and minerals to our bodies.

Add sprouts of gram and moong dal to at least one meal in a day. Add fiber to your diet. Use whole grains instead of polished cereals. Eat lots of salad and yogurt.

Eat fermented food regularly. Fermented food contains many useful bacteria that help in the process of digestion.

Prevention of Lifestyle Diseases

By adopting a healthy lifestyle one can avoid lifestyle diseases. The following are some ways in which we can prevent lifestyle diseases.

Eat a balanced diet that contains important nutrients. One must include more fresh fruits and green vegetables in the diet. Refrain from eating junk food. Stay away from foods that contain large amounts of salt or sugar.

Exercise regularly. Spend more time outdoors and do activities such as walking, running, swimming, and cycling.

One must avoid overindulgence in alcohol, junk food, smoking, and addiction to drugs and medicines.

Avoid spending too much on modern gadgets like mobile phones, laptops, televisions, etc. Spend time on these gadgets for short intervals of time only.

Set a healthy sleeping routine for every day. Waking early in the morning and going to bed early at night should be a daily habit. Lead an active life.

Unhealthy Lifestyle

Bad food habits and an unhealthy lifestyle such as less or no physical activity may lead to several diseases like obesity, high blood pressure or hypertension, diabetes, anemia, and various heart diseases. An unhealthy lifestyle reduces productivity and creativity in a person. It also adversely affects moods and relationships. It leads to depression and anxiety in human beings.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle not only makes a person confident and productive but also drives him to success. A person with a healthy lifestyle will enjoy both personal and social life.

FAQs on Healthy Lifestyle Essay

What Do You Understand about a Healthy Lifestyle?

A healthy lifestyle is a lifestyle that includes regular exercise, a healthy diet, taking good care of self, healthy sleep habits and having a physically active daily routine.

How is Punctuality Important for Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle?

Punctuality is the habit of doing things on time. It is the characteristic of every successful person and everyone must observe punctuality in order to win success in life. It should become a habit with us. A punctual person is able to fulfil all his responsibilities and hence is treated with respect in society. It is needed in every walk of life.

What Happens When One Does Not Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle?

When one does not maintain a healthy lifestyle then several diseases like obesity, high blood pressure or hypertension, diabetes, anaemia and various heart diseases can occur. An unhealthy lifestyle reduces productivity and creativity in a person. It also adversely affects moods and relationships. It leads to depression and anxiety in human beings.

What are the Main Factors that Determine a Good and Healthy Lifestyle?

In order to maintain a good and healthy lifestyle, one must be self-disciplined, self-motivated, maintain punctuality and have good habits like waking early in the morning and maintain a regular fitness regime and a balanced and nutritious diet.

Is writing an essay hard?

Essay writing is a difficult task that needs a great deal of study, time, and focus. It's also an assignment that you can divide down into manageable chunks such as introduction, main content, and conclusion. Breaking down and focusing on each individually makes essay writing more pleasant. It's natural for students to be concerned about writing an essay. It's one of the most difficult tasks to do, especially for people who aren't confident in their writing abilities. While writing a decent essay is difficult, the secret to being proficient at it is reading a lot of books, conducting extensive research on essential topics, and practicing essay writing diligently.

Why is it important for one to aspire to have a healthy lifestyle?

A healthy lifestyle is an important way for reducing the occurrence and impact of health problems, as well as for recovery, coping with life stressors, and improving the overall quality of life. An increasing collection of scientific data suggests that our habits have a significant impact on our health. Everything we eat and drink, as well as how much exercise we get and whether we smoke or use drugs, has an impact on our health, not just in terms of life expectancy but also in terms of how long we may expect to live without developing chronic illness. A large proportion of fatalities are caused by conditions such as heart attacks, stroke, diabetes, joint disease, and mental illness. A healthy lifestyle can help to avoid or at least delay the onset of many health issues.

How to download the Essay on Healthy Lifestyle from the Vedantu website?

The Essay on Healthy Lifestyle, which is accurate and well-structured, is available for download on the Vedantu website. The Essay is accessible in PDF format on Vedantu's official website and may be downloaded for free. Students should download the Essay on Healthy Lifestyle from the Vedantu website to obtain a sense of the word limit, sentence structure, and fundamental grasp of what makes a successful essay. Vedantu essay is brief and appropriate for youngsters in school. It is written in basic English, which is ideal for kids who have a restricted vocabulary. Following the Vedantu essay ensures that students are adequately prepared for any essay subject and that they will receive high grades. Click here to read the essay about a healthy lifestyle.

Who prepares the Essay for Vedantu?

The Essay on Healthy Lifestyle designed for the Vedantu is created by a group of experts and experienced teachers. The panel of experts has created the essay after analyzing important essay topics that have been repeatedly asked in various examinations. The Essays that are provided by Vedantu are not only well-structured but also accurate and concise. They are aptly suited for young students with limited vocabulary. For best results, the students are advised to go through multiple essays and practice the topics on their own to inculcate the habits of time management and speed.

What constitutes a healthy lifestyle?

Healthy life is built on the pillars of a good diet, frequent exercise, and appropriate sleep. A healthy lifestyle keeps people in excellent shape, it also gives you more energy throughout the day, and lowers your chance of developing many diet-related chronic diseases. Healthy living is considered a lifestyle choice that allows you to enjoy more elements of your life. Taking care of one's physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being is part of living a healthy lifestyle.

Good Nutrition, Eating Right and proper diet.

Getting Physically Fit, Beneficial Exercise and working out often.

Adequate rest and uninterrupted sleep.

Proper Stress Management.

Self-Supportive Attitudes.

Positive Thoughts are encouraged.

Positive Self-Image and body image.

Inner Calmness and peace.

Openness to Your Creativity and Self-care.

Trust in Your Inner Knowing and your gut feeling.

Healthy Living Guide 2020/2021

A digest on healthy eating and healthy living.

As we transition from 2020 into 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect nearly every aspect of our lives. For many, this health crisis has created a range of unique and individual impacts—including food access issues, income disruptions, and emotional distress.

Although we do not have concrete evidence regarding specific dietary factors that can reduce risk of COVID-19, we do know that maintaining a healthy lifestyle is critical to keeping our immune system strong. Beyond immunity, research has shown that individuals following five key habits—eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, keeping a healthy body weight, not drinking too much alcohol, and not smoking— live more than a decade longer than those who don’t. Plus, maintaining these practices may not only help us live longer, but also better. Adults following these five key habits at middle-age were found to live more years free of chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.

While sticking to healthy habits is often easier said than done, we created this guide with the goal of providing some tips and strategies that may help. During these particularly uncertain times, we invite you to do what you can to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and hopefully (if you’re able to try out a new recipe or exercise, or pick up a fulfilling hobby) find some enjoyment along the way.

Download a copy of the Healthy Living Guide (PDF) featuring printable tip sheets and summaries, or access the full online articles through the links below. 

In this issue:

• Understanding the body’s immune system
• Does an immune-boosting diet exist?
• The role of the microbiome
• A closer look at vitamin and herbal supplements
• 8 tips to support a healthy immune system
• A blueprint for building healthy meals
• Food feature: lentils 
• Strategies for eating well on a budget
• Practicing mindful eating
• What is precision nutrition?
• Ketogenic diet
• Intermittent fasting
• Gluten-free
• 10 tips to keep moving
• Exercise safety
• Spotlight on walking for exercise
• How does chronic stress affect eating patterns?
• Ways to help control stress
• How much sleep do we need?
• Why do we dream?
• Sleep deficiency and health
• Tips for getting a good night’s rest

A monthly newsletter from the National Institutes of Health, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

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Health Capsule

How Your Eating Habits Affect Your Health

A new study shows how the things you eat can influence your risk of dying from heart disease, stroke, or type 2 diabetes. The findings suggest ways to change your eating habits to improve your health.

Experts already know that a healthy eating plan includes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat dairy products. A healthy diet also includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts. It limits saturated and trans fats, sodium, and added sugars.

NIH-funded scientists analyzed how these 10 dietary factors affect your risk of death from heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. These are known as cardiometabolic diseases. The team relied on data from the CDC’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and national mortality data.

The scientists found that risk of death from the 3 diseases was higher for those who consumed too much sodium, processed meat, sugar-sweetened beverages, and unprocessed red meat. Risk of death was also higher among those who didn’t eat enough nuts and seeds, seafood omega-3 fats, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, or polyunsaturated fats. According to the analysis, nearly half (45%) of deaths in 2012 from the 3 diseases was associated with too much or too little of these 10 dietary factors.

“This study establishes the number of cardiometabolic deaths that can be linked to Americans’ eating habits, and the number is large,” explains Dr. David Goff, a heart disease and public health expert at NIH. “Second, it shows how recent reductions in those deaths relate to improvements in diet, and this relationship is strong. There is much work to be done in preventing heart disease, but we also know that better dietary habits can improve our health quickly, and we can act on that knowledge by making and building on small changes that add up over time.”

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Healthy diet

• A healthy diet helps to protect against malnutrition in all its forms, as well as noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), including diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer.
• Unhealthy diet and lack of physical activity are leading global risks to health.
• Healthy dietary practices start early in life – breastfeeding fosters healthy growth and improves cognitive development, and may have longer term health benefits such as reducing the risk of becoming overweight or obese and developing NCDs later in life.
• Energy intake (calories) should be in balance with energy expenditure. To avoid unhealthy weight gain, total fat should not exceed 30% of total energy intake (1, 2, 3). Intake of saturated fats should be less than 10% of total energy intake, and intake of trans-fats less than 1% of total energy intake, with a shift in fat consumption away from saturated fats and trans-fats to unsaturated fats (3), and towards the goal of eliminating industrially-produced trans-fats (4, 5, 6).
• Limiting intake of free sugars to less than 10% of total energy intake (2, 7) is part of a healthy diet. A further reduction to less than 5% of total energy intake is suggested for additional health benefits (7).
• Keeping salt intake to less than 5 g per day (equivalent to sodium intake of less than 2 g per day) helps to prevent hypertension, and reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke in the adult population (8).
• WHO Member States have agreed to reduce the global population’s intake of salt by 30% by 2025; they have also agreed to halt the rise in diabetes and obesity in adults and adolescents as well as in childhood overweight by 2025 (9, 10).

Consuming a healthy diet throughout the life-course helps to prevent malnutrition in all its forms as well as a range of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and conditions. However, increased production of processed foods, rapid urbanization and changing lifestyles have led to a shift in dietary patterns. People are now consuming more foods high in energy, fats, free sugars and salt/sodium, and many people do not eat enough fruit, vegetables and other dietary fibre such as whole grains.

The exact make-up of a diversified, balanced and healthy diet will vary depending on individual characteristics (e.g. age, gender, lifestyle and degree of physical activity), cultural context, locally available foods and dietary customs. However, the basic principles of what constitutes a healthy diet remain the same.

