Healthy and unhealthy foods: how different foods can be beneficial and harmful to human health, what healthy food is

Do you want to be healthy and energetic? Start with proper nutrition. Our well-being directly depends on what we eat. A balanced diet is reflected, first of all, in our appearance. A beautiful, even complexion, strong nails, shiny hair - this is thanks to the right food. Cheerfulness, energy and a positive outlook on life - this also comes from healthy food.

By eating unhealthy foods, people obviously doom themselves to a whole series of complications and problems. Lethargy, heaviness in the stomach, nausea and apathy are the first signs of poor nutrition. If you don’t stop in time, you can very soon become the owner of cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and diabetes. This is just a small part of the problems that can arise when eating harmful foods.

Healthy eating: rules and recommendations
Let's talk about healthy and unhealthy foods
Attention! Harmful food additives

Proper nutrition is one of the main components of a healthy lifestyle. By deciding to opt for healthy food, we help the body increase immunity, endurance and get stronger. This is how we prolong our life. It’s not scary if you haven’t been instilled with a culture of healthy eating since childhood, and you don’t know what a healthy lifestyle is. It can be learned at any age. We have outlined a few simple rules. By adhering to them, you will always be healthy and full of strength.

How are the health benefits and harms of food determined?

The beneficial and harmful qualities of foods are determined by nutritionists by how they affect the body after consumption.

The benefit lies in vitamins, minerals and other elements, without which the human body cannot exist normally.

Products with beneficial qualities include environmentally friendly, natural products, the production of which does not use hazardous chemical additives or artificial substances.

The main thing in healthy products is their composition; the following components will be harmful to health:

dyes;
preservatives;
flavor enhancers;
flavorings;
GMO.

An equally important role in assessing the usefulness of food is played by the method of preparation. When using oil of plant or animal origin to process products, harmful substances are released, such as:

polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons;
higher aldehydes;
ultrafine particles;
carcinogens, etc.

Nutritionists include foods prepared as healthy food:

For a couple.
In the oven.
Boiled.

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The most dietary meat

Be sure to check out:

Choosing the healthiest foods Top of the healthiest and most unhealthy foods for children Top of unhealthy foods you should avoid

Vitamin supplements in the form of jelly candies

Vitamin jelly candies are liked by both adults and children. Moreover, they talk about their benefits from the TV screen every day. However, an analysis of the composition of such vitamins made it possible to establish that they contain many dyes, flavors, corn starch and sugar (up to 3 g per 1 serving). The listed substances are not capable of providing health benefits.

Scientists have proven that food dyes cause hyperactivity in children and also cause cancer in animals tested on them. The red dye has been found to cause cancer in laboratory rats. [3]

How different diets can have positive and negative effects on the human body

The human body is a complex system with constantly changing processes; in order for the system to function normally, it must be supplied with all the necessary substances, microelements and vitamins, all of which are found in products.

Food is not just a resource necessary to sustain a person.

Fast food, fast food, alcohol, and everything that can be quickly prepared and without thinking about the contents have a negative effect on the organs.

The danger for humans is that for the production of such products, for example, crackers or chips, harmful chemical elements are used, for example, monosodium glutamate, chemical preservatives, etc. In this case, harm to the body will be caused not only by the chemical component of the product, but also by the method of preparation .

It is important to know that when preparing most fast food, frying oil is used, which during heat treatment begins to release carcinogenic substances - acrylamides. When these substances enter the body, they begin the process of tumor formation, increase sugar levels, which leads to diabetes. There is a risk of developing the following diseases when eating negative food:

chronic fatigue;
allergy;
attacks of aggression;
apathy;
problems with the intestinal tract;
ulcers;
asthma attacks;
allergies, etc.

Coffee is also considered a harmful product - granulated coffee is dangerous; the main mistake is that people drink it on an empty stomach in the morning.

Nutritionists say that after sleep, coffee causes stress in the body, and the digestive system cannot begin productive work during the day. The calorie content of this drink is 100 kcal per 100 g; if you consume it in large quantities, obesity will not take long to occur.

Interestingly, a large amount of fruit causes no less damage to the body than street food. This is due to the fact that during the process of evolution, our ancestors consumed fruits only during warm periods of the year; in winter, their body was rebuilt, and we inherited this feature.

When fructose enters the liver, it begins to form fat. Another disadvantage is that the production of fruits uses chemical elements, for example, pesticides or herbicides, nitrates. If ingested, it may contribute to:

upper respiratory tract diseases;
allergies, etc.

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What is healthy food

Healthy foods are products that provide the human body with all the necessary nutrients, help improve well-being and prevent the occurrence of various types of diseases.

Healthy foods include products of plant origin:

whole grain;
vegetables, products grown on your own plot of land are best suited, as they are guaranteed to not contain chemicals;
fresh fruits and herbs;
lean meats.

Healthy products will provide reliable protection for the body, help improve the functioning of internal systems and organs, and promote the renewal of skin cells.

