Defend against several chronic non-communicable diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease. So eating healthy will help you, in which you can include varied foods and less sodium, saturated fats and trans fats of industrial origin.
- A healthy diet includes a variety of foods in combination. These include:
- Staple foods that include cereals, as well as tubers or vegetables.
- Legumes.
- Fruits and vegetables.
- Foods of animal origin.
Here is some useful information on maintaining a healthy diet and its benefits, based on WHO standards:
Breastfeeding infants and young children:
- Breastfeeding promotes healthy growth and can have long-term health benefits, such as reducing the likelihood of becoming overweight or obese and developing non-communicable diseases later in life. So, a balanced diet starts when you are a baby.
- For a balanced diet, it is essential to breastfeed only for the first six months of life. After that, it is crucial to start introducing a variety of healthy complementary foods at six months and continue breastfeeding until the child is at least two years old.
Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables:
- As they are key sources of antioxidants, dietary fiber, vegetable protein, and vitamins and minerals.
- Obesity, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some malignant tumors are considerably less frequent in people whose diet is rich in fruits and vegetables.
Consume less fat:
- Concentrated sources of energy such as fats and oils. Consuming excessive amounts of inappropriate fats, such as saturated and trans fats from industrial sources, can increase the likelihood of heart disease and stroke.
- To consume healthy fats, replace animal fats or oils rich in saturated fats with unsaturated vegetable oils.
- Total fat intake should not exceed 30% of total caloric intake to avoid unhealthy weight gain.
Reduce salt intake:
- Limiting salt intake to less than 5 hours per day decreases the risk of heart disease and stroke in adults and helps prevent hypertension.
Limit your sugar intake:
- For a balanced diet, less than 10% of total daily calories should come from sugar.
- Fresh fruit is a healthier choice than sugary snacks such as cookies, cakes and chocolate with the goal of reducing sugar.
- Limiting intake of sugar-rich liquids, such as soft drinks, sodas, flavored milks and yogurt-based drinks, is another way to reduce sugar.