A healthy diet includes the following:

• Fruit, vegetables, legumes (e.g. lentils and beans), nuts and whole grains (e.g. unprocessed maize, millet, oats, wheat and brown rice).
• At least 400 g (i.e. five portions) of fruit and vegetables per day (2) , excluding potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava and other starchy roots.
• Less than 10% of total energy intake from free sugars (2, 7) , which is equivalent to 50 g (or about 12 level teaspoons) for a person of healthy body weight consuming about 2000 calories per day, but ideally is less than 5% of total energy intake for additional health benefits (7) . Free sugars are all sugars added to foods or drinks by the manufacturer, cook or consumer, as well as sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates.
• Less than 30% of total energy intake from fats (1, 2, 3) . Unsaturated fats (found in fish, avocado and nuts, and in sunflower, soybean, canola and olive oils) are preferable to saturated fats (found in fatty meat, butter, palm and coconut oil, cream, cheese, ghee and lard) and trans- fats of all kinds, including both industrially-produced trans- fats (found in baked and fried foods, and pre-packaged snacks and foods, such as frozen pizza, pies, cookies, biscuits, wafers, and cooking oils and spreads) and ruminant trans- fats (found in meat and dairy foods from ruminant animals, such as cows, sheep, goats and camels). It is suggested that the intake of saturated fats be reduced to less than 10% of total energy intake and trans- fats to less than 1% of total energy intake (5) . In particular, industrially-produced trans -fats are not part of a healthy diet and should be avoided (4, 6) .
• Less than 5  g of salt (equivalent to about one teaspoon) per day (8).  Salt should be iodized.

For infants and young children

In the first 2 years of a child’s life, optimal nutrition fosters healthy growth and improves cognitive development. It also reduces the risk of becoming overweight or obese and developing NCDs later in life.

Advice on a healthy diet for infants and children is similar to that for adults, but the following elements are also important:

• Infants should be breastfed exclusively during the first 6 months of life.
• Infants should be breastfed continuously until 2 years of age and beyond.
• From 6 months of age, breast milk should be complemented with a variety of adequate, safe and nutrient-dense foods. Salt and sugars should not be added to complementary foods.

Practical advice on maintaining a healthy diet

Fruit and vegetables.

Eating at least 400 g, or five portions, of fruit and vegetables per day reduces the risk of NCDs (2) and helps to ensure an adequate daily intake of dietary fibre.

Fruit and vegetable intake can be improved by:

• always including vegetables in meals;
• eating fresh fruit and raw vegetables as snacks;
• eating fresh fruit and vegetables that are in season; and
• eating a variety of fruit and vegetables.

Reducing the amount of total fat intake to less than 30% of total energy intake helps to prevent unhealthy weight gain in the adult population (1, 2, 3) . Also, the risk of developing NCDs is lowered by:

• reducing saturated fats to less than 10% of total energy intake;
• reducing trans -fats to less than 1% of total energy intake; and
• replacing both saturated fats and trans- fats with unsaturated fats (2, 3) – in particular, with polyunsaturated fats.

Fat intake, especially saturated fat and industrially-produced trans- fat intake, can be reduced by:

• steaming or boiling instead of frying when cooking;
• replacing butter, lard and ghee with oils rich in polyunsaturated fats, such as soybean, canola (rapeseed), corn, safflower and sunflower oils;
• eating reduced-fat dairy foods and lean meats, or trimming visible fat from meat; and
• limiting the consumption of baked and fried foods, and pre-packaged snacks and foods (e.g. doughnuts, cakes, pies, cookies, biscuits and wafers) that contain industrially-produced trans- fats.

Salt, sodium and potassium

Most people consume too much sodium through salt (corresponding to consuming an average of 9–12 g of salt per day) and not enough potassium (less than 3.5 g). High sodium intake and insufficient potassium intake contribute to high blood pressure, which in turn increases the risk of heart disease and stroke (8, 11) .

Reducing salt intake to the recommended level of less than 5 g per day could prevent 1.7 million deaths each year (12) .

People are often unaware of the amount of salt they consume. In many countries, most salt  comes from processed foods (e.g. ready meals; processed meats such as bacon, ham and salami; cheese; and salty snacks) or from foods consumed frequently in large amounts (e.g. bread). Salt is also added to foods during cooking (e.g. bouillon, stock cubes, soy sauce and fish sauce) or at the point of consumption (e.g. table salt).

Salt intake can be reduced by:

• limiting the amount of salt and high-sodium condiments (e.g. soy sauce, fish sauce and bouillon) when cooking and preparing foods;
• not having salt or high-sodium sauces on the table;
• limiting the consumption of salty snacks; and
• choosing products with lower sodium content.

Some food manufacturers are reformulating recipes to reduce the sodium content of their products, and people should be encouraged to check nutrition labels to see how much sodium is in a product before purchasing or consuming it.

Potassium can mitigate the negative effects of elevated sodium consumption on blood pressure. Intake of potassium can be increased by consuming fresh fruit and vegetables.

In both adults and children, the intake of free sugars should be reduced to less than 10% of total energy intake (2, 7) .  A reduction to less than 5% of total energy intake would provide additional health benefits (7) .

Consuming free sugars increases the risk of dental caries (tooth decay). Excess calories from foods and drinks high in free sugars also contribute to unhealthy weight gain, which can lead to overweight and obesity. Recent evidence also shows that free sugars influence blood pressure and serum lipids, and suggests that a reduction in free sugars intake reduces risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (13) .

Sugars intake can be reduced by:

• limiting the consumption of foods and drinks containing high amounts of sugars, such as sugary snacks, candies and sugar-sweetened beverages (i.e. all types of beverages containing free sugars – these include carbonated or non‐carbonated soft drinks, fruit or vegetable juices and drinks, liquid and powder concentrates, flavoured water, energy and sports drinks, ready‐to‐drink tea, ready‐to‐drink coffee and flavoured milk drinks); and
• eating fresh fruit and raw vegetables as snacks instead of sugary snacks.

How to promote healthy diets

Diet evolves over time, being influenced by many social and economic factors that interact in a complex manner to shape individual dietary patterns. These factors include income, food prices (which will affect the availability and affordability of healthy foods), individual preferences and beliefs, cultural traditions, and geographical and environmental aspects (including climate change). Therefore, promoting a healthy food environment – including food systems that promote a diversified, balanced and healthy diet – requires the involvement of multiple sectors and stakeholders, including government, and the public and private sectors.

Governments have a central role in creating a healthy food environment that enables people to adopt and maintain healthy dietary practices. Effective actions by policy-makers to create a healthy food environment include the following:

• Creating coherence in national policies and investment plans – including trade, food and agricultural policies – to promote a healthy diet and protect public health through:
• increasing incentives for producers and retailers to grow, use and sell fresh fruit and vegetables;
• reducing incentives for the food industry to continue or increase production of processed foods containing high levels of saturated fats, trans -fats, free sugars and salt/sodium;
• encouraging reformulation of food products to reduce the contents of saturated fats, trans- fats, free sugars and salt/sodium, with the goal of eliminating industrially-produced trans- fats;
• implementing the WHO recommendations on the marketing of foods and non-alcoholic beverages to children;
• establishing standards to foster healthy dietary practices through ensuring the availability of healthy, nutritious, safe and affordable foods in pre-schools, schools, other public institutions and the workplace;
• exploring regulatory and voluntary instruments (e.g. marketing regulations and nutrition labelling policies), and economic incentives or disincentives (e.g. taxation and subsidies) to promote a healthy diet; and
• encouraging transnational, national and local food services and catering outlets to improve the nutritional quality of their foods – ensuring the availability and affordability of healthy choices – and review portion sizes and pricing.
• Encouraging consumer demand for healthy foods and meals through:
• promoting consumer awareness of a healthy diet;
• developing school policies and programmes that encourage children to adopt and maintain a healthy diet;
• educating children, adolescents and adults about nutrition and healthy dietary practices;
• encouraging culinary skills, including in children through schools;
• supporting point-of-sale information, including through nutrition labelling that ensures accurate, standardized and comprehensible information on nutrient contents in foods (in line with the Codex Alimentarius Commission guidelines), with the addition of front-of-pack labelling to facilitate consumer understanding; and
• providing nutrition and dietary counselling at primary health-care facilities.
• Promoting appropriate infant and young child feeding practices through:
• implementing the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes and subsequent relevant World Health Assembly resolutions;
• implementing policies and practices to promote protection of working mothers; and
• promoting, protecting and supporting breastfeeding in health services and the community, including through the Baby-friendly Hospital Initiative.

WHO response

The “WHO Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health” (14) was adopted in 2004 by the Health Assembly. The strategy called on governments, WHO, international partners, the private sector and civil society to take action at global, regional and local levels to support healthy diets and physical activity.

In 2010, the Health Assembly endorsed a set of recommendations on the marketing of foods and non-alcoholic beverages to children (15) . These recommendations guide countries in designing new policies and improving existing ones to reduce the impact on children of the marketing of foods and non-alcoholic beverages to children. WHO has also developed region-specific tools (such as regional nutrient profile models) that countries can use to implement the marketing recommendations.

In 2012, the Health Assembly adopted a “Comprehensive Implementation Plan on Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition” and six global nutrition targets to be achieved by 2025, including the reduction of stunting, wasting and overweight in children, the improvement of breastfeeding, and the reduction of anaemia and low birthweight (9) .

In 2013, the Health Assembly agreed to nine global voluntary targets for the prevention and control of NCDs. These targets include a halt to the rise in diabetes and obesity, and a 30% relative reduction in the intake of salt by 2025. The “Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases 2013–2020” (10) provides guidance and policy options for Member States, WHO and other United Nations agencies to achieve the targets.

With many countries now seeing a rapid rise in obesity among infants and children, in May 2014 WHO set up the Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity. In 2016, the Commission proposed a set of recommendations to successfully tackle childhood and adolescent obesity in different contexts around the world (16) .

In November 2014, WHO organized, jointly with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2). ICN2 adopted the Rome Declaration on Nutrition (17), and the Framework for Action (18) which recommends a set of policy options and strategies to promote diversified, safe and healthy diets at all stages of life. WHO is helping countries to implement the commitments made at ICN2.

In May 2018, the Health Assembly approved the 13th General Programme of Work (GPW13), which will guide the work of WHO in 2019–2023 (19) . Reduction of salt/sodium intake and elimination of industrially-produced trans- fats from the food supply are identified in GPW13 as part of WHO’s priority actions to achieve the aims of ensuring healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. To support Member States in taking necessary actions to eliminate industrially-produced trans- fats, WHO has developed a roadmap for countries (the REPLACE action package) to help accelerate actions (6) . 

(1) Hooper L, Abdelhamid A, Bunn D, Brown T, Summerbell CD, Skeaff CM. Effects of total fat intake on body weight. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015; (8):CD011834.

(2) Diet, nutrition and the prevention of chronic diseases: report of a Joint WHO/FAO Expert Consultation. WHO Technical Report Series, No. 916. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2003.

