According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, “Good nutrition is an important part of leading a healthy lifestyle. Combined with physical activity, your diet can help you to reach and maintain a healthy weight, reduce your risk of chronic diseases (like heart disease and cancer), and promote your overall health.” Nutrition is a fundamental building block to lead an optimal life.
However, over the past 25 years, we have seen alarming trends in poor eating habits and lack of physical exercise leading to an increase in the general population being overweight or obese. According to Health.Gov, “Concurrent with these diet-related health problems persisting at high levels, trends in food intake over time show that, at the population level, Americans are not consuming healthy eating patterns. For example, the prevalence of overweight and obesity has risen and remained high for the past 25 years.” Poor nutrition, bad eating habits, and lack of exercise have been directly linked to numerous serious health issues, which include but are not limited to:
- Overweight/Obesity (Which may increase your risk of developing the health issues below)
- Type II Diabetes
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Heart Disease
- Certain Types of Cancer
- Osteoporosis
- Sleep Apnea
- Fatty Liver Disease
- Kidney Disease
- Pregnancy Problems - difficulty becoming pregnant, high blood sugar while pregnant, etc.
The Link Between Nutrition and Disease
Many of these common health issues are preventable through diet, exercise, and maintaining a healthy weight. Being overweight or obese increases your risk of developing the illnesses listed above. For example, The National Institutes of Health states, “The DPP found that losing just 5 to 7 percent of your body weight and doing moderately intense exercise (like brisk walking) for 150 minutes a week may prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.”
Aiming to Lead a Disease-Free Life
We hope everyone strives to lead a disease-free life and the easiest way to do so is to eat a healthy nutritious diet, maintain a healthy weight, and get regular exercise. Leading a healthy life does not have to be confusing or overwhelming, just start small. For example, start by aiming to just eat more leafy greens every day. Next, try to incorporate daily movement into your schedule, such as a walk around the block. Take small steps and this will lead to long term success in living your most optimal life.
Tasty Recipes You Might Enjoy:
Spinach Salad with Orange Vinaigrette