Essential elements for the body	Description
Beta carotene	Found in orange-colored foods such as carrots, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin. Promotes active collagen production and protects cellular growth.
Vitamins A and E	Antioxidants of natural origin are aimed at rejuvenating cells and tissues and are responsible for the functioning of cells. Group A vitamins are found in large quantities in currants, bell peppers, citrus fruits and kiwi. Vitamins of group E can be provided to the body by consuming foods such as avocados, almonds, etc.
Probiotics	These are substances that are responsible in the body for the normal state of microflora and the proper functioning of the intestinal system. They also help strengthen the immune system. Contained in fermented milk products, such as kefir.
Fatty acid	The main sources of fatty acids and Omega-3s are chia seeds, flax, nuts and cold-water fish. The main task of these elements is to resist inflammatory processes in the human body.

An equally important aspect of proper nutrition is the required amount of water, this will help maintain water balance in the body and protect against dehydration. Without fluid, the human body cannot function properly.

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Breakfast cereals for children

Studies show that each such product is a source of 10 hidden sugars. These include refined sugar and sugar substitutes of artificial and natural origin. Artificial sweeteners are dangerous to a child's health.

A study was conducted at the University of Texas that found that mice fed aspartame suffered from high blood sugar levels. These rodents always ate more food than the control group. As a result, they quickly gained excess weight.

Professional opinions

Nutritionists claim that the phrase “healthy diet” hides ordinary foods, for example, cereals, vegetables and fruits, and dietary meat.

People believe that healthy food should contain a minimum level of fat, but this is not true; the human body cannot function without fats of plant and animal origin.

They are necessary for the active functioning of the brain, improving the condition of the whole organism as a whole, etc.

Important! Transgenic fats are prohibited. They are found in large quantities in fast food and confectionery products.

Healthy foods may contain high calorie content, but the rule has been firmly established in the human mind that in order to lose weight, it is necessary to eat food low in calories. The benefits of foods with minimal calories will be just as minimal.

The diet should be balanced and include both healthy foods and a minimum amount of harmful ones, this will ensure balance and allow you not to break down; over time, harmful foods themselves will disappear from the diet.

Advice from professionals

Candidate of Medical Sciences, nutritionist, chief physician of the healthy nutrition clinic Marina Kopytko	“We are what we eat,” a balanced diet is the key to a healthy lifestyle and longevity; in no case should you exclude from your diet those foods that, at first glance, seem harmful and high in calories. They can contain many useful microelements that are responsible for the functioning of systems in the body.
Dr. Michael Greger is a famous American nutritionist, scientist and publicist.	In no case should you replace normal foods with various supplements; if you want to replenish your supply of antioxidants, then it is better to eat a bowl of sweet potatoes with spinach or beans, because plants push away diseases such as diabetes, heart attack, depression, and cancer.
Antonova Anna – family doctor, nutritionist, nutritionist, nutrition specialist	It is necessary to remember the ratio of fats, proteins and carbohydrates; based on this, the diet is compiled, products with the greatest amount of useful and nutritious elements are selected.

Instant noodles

Instant noodles themselves do not cause serious harm to health. Seasonings and vegetable oil, which are contained in a separate sachet and are a complement to each such serving, are dangerous.

Scientists from Baylor University (America) have found that people who eat such noodles more than 2 times every 7 days are at high risk of developing cardiometabolic syndrome, heart disease, diabetes and stroke.[4]

Main conclusions

The feeling of fullness is influenced by lifestyle and nutrition. The more we eat healthy foods, the healthier we feel. The main component of the diet is cereals, vegetables and fruits, sources of protein: meat, fish and legumes. You shouldn’t completely give up fast food and try to completely eliminate it from your diet, but you need to make it healthy. For example, don’t go to a burger shop for a portion of quick pleasure, but buy the necessary ingredients, replace the sweet bun with grain bread, take deli meat, add vegetables, homemade sauce and make a really healthy burger and enjoy it. Or periodically allow yourself such weaknesses and not try to completely control your diet. Maintain balance and moderation in everything.

Pangasius

In America and in a number of European countries, this fish is prohibited for sale. It is grown in Vietnam in the Mekong River. It is recognized as one of the dirtiest rivers on the entire planet. Not only sewage drains, but also waste from enterprises are drained into it.

In order for the fish to reproduce faster and gain weight, it is fed with growth hormones and antibacterial drugs. Testing of fish meat found that it is a source of heavy metals, chemicals, E. coli and listeria. [5]

Harmful, but I want it that way

Why does the desire arise to eat something that will have a detrimental effect on our well-being in the future, but we stubbornly avoid obviously healthy foods? Let us reveal a little secret that will allow you to make the right choice.

So, let's begin and immediately note that the world's food companies rely on two things: the feeling of eating food and the actual amount of nutrients.

In the first moment, manufacturers spend an insane amount of money on inventing an exclusive taste. And not just exclusive, but one that you will want to return to again and again.

Another point is that there are still useful properties that, whatever one may say, must be present in the product. That is, if it is not possible to attract the buyer with taste, then this will be done with the help of a set of certain components, which, according to manufacturers, every body needs.

The Russian Ministry of Health plans to launch a new strategy for creating a healthy lifestyle. One of the steps is to eliminate junk food advertising.