(3) Fats and fatty acids in human nutrition: report of an expert consultation. FAO Food and Nutrition Paper 91. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; 2010.

(4) Nishida C, Uauy R. WHO scientific update on health consequences of trans fatty acids: introduction. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2009; 63 Suppl 2:S1–4.

(5) Guidelines: Saturated fatty acid and trans -fatty acid intake for adults and children. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2018 (Draft issued for public consultation in May 2018).

(6) REPLACE: An action package to eliminate industrially-produced trans -fatty acids. WHO/NMH/NHD/18.4. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2018.

(7) Guideline: Sugars intake for adults and children. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2015.

(8) Guideline: Sodium intake for adults and children. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2012.

(9) Comprehensive implementation plan on maternal, infant and young child nutrition. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2014.

(10) Global action plan for the prevention and control of NCDs 2013–2020. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2013.

(11) Guideline: Potassium intake for adults and children. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2012.

(12) Mozaffarian D, Fahimi S, Singh GM, Micha R, Khatibzadeh S, Engell RE et al. Global sodium consumption and death from cardiovascular causes. N Engl J Med. 2014; 371(7):624–34.

(13) Te Morenga LA, Howatson A, Jones RM, Mann J. Dietary sugars and cardiometabolic risk: systematic review and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials of the effects on blood pressure and lipids. AJCN. 2014; 100(1): 65–79.

(14) Global strategy on diet, physical activity and health. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2004.

(15) Set of recommendations on the marketing of foods and non-alcoholic beverages to children. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2010.

(16) Report of the Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2016.

(17) Rome Declaration on Nutrition. Second International Conference on Nutrition. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations/World Health Organization; 2014.

(18) Framework for Action. Second International Conference on Nutrition. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations/World Health Organization; 2014.

(19) Thirteenth general programme of work, 2019–2023. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2018.

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Importance of Food Habits

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Essentials of Healthy Eating: A Guide

Patrick j. skerrett.

1 Harvard Health Publications, Harvard Medical School

Walter C. Willett

2 Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health

Enough solid evidence now exists to offer women several fundamental strategies for healthy eating. They include emphasizing healthful unsaturated fats, whole grains, good protein “packages,” and fruits and vegetables; limiting consumption of trans and saturated fats, highly refined grains, and sugary beverages; and taking a multivitamin with folic acid and extra vitamin D as a nutritional safety net. A diet based on these principles is healthy through virtually all life stages, from young adulthood through planning for pregnancy, pregnancy, and on into old age.

INTRODUCTION

“What is a healthy diet?” Many clinicians find themselves at a loss to answer this common question from patients. The difficulty of offering a simple answer is understandable. The overwhelming volume of data generated by food and nutrition researchers coupled with sometimes contradictory findings, the seeming flip-flops in recommendations, and the flood of misinformation in diet books and the media can make it seem as though explaining the essentials of healthy eating is akin to describing the intricacies of particle physics. That is unfortunate, because there are now enough solid strands of evidence from reliable sources to weave simple but compelling recommendations about diet.

In the United States and other developed countries, the average woman can expect to live 80 years or more. 1 With such longevity, it isn’t enough merely to consume the calories needed to sustain the body, build it, and repair it. The foods that supply these calories can influence the risk of developing chronic conditions, which range from heart disease and cancer to osteoporosis and age-related vision loss.

Although much remains to be learned about the role of specific nutrients in decreasing the risk of chronic disease, a large body of evidence supports the utility of healthy dietary patterns that emphasize whole-grain foods, legumes, vegetables, and fruits, and that limit refined starches, red meat, full-fat dairy products, and foods and beverages high in added sugars. Such diets have been associated with decreased risk of a variety of chronic diseases. 2

Diet, of course, is just one approach to preventing illness. Limiting caloric intake to maintain a healthy weight, exercising regularly, and not smoking are three other essential strategies. Compelling data from the Nurses’ Health Study show that women who followed a healthy lifestyle pattern that includes these four strategies were 80% less likely to develop cardiovascular disease over a 14-year period compared to all other women in the study. 3 A companion study, the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, showed that similar healthy choices were beneficial in men, even among those who were taking medications to lower blood pressure or cholesterol. 4

In this article, we present evidence-based elements of healthful nutrition and an overview of healthy dietary patterns. We also touch on three special situations: diet and fertility, diet and pregnancy, and diet and weight loss.

DIETARY FAT

Dietary fat is a terribly misunderstood and mistakenly maligned nutrient. Myths and messages that have persisted since the 1960s warn that “fat is bad.” That dangerous oversimplification has helped launch dozens of largely ineffective diets and the development of thousands of fat-free but calorie-laden foods. It has also helped fuel the twin epidemics of obesity and type 2 diabetes. The message “fat is bad” is problematic because there are four main types of dietary fat with dramatically different effects on health.

Trans fats from partially hydrogenated oils are undeniably bad for the cardiovascular system and the rest of the body. These largely man-made fats elevate harmful low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, reduce protective high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, stimulate inflammation, and cause a variety of other changes that damage arteries and impair cardiovascular health. 5 Higher intake of trans fat has been associated with an increased risk for developing cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, gall stones, dementia, and weight gain. 5 Saturated fats from red meat and dairy products increase harmful LDL, but also increase HDL. A moderate intake of saturated fat (under 8% of daily calories) is compatible with a healthy diet, whereas consumption of greater amounts has been associated with cardiovascular disease. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats from vegetable oils, seeds, nuts, whole grains, and fish—especially the polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids —are important components of a healthy diet and are also essential for cardiac health. Eating polyunsaturated fats in place of saturated and trans fats lowers harmful LDL, elevates protective HDL, improves sensitivity to insulin, and stabilizes heart rhythms. 6

Dietary fat per se is not associated with risk of chronic disease. In fact, diets that include up to 40% of calories from fat can be quite healthy if they are low in trans and saturated fat and emphasize polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat. 7 Although definitive data are not available on the optimal proportions of dietary fats, a low intake of trans and saturated fat and a higher intake of unsaturated fats reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

CARBOHYDRATES

In the United States, the reduction in the intake of dietary fat from 45% of calories in 1965 to approximately 34% today was accompanied by an increase in the intake of carbohydrates. 8 These extra carbohydrates were largely in the form of highly processed grains. Processing removes fiber, healthful fats, and an array of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients, making processed grains such as white flour or white rice nutritionally impoverished compared with whole-grain versions. Consumption of a diet rich in highly processed grains is associated with an increase in triglycerides and a reduction in protective HDL. 9 These adverse responses may be aggravated in the context of insulin resistance, which often develops during pregnancy. The prevalence of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes are both increasing in the United States and around the world.

The Glycemic Index

The glycemic response refers to the measurable increase in blood sugar after consuming carbohydrates. The greater the postprandial spike in glucose a food generates, the greater that food’s glycemic index. Highly refined grains cause a more rapid and a greater overall increase in blood sugar than less-refined whole grains. 10 Greater glycemic responses are accompanied by increased plasma insulin levels, which are thought to be at the root of metabolic syndrome 11 and have also been implicated in ovulatory infertility. 12 Diets with a high glycemic index or glycemic load (the product of dietary glycemic index and total carbohydrate intake) appear to increase the risks of type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease, particularly among women who have some insulin resistance. 13 The dramatic loss of fiber and micronutrients during the milling process may also contribute to these adverse effects of highly processed grains.

In contrast, whole grains and foods made from whole grains, along with fruits, vegetables, and beans, provide slowly digested carbohydrates that are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. A substantial body of evidence indicates that eating whole grains or cereals high in fiber, rather than highly refined grains, reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease 14 and type 2 diabetes. 15 Although reductions in the risk of colon cancer by diets rich in whole-grain fiber have been difficult to document, such a dietary pattern has been clearly associated with reductions in constipation and diverticular disease.

To the metabolic systems engaged in protein production and repair, it is immaterial whether amino acids come from animal or plant protein. However, protein is not consumed in isolation. Instead, it is packaged with a host of other nutrients. The quality and amount of fats, carbohydrates, sodium, and other nutrients in the “protein package” may influence long-term health. For example, results from the Nurses’ Health Study suggest that eating more protein from beans, nuts, seeds, and the like, while cutting back on easily digested carbohydrates reduces the risk of heart disease. 16 In that study, eating more animal protein while cutting back on carbohydrates did not reduce heart disease risk, possibly because of the fats and other nutrients that come along (or don’t come along) with protein from animals.

VEGETABLES AND FRUITS

“Eat more fruits and vegetables” is timeless advice that has the backing of a large body of evidence. 17 Vegetables and fruits provide fiber, slowly digested carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, and numerous phytonutrients that have been associated with protection against cardiovascular disease, aging-related vision loss due to cataract and macular degeneration, and maintenance of bowel function. The connection between vegetables and fruits and cancer is less well established. Although they do not have a blanket anticancer effect, fruits and vegetables may work against specific cancers, including esophageal, stomach, lung, and colorectal cancer. 18

Fruits and vegetables should be consumed in abundance, which means a minimum of five servings a day—and more is better. As few as 1 in 4 persons in the United States meet this guideline. 19

The ideal beverage provides 100% of what the body needs—H 2 O—without any calories or additives. Water has all of those qualifications. From the tap, it costs a fraction of a penny per glass. After water, the two most commonly consumed beverages are tea and coffee. Both are remarkably safe beverages, and have been associated with reduced risks of type 2 diabetes, 20 kidney stones and gallstones, and possibly heart disease and some types of cancer.

Two problematic beverages are sugar-sweetened drinks (sodas, fruit drinks, juices, sports drinks, etc.) and alcoholic drinks. One 12-ounce can of sugar-sweetened cola delivers 8–10 teaspoons of sugar, approximately 120–150 “empty” calories. 21 Not surprisingly, daily consumption of sugary beverages has been associated with weight gain and increased risk of type 2 diabetes, 22 heart disease, 23 and gout. 24 Alcohol in moderation (no more than one drink a day for women, 1–2 drinks a day for men) has been associated with reduced risks of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. On the other hand, even moderate drinking may increase the risk of breast cancer.

However, it is possible that a diet rich in folate may attenuate this risk. In the Nurses’ Health Study, the risk of breast cancer associated with alcohol intake was strongest among women with total folate intake less than 300 μg/d for alcohol intake ≥15 grams (g)/d vs <15 g/d which is the alcohol content of one “standard” drink. The multivariate relative risk (RR) was 1.32; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.15–1.50. For women who consumed at least 300 μg/d of total folate, there was no increased risk of breast cancer associated with alcohol intake. 25 Drinking alcohol during pregnancy is not recommended due to possible health hazards to the developing child.

