Realistically we all know the foods that are bad for us, just as we know the foods that are good for us. We know if we are over weight and we know if we are under weight. We also know that by not following a healthy diet, but not exercising and by being over weight we are putting ourselves at risk to a number of health conditions. Sometimes we kid ourselves that we are eating the right foods other times we make excuses that with our busy lives we simply do not have the time to prepare healthy, home cooked meals every day. Either way if we are not eating the right foods then sometime down the line we are at risk of giving ourselves a health induced problem, one of which could cut our life short. Sounds harsh but for every year we spend over weight or not looking after ourselves we are cutting time off of our life span.
One consequence of eating badly is heart disease. This is something that we hear a lot about but tend to ignore. However it really isn’t hard to introduce foods to your daily diet. Even introducing just some of these is a great start to a healthy life. Even if we already have heart disease it is not too late to do something about it.
Adding fiber to your daily diet is a great way to improve your chances of avoiding heart disease. This fiber can be soluble or insoluble and is found in a whole host of foods. Foods such as pets, oats, flaxseed and dried beans contain soluble fiber and insoluble fiber can be found in whole wheat, wheat bran, vegetables such as cauliflower and green beans and the skins of fruits and root vegetables.
Trans fat and saturated fats cause cholesterol to build up in your arteries which can lead to heart problems and so should definitely be avoided as much as possible. Unfortunately these are found in most of the foods that we know and love – cakes, sweets, cookies, frozen ready meals, butter and fast food. We should always enjoy a healthy balanced diet and do our best to ensure we don’t over indulge ourselves on any of these foods.
Some foods contain a pigment called flavonoids which help protect your heart. However these types of foods can cause your body too release too much insulin so should be monitored. These foods are mainly grains, beans, fruits and vegetables.
Mainly as a society we know what is good for us and what isn’t. When we are reaching for the 2nd chocolate biscuit to dunk into our afternoon tea we know we shouldn’t. It is all about balance and ensuring that we enjoy the foods we do like as well as the ones that are very good for us. This is the best way to ensure that we stay happy and healthy.
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