How Nutrition Affects Overall Health
The foods you eat fuel your body and help it function. Calcium builds strong bones. Iron builds healthy blood. Protein builds strong muscles. When your nutrition suffers, your body suffers too. Dr. Camille Dillard of Natural Health Center in Rome, NY, is a Preventive Medicine physician who offers comprehensive medical services, including nutritional guidance and counseling.
What You Need To Know About Proper Nutrition
Fast food, salty and sweet snacks, and processed foods can all make you feel less than healthy. A continuous diet of unhealthy foods can cause illness and disease too. Consider how these foods affect your body:
- High-fat foods can lead to clogged arteries, which can result in a heart attack or stroke
- High-sugar foods can lead to elevated blood sugar levels, which can result in developing diabetes
- High-salt foods can lead to elevated blood pressure, which can result in heart damage
According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, poor diet is the leading cause of premature deaths in the United States, causing an average of 678,000 deaths each year.
So, what should you eat? The Center for Science in the Public Interest recommends eating a diet composed of:
- Vegetables and fruits
- Beans and nuts
- Whole grains
- Low-fat dairy
- Lean proteins like poultry or fish
Superfoods should be included in your diet too. Consider adding:
- Sweet potatoes, which are high in fiber and carotenoids
- Mangoes, which are high in vitamins A and C, and potassium
- Greek yogurt, which is high in calcium and protein
- Broccoli, which is high in vitamins C and K, folate, and carotenoids
- Wild Salmon, which is high in omega-3 fatty acids
- Oatmeal, which is high in fiber
- Watermelon, which is high in vitamins A and C, potassium, and lycopene
- Squash, which is high in fiber and vitamins A and C
- Leafy greens, which are high in iron, calcium, fiber, vitamins A, C, and K, folate, potassium, and magnesium
Be sure to read the labels when you shop for groceries. Pay special attention to calories, sugar content, salt content, and fat content, especially trans-fats. When you fuel your body with the right foods, it can help you stay healthy.
Want To Know More?
To discover more about how nutrition affects your overall health, call Preventive Medicine physician, Dr. Camille Dillard of Natural Health Center in Rome, NY. You can reach her in the office by calling (888) 338-9355, so call today.