VITAMINS AND MINERALS

An optimal diet generally provides all the vitamins, minerals, and other micronutrients needed for good health. However, many women in the U.S., and a very large percentage of poor women, do not follow optimal diets. 3 Thus, for most women a daily multivitamin-multimineral supplement provides good insurance against nutritional deficiencies. Such supplements usually include extra iron, which is needed by the 9% to 11% of premenopausal women with iron deficiency. 26

The most firmly established benefit of vitamin supplements is that additional folic acid can reduce the risk of neural tube defects by approximately 70%. 27 Current guidelines call for all women of childbearing age to take a daily supplement containing 400 to 800 micrograms (μg) of folic acid, or 4 milligrams (mg) for women with a child with a neural tube defect.

Calcium is important for the maintenance of bone strength. Precisely how much calcium is needed is a controversial question. World Health Organization guidelines recommend an intake of 400 mg/day. In the United Kingdom, 700 mg/day is considered adequate for women aged 19 years and older. In the United States, dietary guidelines recommend that adult women receive 1,500 mg of calcium daily, 28 in large part by consuming 3 servings of low-fat or fat-free dairy products a day. 29 A lower-calorie, no-fat option is to get calcium from supplements.

For maintaining bone strength, other factors—including physical activity and vitamin D—are as important, or more important, than calcium. There is mounting evidence that current recommendations for vitamin D (200–600 IU/day, depending on age) are too low, and that 1,000 IU/day provides better protection against fractures and possibly heart disease and some cancers 30 (see Focus on Vitamin D). Excess intake of preformed vitamin A (retinol) has been associated with an increased risk of hip fracture, possibly by competing with vitamin D. 31 However, elevated risk is seen at intakes slightly higher than the current Dietary Reference Intake of 700 μg per day. Given this concern, a multivitamin that delivers much of its vitamin A as beta-carotene is preferred.

WEIGHT CONTROL, EXERCISE

Body weight sits like a spider at the center of a web of health and disease. Excess weight predisposes an individual to the development of a host of chronic conditions. The higher the body mass index (BMI) > 25 kg/m 2 , the greater the prevalence of abnormal blood glucose, lipids and blood pressure; hypertension and cardiovascular disease; diabetes; many cancers; gallstones; sleep apnea; complications of pregnancy; infertility; and premature mortality. Under the current national guidelines, a BMI between 18 and 25 kg/m 2 is considered optimal, and the best health experience is achieved by avoiding increases in weight during adulthood.

Maintaining a healthy body weight, or losing weight, is a direct function of calories consumed and expended. Portion control is essential for weight maintenance. The percentage of calories from dietary fat has little relationship with weight maintenance, while low consumption of sugary beverages and trans fats and higher intake of dietary fiber appear to be helpful. Regular exercise and the avoidance of extreme inactivity, such as excessive television watching, are also integral strategies for weight control. A supportive social and physical environment are also important.

DIETARY PATTERNS

Although research on nutrients such as fats, carbohydrates, and specific vitamins and minerals has been revealing, it has also generated some dead ends, along with myths and confusion about what constitutes healthy eating. A key reason is because people eat food, not nutrients. Furthermore, humans tend to follow relatively repeatable dietary patterns. Although it is harder to study dietary patterns than it is to study nutrients, new research has shown how some dietary patterns are good for long-term health.

One dietary pattern that may harm long-term health is the typical Western diet—rich in red meat, highly processed grains, and sugar, and lacking in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fiber. A host of studies have emphasized that this type of dietary pattern promotes atherosclerosis and a variety of cardiovascular conditions, including heart attack and stroke, peripheral vascular disease, and heart failure. 32 , 33

One alternative is provided by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 29 These guidelines are revised every five years by a panel that was once appointed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The Department of Health and Human Services is now also involved in the process. According to the USDA, the guidelines “ provide authoritative advice for people two years and older about how good dietary habits can promote health and reduce risk for major chronic diseases .”

In an effort to make the guidelines more accessible to the public, they were initially distilled into the Food Guide Pyramid. Unfortunately, this ubiquitous symbol illustrated the goals of U.S. agriculture as much as it represented the principles of healthful eating. The Food Guide Pyramid offered no guidance on grains; it lumped together red meat, poultry, fish, and beans, and it asked us to judge these protein sources by their total fat content. The Food Guide Pyramid promoted drinking three glasses of low-fat milk or eating three servings of other dairy products per day; and made no distinction between types of fat, recommending that fat be consumed “sparingly.” The Food Guide Pyramid was retired in 2005 and replaced with the abstract MyPyramid ( Figure 1 ), which cannot be deciphered without access to the accompanying Web site. The replacement of food groups with vertical stripes (orange for grains, green for vegetables, red for fruits, yellow for oils, blue for dairy and purple for meat and beans) was a win for the food industry, which took issue with the original Food Guide Pyramid because it represented foods near the bottom as “good” and those near the top as “bad.” The left-to-right design presents all foods as being nutritionally equal.

The vertical stripes in MyPyramid.gov represent different food groups and their relative contributions to a healthy diet. The figure is meaningless without information from its corresponding Web site.

NOTE: High-resolution file available for free download at: http://www.mypyramid.gov/global_nav/media_resources.html

Permission to Reprint:

All of the informational materials produced by the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, whether printed or maintained electronically on this website, are in the public domain and as such are not restricted by copyright law unless otherwise stated.

We ask only that informational materials, both graphic and text, provided by CNPP be reproduced as originally designed and/or written and that they not be altered or edited in any way. For accuracy and continuity of the message, we encourage all users to reproduce the information as original designed and/or written. [note: The MyPyramid image has not been altered in any way.]

( http://www.mypyramid.gov/QandA/index.html )

A better dietary pattern is embodied in the Healthy Eating Pyramid ( Figure 2 ), which was developed by faculty members in the Department of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health based on the best available evidence. The dietary strategies embodied in this pyramid are summarized in Table 1 .

The Healthy Eating Pyramid provides evidence-based information on the elements of a diet that is good for long-term health.

[NOTE: High-resolution image available for free download at: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/pyramid/index.html ]

Permission to reprint:

The Healthy Eating Pyramid image is owned by the President and Fellows of Harvard College. It may be used without permission for educational and other non-commercial uses with proper attribution, including the following copyright notification and credit line:

Copyright © 2008. For more information about The Healthy Eating Pyramid, please see The Nutrition Source, Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, http://www.thenutritionsource.org , and Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy, by Walter C. Willett, M.D. and Patrick J. Skerrett (2005), Free Press/Simon & Schuster Inc.

( http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/pyramid/index.html )

Elements of healthy eating

Adapted from Willett WC, Skerrett PJ. Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy: the Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating. New York: Free Press; 2005

For individuals who would rather follow a set dietary pattern instead of building their own based on the Healthy Eating Pyramid, a Mediterranean-type diet or the DASH diet can have profoundly positive effects on health ( Table 2 ).

Elements of two healthy dietary patterns

Mediterranean Diet

Traditional diets developed in countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea have been linked with lower rates of heart disease and other chronic conditions. Such diets also appear to transplant well to foreign soil. Among the 166,012 women participating in the National Institutes of Health AARP Diet and Health Study, those whose diets most closely matched a traditional Mediterranean diet had reduced risks of all-cause mortality (multivariate hazard ratio [HR], 0.80; 95% CI, 0.75–0.85), cardiovascular mortality (HR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.68–0.97) and cancer mortality (HR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.78–1.00) compared with those following a Western diet. 34 A similar trend was observed for men. The impact was even greater among smokers. The Mediterranean diet has other health benefits as well, such as reduced risk of cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. 35 It has also been associated with control of asthma 36 and improvement in rheumatoid arthritis. 37

Although there is no single diet that can be called “the” Mediterranean diet, those worthy of the name are high in extra virgin olive oil; high in whole grain foods and fiber; and rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, and nuts. Small portions of cheese and yogurt are eaten daily; fish is consumed in varying amounts; red meat, poultry, eggs, and sweets are consumed sparingly. Modest amounts of red wine complement meals, and regular physical activity is a part of daily life. An example of a Mediterranean-type diet is listed in the Table 2 .

A DASH of Prevention

In the 1990s, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute sponsored a randomized, controlled trial called Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) to see if certain changes in diet could lower blood pressure. The DASH diet emphasized fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy foods and limited red meat, saturated fats, and sweets. Compared with an average American diet, the DASH diet lowered participants’ systolic blood pressure by an average of 5.5 mm Hg and diastolic pressure by 3 mm Hg. 38 A low-sodium DASH approach was even more effective; the results were comparable to those from trials of antihypertensive medications. 39 The impact of the DASH diet goes beyond lowering blood pressure. It has since been shown to reduce weight, 40 the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke, 41 and the development of kidney stones. 42 Details of the DASH diet can be downloaded for free from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Web site (see Box 1 , More information).

MORE INFORMATION

Women (and clinicians) seeking more information on healthful eating can be directed to the following resources:

General nutrition

• Willett WC, Skerrett PJ. Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating. New York: Free Press; 2005
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. Dietary guidelines for Americans 2005. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2005; www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines
• The Nutrition Source, a free online publication of the Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource .

Healthful diet patterns

• Keys A and Keys M. How to Eat Well and Stay Well the Mediterranean Way . Garden City, NY: Doubleday; 1975
• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Your Guide to Lowering Your Blood Pressure with DASH . Available for free at www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash/new_dash.pdf

Diet and fertility

• Chavarro JE, Willett WC, and Skerrett PJ. The Fertility Diet . New York: McGraw-Hill; 2008

Mediterranean-type and DASH-type diets aren’t the only dietary patterns under investigation. Data from the Optimal Macronutrient Intake Trial to Prevent Heart Disease (OmniHeart,) suggest that substituting protein or unsaturated fat for some of the carbohydrates in an already healthy diet can further lower blood pressure, improve lipid levels, and reduce estimated cardiovascular risk. 43 University of Toronto investigators created what has been dubbed the portfolio dietary pattern. This mostly vegetarian diet targeted cholesterol by adding specific foods known to lower LDL: oats, barley, psyllium, okra, and eggplant, all of which are rich in soluble fiber; soy protein; whole almonds, and margarine enriched with plant sterols. This portfolio of cholesterol-lowering foods reduced the mean LDL values by 29% and did not harm HDL. 44

DIET AND FERTILITY

An estimated 2 million American women cope with infertility each year. 45 Some turn to assisted reproduction, others struggle in silence. Although farmers and ranchers have long recognized a connection between diet and fertility in farm animals, surprisingly little research has been done into connections between the two in humans. The largest, longest, and most systematic investigation of associations between diet and fertility was recently conducted as part of the Nurses’ Health Study. The participants of the diet and fertility substudy included 18,555 women who said on one of the Nurses’ Health Study biennial surveys that they were trying to become pregnant, none of women had previously reported problems with infertility. Over an 8-year follow-up period, these women reported more than 25,217 pregnancies and/or pregnancy attempts that lasted from a few weeks to more than twelve months. A total of 3,209 of the women (13%) had difficulty becoming pregnant, including 438 diagnosed with ovulatory infertility, the leading cause of female-factor infertility. Data from this nested case-control study revealed ten diet and lifestyle strategies that were associated with decreased risk for ovulatory infertility ( Box 2 ). The results were published in a series of articles examining individual factors. 12 , 46 – 53 After creating a “fertility diet” score based on these factors, women in the highest quintile of this score had significantly lower risks for ovulatory infertility (RR, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.23–0.48) and other causes of infertility (RR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.57–0.95) than those in the lowest quintile. A combination of five or more low-risk lifestyle factors, including diet, weight control, and physical activity, was associated with a 69% lower risk of ovulatory disorder infertility and an estimated population attributable risk of 66% (95% confidence interval 29%–86%). 49

DIETARY STRATEGIES OBSERVED IN THE NURSES’ HEALTH STUDY THAT REDUCED THE RISK OF OVULATORY INFERTILITY 49

DIET AND PREGNANCY

Good nutrition can optimize maternal health throughout pregnancy, reduce the risk of birth defects, promote optimal fetal growth and development, and prevent chronic health problems in the developing child. The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the American Dietetic Association recommend that women generally follow the Dietary Guidelines for Americans before becoming pregnant and during pregnancy. Other key strategies include appropriate weight gain; appropriate physical activity; vitamin (folic acid) and mineral (iron) supplementation as needed; and avoiding alcohol, tobacco, and other harmful substances.

