All of these nutrients are included in a well-balanced diet:
- Maintaining your level of activity throughout the day requires energy
- The most effective nutrition for promoting growth and repair, preventing disease related to diet, and staying strong and healthy
Maintaining a healthy weight can also be achieved by keeping active and eating a balanced diet.
The immune system can be weakened by deficiency of some key nutrients, including vitamin A, B, C, and E, zinc, iron, and selenium.
Learn more about vitamins, minerals, and nutrients
Keeping your heart healthy
In addition to keeping blood pressure and cholesterol in check, a healthy diet consists of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products.
Having too much salt in your diet and too much-saturated fat can cause high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
You can also reduce your risk of developing heart disease by eating a portion of oily fish each week, such as salmon and trout. Oily fish contain high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which are good for the heart.
Teeth and bones that are strong
As you age, calcium can help prevent bone loss (osteoporosis) associated with getting older and keep your teeth and bones healthy.
Aside from dairy products, calcium can also be obtained through the following foods:
- Sardines, pilchards or salmon canned with bones
- Vegetables such as kale and broccoli that are dark green in colour
- Among the calcium-fortified foods are soy products, juices, and cereals
Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium, so get outside (the sun provides vitamin D) and consume plenty of foods containing vitamin D in your diet, such as oily fish and fortified cereals.
Weight management tips
Healthy diets include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and moderate amounts of unsaturated fats, meat, and dairy to maintain a steady weight. A good variety of these foods each day reduces the likelihood of gaining weight from foods high in fat and sugar.
Exercise isn’t the only way to lose weight and decrease your cholesterol and blood pressure, but eating a healthy diet can also help.
Stress is reduced
By exercising, stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline are reduced in the body. The body also produces natural painkillers and mood elevators through exercise, called endorphins.
Mood Improvement and Depression Relief
In addition to producing endorphins, exercise also affects anxiety-regulating parts of the brain. The hormones norepinephrine and serotonin can help relieve depression when you exercise.
Improves memory and brain health
Your heart rate increases during exercise, allowing more oxygen and blood to reach your brain. A larger hippocampus – the area of the brain associated with memory – may also result from it.
The most important benefit of regular exercise is that it may help us maintain mental function as we age.
Maintains a healthy level of blood sugar and insulin
As you exercise, your insulin sensitivity increases, making it easier for your muscles to consume glucose and use it as energy – both during and after your workout. Exercise helps your body’s insulin work more efficiently and lowers your blood sugar levels.
