It’s safe to say that we all know that eating healthy foods is good for our health, but do you know why?

Read on as our team at AFC Urgent Care Greenwood provides some answers.

What Is Good Nutrition and Why Is It Important?

Good nutrition means your body is getting all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals it needs to work the way that it should.

These days, the motivation for a nutritious lifestyle is often just to lose weight. However, there are lots of other and, perhaps, more important reasons that a nutritious diet is beneficial for your body.

Good nutrition can reduce the risk of some diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke, some cancers and osteoporosis. Plus, it improves your ability to fight off illness and provides the energy you need throughout the day! The foods that we’ve listed below don’t offer any of these benefits.

Foods to Limit in Your Diet

• Processed foods
• Unhealthy, sugary fruit juices
• An excess amount of carbohydrates
• Fatty meats
• White starches

So What Should I Be Eating?

Basically, foods that aren’t processed. That means that it’s important to stray away from fast foods, unhealthy TV dinners, junk foods and the foods that we’ve previously mentioned.

To keep you healthy, add foods to your diet that are rich in vitamins and minerals, such as fruits, veggies, lean meats, nuts and whole grains. We further explain why those foods are beneficial below.

What A Healthy Diet Should Look Like

• Raw fruits—To get the benefit of the natural fiber in fruits, you should eat fruit whole rather than as juices.
• Vegetables—Vegetables are loaded with vitamins and nutrients to benefit your body, so add them to your meals every day.
• Whole grains—Whole grains are packed with nutrients including protein, fiber, B-vitamins and antioxidants. If you decide to eat bread or crackers, choose a whole-grain option to keep it healthier.
• Nuts—Nuts are good for the brain. Experts have found that nuts benefit the brain by enhancing cognition, memory, recall and rest.
• Lean meats—Meats such as salmon and lean cuts of poultry have less fat and fewer calories but are still good sources of protein.

A healthier you starts with the foods you consume! We’d encourage you to evaluate your diet and make changes accordingly. If you have any questions or require medical care, don’t hesitate to stop by AFC Urgent Care Greenwood today.