Recent advisories about mercury in fish have prompted some women to avoid eating fish during pregnancy. However, the omega-3 fatty acids in many types of fish promote healthy fetal development. Eating average amounts of seafood containing low levels of mercury during pregnancy has not been shown to cause problems. The Food and Drug Administration and Environmental Protection Agency advise women who are pregnant or breastfeeding that it is safe to eat up to 12 ounces (2 average meals) a week of a variety of fish and shellfish that are lower in mercury. 54 Types of seafood low in mercury include anchovies, catfish, flounder, mackerel, pollock, salmon, sardines, shrimp, and tilapia.

Other articles in this issue discuss the importance of omega-3 fatty acids and Vitamin D during pregnancy. Jordan stresses that pregnant women should consume between 200–300 mg daily from safe food sources, such as purified fish and algal oil supplements and DHA enriched egg, which are alternative sources for pregnant women who do not eat fish. 55 Kendall-Tackett reviews recent research on omega-3s and women’s mental health, where the majority of studies indicate that EPA has efficacy in treating depression, and in moderate doses, EPA and DHA, appear safe for pregnant and postpartum women. 56 The Kaludjerovic and Vieth article illustrates that inadequate vitamin D nutrition during perinatal development is a threat to human health and due to the risks of exposure to sunlight, provides current recommendations for vitamin D supplementation. 57

DIET AND WEIGHT CONTROL

Almost any diet will result in weight loss, at least for a short time, if it helps the dieter take in fewer calories than she burns. Few dieters, however, are able to sustain weight-loss diets for long periods. Different palates, food preferences, family situations, and even genes mean that no single diet is right for everyone. What is needed is a dietary pattern that can be sustained for years, and that is as good for the heart, bones, brain, psyche, and taste buds as it is for the waistline. This diet should include plenty of choices and few restrictions or “special” foods. Data from randomized trials suggest that the nutrient makeup of a dietary pattern for weight loss matters far less than the number of calories it delivers.

In a head-to-head trial of four diets loosely based on the Atkins, Ornish, and Mediterranean diets (low fat, average protein; low fat, high protein; high fat, average protein; and high fat, high protein respectively), participants lost an average of 13.2 pounds (6 kg) at 6 months, and had a 2-inch reduction in waist size, regardless of the diets they were following. At 12 months, most began to regain some weight. Among those who completed the trial, the amount of weight loss after 2 years was similar in participants assigned to a diet with 25% protein and those assigned to a diet with 15% protein (average of 4.5 and 3.6 kg, respectively; P=0.11), and was also the same in those assigned to a diet with 40% fat and those assigned to a diet with 20% fat (average of 3.9 and 4.1 kg, respectively; P=0.76). 58 There was no effect of carbohydrate level on weight loss within the target range of 35% to 65% of calories from carbohydrate. The change in waist circumference was also similar across the diet groups. Feelings of hunger, satiety, and satisfaction with the diet were the same across the board, as were cholesterol levels and other markers of cardiovascular risk. It is important to note that these averages hide huge variations in weight loss, with some participants losing 30 pounds or more while others actually gained weight during the trial. This supports the idea that weight-loss strategies must be individualized. Group counseling was an aid to weight loss, suggesting that behavioral, psychological, and social factors are probably more important for weight loss than the mix of nutrients in a diet.

CONCLUSIONS

Although much solid information on optimal diets has emerged, the full picture of the relationships between diet and health will take years of further research to fill in. Yet several fundamentals have been established and are unlikely to change significantly. These include the seven general strategies listed in Table 1 .

It is impossible to cover all this ground in a 5-minute office visit. However, it is possible to make several general points, offer a handout, and direct a patient to more information. If a patient is overweight, the most important general points should be about portion control, avoiding sugary beverages, and exercise. Weight is probably at least as important for long-term health as are dietary components. For a patient whose weight is in the healthy range, reinforce that it is prudent to avoid trans and saturated fats and emphasize unsaturated fats, replace highly refined grains with whole grains, and choose healthful sources of protein. The Healthy Eating Pyramid (see Figure 2 ) offers a good visual reminder of these points and other essentials of healthful eating.

The seven strategies listed in Table 1 aren’t quite as pithy as food writer Michael Pollan’s extraordinary seven-word summary of healthy eating: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. 43 But they are more concrete, and provide a satisfactory answer to the question, “What is a healthy diet?”

Patrick J. Skerrett is editor of the Harvard Heart Letter . Walter C. Willett is the Fredrick John Stare Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition and chair of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health. They are co-authors of Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating and (with Jorge E. Chavarro, MD) The Fertility Diet .

Disclosures: None

Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.

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Importance Of Eating Healthy Food (Essay Sample)

Food, air, and water are basic necessities of life. The food we eat represents our culture, ethics, tradition, and beliefs. Food is essential for survival as it provides us with energy to carry out daily activities like walking, running, working, and socializing. Healthy eating and a healthy diet promote a healthy lifestyle. On the contrary, unhealthy food that includes junk food results in many diseases. In this essay, I will discuss the importance of healthy food and how it can help us stay strong and active in life.

Table of Contents

Essay On Importance Of Eating Healthy Food – 700 Word Long Essay

Food is a basic necessity of life as it helps us to survive. Food provides us the energy to carry out our daily tasks that include working, walking, and socializing. The food we eat represents our personality, culture, and traditions. A healthy diet leads to healthy habits and regularly eating unhealthy foods leads to many diseases that negatively impact your physical and mental wellbeing. In this essay, I will discuss the benefits of healthy food and how it impacts our daily lives.

Eating vegetables and fruits in large quantities helps to reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases such as diabetes and reduces the risk of a heart attack. Vegetables provide many healthy nutrients that are needed to maintain good health. However, eating just vegetables and no meant content is not a very good practice. Being a vegetarian is good for health but there are some nutrients that you can only get from meat and not plants. Research has shown that some essential nutrients like vitamin B12 and vitamin D13   along with many other nutrients are only present in meat and other animal-sourced foods. Therefore, everyone should look to adopt a balanced diet that contains a little bit of everything in an adequate amount.

Obesity is one of the most common health problems being faced by the modern generation. Junk food is one of the key causes of obesity because junk food contains high-calorie, high fat, high sugar, and high salt content. Health experts identify high fats, sugar, and raw salt as key contributors that cause heart diseases, kidney failure, and other health problems.

Healthy foods have many health-related benefits.  Healthy foods can improve a person’s mood and enhance their mental status. When a person’s body is under stress, protein is often broken down into amino acids which aid the body to deal with stress. Protein-rich diets such as dairy products can help to enhance the protein level in the body. Moreover, diets rich in omega-3 fats such as nuts, as well as vitamin-rich and mineral-rich diets including fruits and vegetables help maintain stable blood sugar levels. Healthy foods such as beetroot, apricots, and radishes also improve the overall body appearance. Sugary items have been linked to dry skin and early aging. These are the reasons why one should always eat healthy food.

Unhealthy foods have many disadvantages as they are the main reason for many diseases. Consuming processed food, junk food, and all types of fast foods can have very bad effects on the body. These problems lead to weight gain, excess body fat, increase the risk of heart disease, cause high blood pressure, and even early death in some cases. Artificial sweeteners

High calories have been shown to increase blood pressure and increase the chances of an early death occurring. However, vegetables, fruits, exercise, and overall calorie reduction enable the body to work efficiently. Junk food does not have vital micronutrients such as minerals and vitamins. Consequently, the consumer misses the vital nutrients needed to boost the body’s well being hence his risk of early death is enhanced.

In conclusion, everyone should make a healthier choice by eating healthy foods and developing healthy eating habits. The human body can be kept perfectly healthy by eating healthy food and maintaining a healthy diet. Always make a wiser choice because your body deserves better!

Eating Healthy Food Leads To A Healthy Life Essay In 200 WordsShort Essay

Food is one of three basic necessities in life, the other two being air and water. Food is essential to survival. Our food choices reflect many things about our life and personality. In today’s world, we mostly see only two kinds: the ones who live to eat and those who eat to live. Both of them are food extremists and people should move towards a balanced diet that comprises everything in adequate amounts.  Healthy foods lead to a healthy body and a healthy weight. On the contrary unhealthy foods destroy our digestive system and damage the whole body. In this essay on healthy food, I will discuss how and why healthy food leads to a healthy lifestyle.

Eating healthy food and pursuing a healthy diet is an essential way to add important nutrients to your food intake. Nutritionists encourage eating more vegetables to make digestion easier. They also suggest that we should avoid eating more calories than what is required by not eating meat every day. A person who only relies on junk food, fast food, and processed food becomes obese in no time. Obese people cannot live a healthy life because they are unable to do more physical activities. Lying on the bed all day and eating junk only leads to more troubles like diabetes, high blood pressure, and problems with the digestive system.

Some common healthy food easily includes whole grains, dairy products, green vegetables, eggs, and lean meat. However, always making a healthy food choice is not easy. Nowadays the world is becoming fast, busy, and demanding; there is a limited time to do everything. The same goes with food as most people don’t have enough time to prepare healthy food so they opt for fast food instead. Processed foods, energy drinks, deep-fried snacks, and sodas are also among the most unhealthy foods.

In conclusion, healthier choices enhance our health by making our lives healthy and happy. On the contrary, unhealthy food choices lead to chronic diseases, malnutrition, high cholesterol, and obesity. Given the high rate of deaths in the U.S. caused by factors related to poor diet, lack of physical exercise, and high consumption of junk foods, people need to consider consuming healthy food.

Do you like these sample essays about The Importance Of Eating Healthy Foods? Reach out to Essay Basics to get a professionally written plagiarism-free and unique custom essay on any topic in less than 3 hours.

FAQ About Importance of Having a Good Diet Essay

How does healthy food improve your mood.

