Introduction
It is easy to imagine that a usual healthy groceries cart would contain a pound of potatoes, some meat, an adequate amount of dairy, and plenty of greens on the side. Whatever your dietary preferences may be, I have a hard time imagining a person who would include a bag of candy into that list. I think it is reasonable to assume that we have an inherent sense of what healthy foods are. This sense is critical to developing because a healthy diet directly affects our physical and emotional wellness. Adjusting one’s nutrition to conform with the commonly understood standards of healthy eating inevitably results in improved physical and mental conditions for most of the populace.
Discussion
A nutritional adjustment might seem difficult until we start to implement small changes in our lifestyles. A decision is so simple as adding more plant-based foods into a diet can make a whole lot of a difference. As Martin and Li (2017) note in their study, plant-based foods provide us with a wide array of macro and micronutrients, including “carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and vitamins A, B, C, D, E, and K, as well as essential minerals and fiber” (p. 699). In sufficient amounts, these nutrients promote hormonal production, muscle development, and digestive health and supply all sorts of visceral systems in our bodies.
On the contrary, junk foods such as burgers, pizza, sweets, and heavily processed items are commonly associated with different health issues. For example, Hafizurrachman and Hartono (2021), claim that hat the caloric density of such foods is a widespread cause of obesity, which in turn often causes cardiovascular diseases and decreases life expectancy. Besides direct health impairments, junk food consumption is also associated with mental issues (Hafizurrachman & Hartono, 2021). The problems that might occur from junk food consumption include anxiety, sleep dissatisfaction, and concentration difficulties in school children.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I believe it is fair to say that adding natural, popularly healthy foods into one’s diet effectively improves well-being. Such food items as vegetables and fruits provide a wide range of essential nutrients that enhance the functionality of a whole organism. Compared to fast and heavily processed counterparts, conventional green food items come out as superior for physical and mental health. Focusing on foods with rich nutritional profiles is a great way to improve all facets of health in one’s organism.
References
Hafizurrachman, M., & Hartono, K. (2021). Junk food consumption and symptoms of mental health problems: A meta-analysis for public health awareness. Kesmas: Jurnal Kesehatan Masyarakat Nasional (National Public Health Journal), 16(1), 1-8.
Martin, C., & Li, J. (2017). Medicine is not health care, food is health care: Plant metabolic engineering, diet and human health. New Phytologist, 216, 699-719.