Healthy foods like protein which is most available in dairy products can quickly break down in your digestive system and stop you from stressing too much. Just like eggs and dairy products, many other foods can also improve a person’s mood.

What are the 5 benefits of healthy eating?

Healthy eating promotes good health, reduces stress, keeps your body in good shape, helps you get rid of pimples and other skin problems, and helps you live longer.

• https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/7-nutrients-you-cant-get-from-plants#1.-Vitamin-B12

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Article Contents

Introduction.

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Young people and healthy eating: a systematic review of research on barriers and facilitators

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J Shepherd, A Harden, R Rees, G Brunton, J Garcia, S Oliver, A Oakley, Young people and healthy eating: a systematic review of research on barriers and facilitators, Health Education Research , Volume 21, Issue 2, 2006, Pages 239–257, https://doi.org/10.1093/her/cyh060

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A systematic review was conducted to examine the barriers to, and facilitators of, healthy eating among young people (11–16 years). The review focused on the wider determinants of health, examining community- and society-level interventions. Seven outcome evaluations and eight studies of young people's views were included. The effectiveness of the interventions was mixed, with improvements in knowledge and increases in healthy eating but differences according to gender. Barriers to healthy eating included poor school meal provision and ease of access to, relative cheapness of and personal taste preferences for fast food. Facilitators included support from family, wider availability of healthy foods, desire to look after one's appearance and will-power. Friends and teachers were generally not a common source of information. Some of the barriers and facilitators identified by young people had been addressed by soundly evaluated effective interventions, but significant gaps were identified where no evaluated interventions appear to have been published (e.g. better labelling of food products), or where there were no methodologically sound evaluations. Rigorous evaluation is required particularly to assess the effectiveness of increasing the availability of affordable healthy food in the public and private spaces occupied by young people.

Healthy eating contributes to an overall sense of well-being, and is a cornerstone in the prevention of a number of conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, cancer, dental caries and asthma. For children and young people, healthy eating is particularly important for healthy growth and cognitive development. Eating behaviours adopted during this period are likely to be maintained into adulthood, underscoring the importance of encouraging healthy eating as early as possible [ 1 ]. Guidelines recommend consumption of at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, reduced intakes of saturated fat and salt and increased consumption of complex carbohydrates [ 2, 3 ]. Yet average consumption of fruit and vegetables in the UK is only about three portions a day [ 4 ]. A survey of young people aged 11–16 years found that nearly one in five did not eat breakfast before going to school [ 5 ]. Recent figures also show alarming numbers of obese and overweight children and young people [ 6 ]. Discussion about how to tackle the ‘epidemic’ of obesity is currently high on the health policy agenda [ 7 ], and effective health promotion remains a key strategy [ 8–10 ].

Evidence for the effectiveness of interventions is therefore needed to support policy and practice. The aim of this paper is to report a systematic review of the literature on young people and healthy eating. The objectives were

(i) to undertake a ‘systematic mapping’ of research on the barriers to, and facilitators of, healthy eating among young people, especially those from socially excluded groups (e.g. low-income, ethnic minority—in accordance with government health policy);

(ii) to prioritize a subset of studies to systematically review ‘in-depth’;

(iii) to ‘synthesize’ what is known from these studies about the barriers to, and facilitators of, healthy eating with young people, and how these can be addressed and

(iv) to identify gaps in existing research evidence.

General approach

This study followed standard procedures for a systematic review [ 11, 12 ]. It also sought to develop a novel approach in three key areas.

First, it adopted a conceptual framework of ‘barriers’ to and ‘facilitators’ of health. Research findings about the barriers to, and facilitators of, healthy eating among young people can help in the development of potentially effective intervention strategies. Interventions can aim to modify or remove barriers and use or build upon existing facilitators. This framework has been successfully applied in other related systematic reviews in the area of healthy eating in children [ 13 ], physical activity with children [ 14 ] and young people [ 15 ] and mental health with young people [16; S. Oliver, A. Harden, R. Rees, J. Shepherd, G. Brunton and A. Oakley, manuscript in preparation].

Second, the review was carried out in two stages: a systematic search for, and mapping of, literature on healthy eating with young people, followed by an in-depth systematic review of the quality and findings of a subset of these studies. The rationale for a two-stage review to ensure the review was as relevant as possible to users. By mapping a broad area of evidence, the key characteristics of the extant literature can be identified and discussed with review users, with the aim of prioritizing the most relevant research areas for systematic in-depth analysis [ 17, 18 ].

Third, the review utilized a ‘mixed methods’ triangulatory approach. Data from effectiveness studies (‘outcome evaluations’, primarily quantitative data) were combined with data from studies which described young people's views of factors influencing their healthy eating in negative or positive ways (‘views’ studies, primarily qualitative). We also sought data on young people's perceptions of interventions when these had been collected alongside outcomes data in outcome evaluations. However, the main source of young people's views was surveys or interview-based studies that were conducted independently of intervention evaluation (‘non-intervention’ research). The purpose was to enable us to ascertain not just whether interventions are effective, but whether they address issues important to young people, using their views as a marker of appropriateness. Few systematic reviews have attempted to synthesize evidence from both intervention and non-intervention research: most have been restricted to outcome evaluations. This study therefore represents one of the few attempts that have been made to date to integrate different study designs into systematic reviews of effectiveness [ 19–22 ].

Literature searching

A highly sensitive search strategy was developed to locate potentially relevant studies. A wide range of terms for healthy eating (e.g. nutrition, food preferences, feeding behaviour, diets and health food) were combined with health promotion terms or general or specific terms for determinants of health or ill-health (e.g. health promotion, behaviour modification, at-risk-populations, sociocultural factors and poverty) and with terms for young people (e.g. adolescent, teenager, young adult and youth). A number of electronic bibliographic databases were searched, including Medline, EMBASE, The Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, ERIC, Social Science Citation Index, CINAHL, BiblioMap and HealthPromis. The searches covered the full range of publication years available in each database up to 2001 (when the review was completed).

Full reports of potentially relevant studies identified from the literature search were obtained and classified (e.g. in terms of specific topic area, context, characteristics of young people, research design and methodological attributes).

Inclusion screening

Inclusion criteria were developed and applied to each study. The first round of screening was to identify studies to populate the map. To be included, a study had to (i) focus on healthy eating; (ii) include young people aged 11–16 years; (iii) be about the promotion of healthy eating, and/or the barriers to, or facilitators of, healthy eating; (iv) be a relevant study type: (a) an outcome evaluation or (b) a non-intervention study (e.g. cohort or case control studies, or interview studies) conducted in the UK only (to maximize relevance to UK policy and practice) and (v) be published in the English language.

The results of the map, which are reported in greater detail elsewhere [ 23 ], were used to prioritize a subset of policy relevant studies for the in-depth systematic review.

A second round of inclusion screening was performed. As before, all studies had to have healthy eating as their main focus and include young people aged 11–16 years. In addition, outcome evaluations had toFor a non-intervention study to be included it had to

(i) use a comparison or control group; report pre- and post-intervention data and, if a non-randomized trial, equivalent on sociodemographic characteristics and pre-intervention outcome variables (demonstrating their ‘potential soundness’ in advance of further quality assessment);

(ii) report an intervention that aims to make a change at the community or society level and

(iii) measure behavioural and/or physical health status outcomes.

(i) examine young people's attitudes, opinions, beliefs, feelings, understanding or experiences about healthy eating (rather than solely examine health status, behaviour or factual knowledge);

(ii) access views about one or more of the following: young people's definitions of and/or ideas about healthy eating, factors influencing their own or other young people's healthy eating and whether and how young people think healthy eating can be promoted and

(iii) privilege young people's views—presenting views directly as data that are valuable and interesting in themselves, rather than only as a route to generating variables to be tested in a predictive or causal model.

Non-intervention studies published before 1990 were excluded in order to maximize the relevance of the review findings to current policy issues.

Data extraction and quality assessment

All studies meeting inclusion criteria underwent data extraction and quality assessment, using a standardized framework [ 24 ]. Data for each study were entered independently by two researchers into a specialized computer database [ 25 ] (the full and final data extraction and quality assessment judgement for each study in the in-depth systematic review can be viewed on the Internet by visiting http://eppi.ioe.ac.uk ).

Outcome evaluations were considered methodologically ‘sound’ if they reported:Only studies meeting these criteria were used to draw conclusions about effectiveness. The results of the studies which did not meet these quality criteria were judged unclear.

(i) a control or comparison group equivalent to the intervention group on sociodemographic characteristics and pre-intervention outcome variables.

(ii) pre-intervention data for all individuals or groups recruited into the evaluation;

(iii) post-intervention data for all individuals or groups recruited into the evaluation and

(iv) on all outcomes, as described in the aims of the intervention.

Non-intervention studies were assessed according to a total of seven criteria (common to sets of criteria proposed by four research groups for qualitative research [ 26–29 ]):

(i) an explicit account of theoretical framework and/or the inclusion of a literature review which outlined a rationale for the intervention;

(ii) clearly stated aims and objectives;

(iii) a clear description of context which includes detail on factors important for interpreting the results;

(iv) a clear description of the sample;

(v) a clear description of methodology, including systematic data collection methods;

(vi) analysis of the data by more than one researcher and

(vii) the inclusion of sufficient original data to mediate between data and interpretation.

Data synthesis

Three types of analyses were performed: (i) narrative synthesis of outcome evaluations, (ii) narrative synthesis of non-intervention studies and (iii) synthesis of intervention and non-intervention studies together.

For the last of these a matrix was constructed which laid out the barriers and facilitators identified by young people alongside descriptions of the interventions included in the in-depth systematic review of outcome evaluations. The matrix was stratified by four analytical themes to characterize the levels at which the barriers and facilitators appeared to be operating: the school, family and friends, the self and practical and material resources. This methodology is described further elsewhere [ 20, 22, 30 ].

From the matrix it is possible to see:

(i) where barriers have been modified and/or facilitators built upon by soundly evaluated interventions, and ‘promising’ interventions which need further, more rigorous, evaluation (matches) and

(ii) where barriers have not been modified and facilitators not built upon by any evaluated intervention, necessitating the development and rigorous evaluation of new interventions (gaps).

Figure 1 outlines the number of studies included at various stages of the review. Of the total of 7048 reports identified, 135 reports (describing 116 studies) met the first round of screening and were included in the descriptive map. The results of the map are reported in detail in a separate publication—see Shepherd et al. [ 23 ] (the report can be downloaded free of charge via http://eppi.ioe.ac.uk ). A subset of 22 outcome evaluations and 8 studies of young people's views met the criteria for the in-depth systematic review.

The review process.

Outcome evaluations

Of the 22 outcome evaluations, most were conducted in the United States ( n = 16) [ 31–45 ], two in Finland [ 46, 47 ], and one each in the UK [ 48 ], Norway [ 49 ], Denmark [ 50 ] and Australia [ 51 ]. In addition to the main focus on promoting healthy eating, they also addressed other related issues including cardiovascular disease in general, tobacco use, accidents, obesity, alcohol and illicit drug use. Most were based in primary or secondary school settings and were delivered by teachers. Interventions varied considerably in content. While many involved some form of information provision, over half ( n = 13) involved attempts to make structural changes to young people's physical environments; half ( n = 11) trained parents in or about nutrition, seven developed health-screening resources, five provided feedback to young people on biological measures and their behavioural risk status and three aimed to provide social support systems for young people or others in the community. Social learning theory was the most common theoretical framework used to develop these interventions. Only a minority of studies included young people who could be considered socially excluded ( n = 6), primarily young people from ethnic minorities (e.g. African Americans and Hispanics).

Following detailed data extraction and critical appraisal, only seven of the 22 outcome evaluations were judged to be methodologically sound. For the remainder of this section we only report the results of these seven. Four of the seven were from the United States, with one each from the UK, Norway and Finland. The studies varied in the comprehensiveness of their reporting of the characteristics of the young people (e.g. sociodemographic/economic status). Most were White, living in middle class urban areas. All attended secondary schools. Table I details the interventions in these sound studies. Generally, they were multicomponent interventions in which classroom activities were complemented with school-wide initiatives and activities in the home. All but one of the seven sound evaluations included and an integral evaluation of the intervention processes. Some studies report results according to demographic characteristics such as age and gender.

Soundly evaluated outcome evaluations: study characteristics (n = 7)

RCT = Randomized Controlled Trial; CT = controlled trial (no randomization); PE = process evaluation.

Separate evaluations of the same intervention in two populations in New York (the Bronx and Westchester County).

The UK-based intervention was an award scheme (the ‘Wessex Healthy Schools Award’) that sought to make health-promoting changes in school ethos, organizational functioning and curriculum [ 48 ]. Changes made in schools included the introduction of health education curricula, as well as the setting of targets in key health promotion areas (including healthy eating). Knowledge levels, which were high at baseline, changed little over the course of the intervention. Intervention schools performed better in terms of healthy food choices (on audit scores). The impact on measures of healthy eating such as choosing healthy snacks varied according to age and sex. The intervention only appeared possibly to be effective for young women in Year 11 (aged 15–16 years) on these measures (statistical significance not reported).

The ‘Know Your Body’ intervention, a cardiovascular risk reduction programme, was evaluated in two separate studies in two demographically different areas of New York (the Bronx and Westchester County) [ 45 ]. Lasting for 5 years it comprised teacher-led classroom education, parental involvement activities and risk factor examination in elementary and junior high schools. In the Bronx evaluation, statistically significant increases in knowledge were reported, but favourable changes in cholesterol levels and dietary fat were not significant. In the Westchester County evaluation, we judged the effects to be unclear due to shortcomings in methods reported.

A second US-based study, the 3-year ‘Gimme 5’ programme [ 40 ], focused on increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables through a school-wide media campaign, complemented by classroom activities, parental involvement and changes to nutritional content of school meals. The intervention was effective at increasing knowledge (particularly among young women). Effects were measured in terms of changes in knowledge scores between baseline and two follow-up periods. Differences between the intervention and comparison group were significant at both follow-ups. There was a significant increase in consumption of fruit and vegetables in the intervention group, although this was not sustained.

In the third US study, the ‘Slice of Life’ intervention, peer leaders taught 10 sessions covering the benefits of fitness, healthy diets and issues concerning weight control [ 41 ]. School functioning was also addressed by student recommendations to school administrators. For young women, there were statistically significant differences between intervention and comparison groups on healthy eating scores, salt consumption scores, making healthy food choices, knowledge of healthy food, reading food labels for salt and fat content and awareness of healthy eating. However, among young men differences were only significant for salt and knowledge scores. The process evaluation suggested that having peers deliver training was acceptable to students and the peer-trainers themselves.

A Norwegian study evaluated a similar intervention to the ‘Slice of Life’ programme, employing peer educators to lead classroom activities and small group discussions on nutrition [ 49 ]. Students also analysed the availability of healthy food in their social and home environment and used a computer program to analyse the nutritional status of foods. There were significant intervention effects for reported healthy eating behaviour (but not maintained by young men) and for knowledge (not young women).

The second ‘North Karelia Youth Study’ in Finland featured classroom educational activities, a community media campaign, health-screening activities, changes to school meals and a health education initiative in the parents' workplace [ 47 ]. It was judged to be effective for healthy eating behaviour, reducing systolic blood pressure and modifying fat content of school meals, but less so for reducing cholesterol levels and diastolic blood pressure.

The evidence from the well-designed evaluations of the effectiveness of healthy eating initiatives is therefore mixed. Interventions tend to be more effective among young women than young men.

Young people's views

Table II describes the key characteristics of the eight studies of young people's views. The most consistently reported characteristics of the young people were age, gender and social class. Socioeconomic status was mixed, and in the two studies reporting ethnicity, the young people participating were predominantly White. Most studies collected data in mainstream schools and may therefore not be applicable to young people who infrequently or never attend school.

Characteristics of young people's views studies (n = 8)

All eight studies asked young people about their perceptions of, or attitudes towards, healthy eating, while none explicitly asked them what prevents them from eating healthily. Only two studies asked them what they think helps them to eat healthy foods, and only one asked for their ideas about what could or should be done to promote nutrition.

Young people tended to talk about food in terms of what they liked and disliked, rather than what was healthy/unhealthy. Healthy foods were predominantly associated with parents/adults and the home, while ‘fast food’ was associated with pleasure, friendship and social environments. Links were also made between food and appearance, with fast food perceived as having negative consequences on weight and facial appearance (and therefore a rationale for eating healthier foods). Attitudes towards healthy eating were generally positive, and the importance of a healthy diet was acknowledged. However, personal preferences for fast foods on grounds of taste tended to dominate food choice. Young people particularly valued the ability to choose what they eat.

Despite not being explicitly asked about barriers, young people discussed factors inhibiting their ability to eat healthily. These included poor availability of healthy meals at school, healthy foods sometimes being expensive and wide availability of, and personal preferences for, fast foods. Things that young people thought should be done to facilitate healthy eating included reducing the price of healthy snacks and better availability of healthy foods at school, at take-aways and in vending machines. Will-power and encouragement from the family were commonly mentioned support mechanisms for healthy eating, while teachers and peers were the least commonly cited sources of information on nutrition. Ideas for promoting healthy eating included the provision of information on nutritional content of school meals (mentioned by young women particularly) and better food labelling in general.

Table III shows the synthesis matrix which juxtaposes barriers and facilitators alongside results of outcome evaluations. There were some matches but also significant gaps between, on the one hand, what young people say are barriers to healthy eating, what helps them and what could or should be done and, on the other, soundly evaluated interventions that address these issues.

Synthesis matrix

Key to young people's views studies: Y1 , Dennison and Shepherd [ 56 ]; Y2 , Harris [ 57 ]; Y3 , McDougall [ 58 ]; Y4 , Miles and Eid [ 59 ]; Y5 , Roberts et al. [ 60 ]; Y6 , Ross [ 61 ]; Y7 , Watt and Sheiham [ 62 ]; Y8 , Watt and Sheiham [ 63 ]. Key to intervention studies: OE1 , Baranowski et al. [ 31 ]; OE2 , Bush et al. [ 32 ]; OE3 , Coates et al. [ 33 ]; OE4 , Ellison et al. [ 34 ]; OE5 , Flores [ 36 ]; OE6 , Fitzgibbon et al. [ 35 ]; OE7 , Hopper et al. [ 64 ]; OE8 , Holund [ 50 ]; OE9 , Kelder et al. [ 38 ]; OE10 , Klepp and Wilhelmsen [ 49 ]; OE11 , Moon et al. [ 48 ]; OE12 , Nader et al. [ 39 ]; OE13 , Nicklas et al. [ 40 ]; OE14 , Perry et al. [ 41 ]; OE15 , Petchers et al. [ 42 ]; OE16 , Schinke et al. [ 43 ]; OE17 , Wagner et al. [ 44 ]; OE18 , Vandongen et al. [ 51 ]; OE19 , Vartiainen et al. [ 46 ]; OE20 , Vartiainen et al. [ 47 ]; OE21 , Walter I [ 45 ]; OE22 , Walter II [ 45 ]. OE10, OE11, OE13, OE14, OE20, OE21 and OE22 denote a sound outcome evaluation. OE21 and OE22 are separate evaluations of the same intervention. Due to methodological limitations, we have judged the effects of OE22 to be unclear. Y1 and Y2 do not appear in the synthesis matrix as they did not explicitly report barriers or facilitators, and it was not possible for us to infer potential barriers or facilitators. However, these two studies did report what young people understood by healthy eating, their perceptions, and their views and opinions on the importance of eating a healthy diet. OE2, OE12, OE16 and OE17 do not appear in the synthesis matrix as they did not address any of the barriers or facilitators.

In terms of the school environment, most of the barriers identified by young people appear to have been addressed. At least two sound outcome evaluations demonstrated the effectiveness of increasing the availability of healthy foods in the school canteen [ 40, 47 ]. Furthermore, despite the low status of teachers and peers as sources of nutritional information, several soundly evaluated studies showed that they can be employed effectively to deliver nutrition interventions.

Young people associated parents and the home environment with healthy eating, and half of the sound outcome evaluations involved parents in the education of young people about nutrition. However, problems were sometimes experienced in securing parental attendance at intervention activities (e.g. seminar evenings). Why friends were not a common source of information about good nutrition is not clear. However, if peer pressure to eat unhealthy foods is a likely explanation, then it has been addressed by the peer-led interventions in three sound outcome evaluations (generally effectively) [ 41, 47, 49 ] and two outcome evaluations which did not meet the quality criteria (effectiveness unclear) [ 33, 50 ].

The fact that young people choose fast foods on grounds of taste has generally not been addressed by interventions, apart from one soundly evaluated effective intervention which included taste testings of fruit and vegetables [ 40 ]. Young people's concern over their appearance (which could be interpreted as both a barrier and a facilitator) has only been addressed in one of the sound outcome evaluations (which revealed an effective intervention) [ 41 ]. Will-power to eat healthy foods has only been examined in one outcome evaluation in the in-depth systematic review (judged to be sound and effective) (Walter I—Bronx evaluation) [ 45 ]. The need for information on nutrition was addressed by the majority of interventions in the in-depth systematic review. However, no studies were found which evaluated attempts to increase the nutritional content of school meals.

Barriers and facilitators relating to young people's practical and material resources were generally not addressed by interventions, soundly evaluated or otherwise. No studies were found which examined the effectiveness of interventions to lower the price of healthy foods. However, one soundly evaluated intervention was partially effective in increasing the availability of healthy snacks in community youth groups (Walter I—Bronx evaluation) [ 45 ]. At best, interventions have attempted to raise young people's awareness of environmental constraints on eating healthily, or encouraged them to lobby for increased availability of nutritious foods (in the case of the latter without reporting whether any changes have been effected as a result).

This review has systematically identified some of the barriers to, and facilitators of, healthy eating with young people, and illustrated to what extent they have been addressed by soundly evaluated effective interventions.

The evidence for effectiveness is mixed. Increases in knowledge of nutrition (measured in all but one study) were not consistent across studies, and changes in clinical risk factors (measured in two studies) varied, with one study detecting reductions in cholesterol and another detecting no change. Increases in reported healthy eating behaviour were observed, but mostly among young women revealing a distinct gender pattern in the findings. This was the case in four of the seven outcome evaluations (in which analysis was stratified by gender). The authors of one of the studies suggest that emphasis of the intervention on healthy weight management was more likely to appeal to young women. It was proposed that interventions directed at young men should stress the benefits of nutrition on strength, physical endurance and physical activity, particularly to appeal to those who exercise and play sports. Furthermore, age was a significant factor in determining effectiveness in one study [ 48 ]. Impact was greatest on young people in the 15- to 16-year age range (particularly for young women) in comparison with those aged 12–13 years, suggesting that dietary influences may vary with age. Tailoring the intervention to take account of age and gender is therefore crucial to ensure that interventions are as relevant and meaningful as possible.

Other systematic reviews of interventions to promote healthy eating (which included some of the studies with young people fitting the age range of this review) also show mixed results [ 52–55 ]. The findings of these reviews, while not being directly comparable in terms of conceptual framework, methods and age group, seem to offer some support for the findings of this review. The main message is that while there is some evidence to suggest effectiveness, the evidence base is limited. We have identified no comparable systematic reviews in this area.

Unlike other reviews, however, this study adopted a wider perspective through inclusion of studies of young people's views as well as effectiveness studies. A number of barriers to healthy eating were identified, including poor availability of healthy foods at school and in young people's social spaces, teachers and friends not always being a source of information/support for healthy eating, personal preferences for fast foods and healthy foods generally being expensive. Facilitating factors included information about nutritional content of foods/better labelling, parents and family members being supportive; healthy eating to improve or maintain one's personal appearance, will-power and better availability/lower pricing of healthy snacks.

Juxtaposing barriers and facilitators alongside effectiveness studies allowed us to examine the extent to which the needs of young people had been adequately addressed by evaluated interventions. To some extent they had. Most of the barriers and facilitators that related to the school and relationships with family and friends appear to have been taken into account by soundly evaluated interventions, although, as mentioned, their effectiveness varied. Many of the gaps tended to be in relation to young people as individuals (although our prioritization of interventions at the level of the community and society may have resulted in the exclusion of some of these interventions) and the wider determinants of health (‘practical and material resources’). Despite a wide search, we found few evaluations of strategies to improve nutritional labelling on foods particularly in schools or to increase the availability of affordable healthy foods particularly in settings where young people socialize. A number of initiatives are currently in place which may fill these gaps, but their effectiveness does not appear to have been reported yet. It is therefore crucial for any such schemes to be thoroughly evaluated and disseminated, at which point an updated systematic review would be timely.

This review is also constrained by the fact that its conclusions can only be supported by a relatively small proportion of the extant literature. Only seven of the 22 outcome evaluations identified were considered to be methodologically sound. As illustrated in Table III , a number of the remaining 15 interventions appear to modify barriers/build on facilitators but their results can only be judged unclear until more rigorous evaluation of these ‘promising’ interventions has been reported.

Finally, it is important to acknowledge that the majority of the outcome evaluations were conducted in the United States, and by virtue of the inclusion criteria, all the young people's views studies were UK based. The literature therefore might not be generalizable to other countries, where sociocultural values and socioeconomic circumstances may be quite different. Further evidence synthesis is needed on barriers to, and facilitators of, healthy eating and nutrition worldwide, particularly in developing countries.

The aim of this study was to survey what is known about the barriers to, and facilitators of, healthy eating among young people with a view to drawing out the implications for policy and practice. The review has mapped and quality screened the extant research in this area, and brought together the findings from evaluations of interventions aiming to promote healthy eating and studies which have elicited young people's views.

There has been much research activity in this area, yet it is disappointing that so few evaluation studies were methodologically strong enough to enable us to draw conclusions about effectiveness. There is some evidence to suggest that multicomponent school-based interventions can be effective, although effects tended to vary according to age and gender. Tailoring intervention messages accordingly is a promising approach which should therefore be evaluated. A key theme was the value young people place on choice and autonomy in relation to food. Increasing the provision and range of healthy, affordable snacks and meals in schools and social spaces will enable them to exercise their choice of healthier, tasty options.

We have identified that several barriers to, and facilitators of, healthy eating in young people have received little attention in evaluation research. Further work is needed to develop and evaluate interventions which modify or remove these barriers, and build on these facilitators. Further qualitative studies are also needed so that we can continue to listen to the views of young people. This is crucial if we are to develop and test meaningful, appropriate and effective health promotion strategies.

We would like to thank Chris Bonell and Dina Kiwan for undertaking data extraction. We would also like to acknowledge the invaluable help of Amanda Nicholas, James Thomas, Elaine Hogan, Sue Bowdler and Salma Master for support and helpful advice. The Department of Health, England, funds a specific programme of health promotion work at the EPPI-Centre. The views expressed in the report are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Department of Health.

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How to Eat for a Long and Healthy Life

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, but certain dietary patterns are more associated with longer lives than others.

By Alice Callahan

If hit podcasts, best-selling books and influencer culture are any indication, millions of people are obsessed with longevity.

But just as important as your life span is your health span, or the number of years you live in good health, said Susan B. Roberts, the senior associate dean for research at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth.

The length and quality of your life will be determined in part by your genetics, she said. But how you live your life is important, too, including how much you exercise and sleep , whether you drink excessively or smoke — and how you eat, Dr. Roberts said.

Eating for longevity isn’t an exact science, of course. It’s unrealistic, and possibly unethical, for researchers to ask people to faithfully follow various diets for decades and then see how their lives turn out, said Dr. Frank Hu, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

But researchers can look for associations between people’s dietary habits and their long-term health, he said.

Here are the best clues we have for how to eat for a long and healthy life.

Prioritize protein, especially from plants.

Research suggests that those who consume more protein tend to live longer and stay stronger and healthier later in life than those who consume less.

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Adopting These 4 Habits Might Add Up to 5 Years to Your Life, Study Finds

Doctors say this is a major indicator that our genes are not our destiny.

• New research details healthy lifestyle factors that may extend your life.
• People with a genetic risk of early death can extend their life by up to 5.5 years.
• Doctors say lifestyle factors can make a big impact on your overall longevity.

We may not all live to 100 , but we can still work towards a long and fruitful life. For those with genetic risks of dying early, adopting certain healthy habits is key—but figuring out exactly where to start can feel daunting. Now, a new study finds that by simply adjusting your daily habits, you may add up to 5.5 years to your life.

The study, published in BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine , analyzed data from more than 350,000 people over an average of 13 years, with researchers looking at information about their genetics, socioeconomic status, education, and history of disease. Each person was given a polygenetic score, which sums up genes that can impact lifespan, along with a score based on their lifestyle habits.

As a whole, the researchers found that everyone was 78% more likely to die early if they followed an “unhealthy” lifestyle. People who had a genetic risk of dying younger and followed an unhealthy lifestyle were twice as likely to die early compared to people with no genetic risk of dying early and a healthy lifestyle.

Ultimately, the researchers found that people with a genetic risk of dying early could live up to 5.5 years longer if they followed a “healthy” lifestyle (more on that later). “The optimal combination of healthy lifestyles could convey better benefits for a longer lifespan, regardless of genetic background,” the researchers concluded.

These are the factors that scientists found made a difference, plus what doctors recommend to live a healthy, long life.

Healthy habits that could add years to your life

The study looked at six lifestyle factors in each person: Their smoking status, physical activity level, diet, how much alcohol they drank, body shape, and sleep habits. It’s important to point out that the study was observational. And, as a result, the researchers can only say that there is a link between certain factors and a longer life, versus these factors actually causing someone to live longer.

But overall, researchers discovered that these four elements had the biggest impact on longevity:

• Smoking . Those who didn’t smoke or never smoked had a lower risk of premature death than people who currently smoked.
• Physical activity . People with the lowest risk met the recommended Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, which suggests adults get in at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity and two days of strength training a week.
• Sleep . People who fared the best logged seven to eight hours of sleep a night.
• Diet . Eating a healthy diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables was linked with a lower risk of premature death. People with the lowest risk also had no more than one alcoholic drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men, per recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

What doctors recommend to help you live longer

Doctors say the findings from the latest study offer good advice for people to follow—and stress that you can take ownership of your health. “This new study adds to the growing evidence that our genes are not our destiny,” says Kristi Artz, M.D. , a lifestyle medicine practitioner at Corewell Health.

Alfred F. Tallia, M.D., M.P.H., professor and chair of family medicine and community health at the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School , agrees. “These findings confirm what we have known from individual studies about each of the behaviors examined,” he says. “It makes total sense that the constellation of good behaviors would yield a positive effect on longevity.”

Getting regular, quality sleep as well as following a consistent exercise plan can be helpful, says Robert Glatter, M.D., an ER physician at Northwell Lenox Hill Hospital. “The importance of exercise in maintaining and improving not only cardiovascular health but brain health is vital in improving health and longevity,” he says.

On the diet front, it’s a good idea to fill your plate with mostly vegetables, says Ora Karp Gordon, M.D. , regional director of clinical genetics and genomics for Providence Southern California and Professor of Genetics at Saint John’s Cancer Institute in Santa Monica, CA. “A quarter of your plate should be animal protein, ideally fish, and the rest vegetables or multigrain,” she says. “A predominantly plant-based diet , if you can strive to achieve that, is best.”

Body weight and alcohol use are “very powerful modifiers of risk” when it comes to hormone-based cancers, Dr. Gordon says, which is why she recommends staying under the recommended daily alcohol intake if you can.

Getting regular movement in your life through daily walks is also “ideal,” Dr. Glatter says, noting that you can see heart health benefits in as little as 5,000 steps a day (even try reaping the perks of walking a mile a day ).

It’s helpful to do what you can to minimize stress, too, says Kimberly Prado D.N.P., clinical associate professor in the Division of Advanced Nursing Practice at Rutgers University, the State University of New Jersey. “Stress can play a significant role in the development of disease,” she says. “Stress causes blood pressure to rise. Cortisol levels increase in response to physical and emotional stress, causing vasoconstriction and subsequent increased blood pressure.” When you’re constantly stressed out, it raises your risk of building up excess fat in your body and even developing type 2 diabetes , among other things, she says.

That’s why Prado recommends doing your best to lower your stress levels through tools like meditation, having positive social connections, exercising, and following an anti-inflammatory diet . “There is a tremendous amount we can do to prevent [illness] and stay healthy,” she says.

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