What Are the Benefits of Eating a Balanced Diet?

Dietetics | Posted on 07/07/2022 by RBH

What Are the Benefits of Eating a Balanced Diet?

There is a very famous saying, "You are what you eat." This means that your body reflects what you put into it. If you are wondering why doctors always recommend eating a well-balanced diet, it is because if you choose the wrong kind of diet, it harms your health, and if you eat healthily, then you will find yourself in a good healthy body.

A balanced diet not only fills your stomach and gives you energy for the whole day, but it is also very important for your overall health. There is no doubt that your body needs fuel so that it can go around with energy throughout the day, but it also boosts your immunity and also protects against infectious diseases, such as fever, cold, etc. A well-balanced diet nourishes your body and suppresses hunger. If you aren’t aware of the benefits of a balanced diet, then read this blog, and you will know. But before we start, let us first know what a balanced diet is.

What is a balanced diet?

As the name suggests, a balanced diet contains all the vital nutrients, minerals, and vitamins in good amounts, which helps our daily body to overcome deficiencies. Many diseases and health complications can be avoided by eating healthy food. Along with a well-balanced diet, it is also important to keep in mind that you should include all the healthy fats and carbohydrates in it, but ensure that you are conscious of portion control.

Why is a balanced diet important?

A well-balanced diet is very important because different components are found in it. Let us see below which are all those components:

• Carbohydrates- This gives your body the necessary energy, and it must be at least 50-60% of your diet. You can include pulses, daliya, ragi, bajra, barley, oats, vegetables, etc. for carbohydrates.
• Protein- It helps in increasing your muscles and growing your hair and improving skin. Make sure to include 10-12% protein in your diet. You can include eggs, fish, chicken, beans, soybeans, nuts, seeds, yoghurt, etc. for proteins.
• Fat- It is a big misconception that fat is not good for the body. It would be better if you keep healthy fats in your diet. Healthy fats maintain your body temperature and provide fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, E, and K. Sources of healthy fats are nuts, seeds, fatty fish, extra virgin olive oil, avocados, etc.
• Vitamins- We all know how important vitamins are for our body, such as A, C, B, and D. The sources of vitamins are fruits, vegetables, poultry, seeds, and nuts.
• Minerals- Minerals help us to get energy through what we eat and increase the growth of our organs. The most essential minerals are iron, sodium, potassium, calcium, and iodine. Its sources are fish, meat, beans, cereals, nuts and seeds.
• Water- And, now the most important and usually overlooked component is water. It is important to have at least drink more than 8 glasses of water daily.

Weekly well-balanced diet chart

Here is an example to help you prepare a balanced diet chart:

Benefits of eating a well-balanced diet

If you want to know what and how many benefits are there of a well-balanced diet, then keep reading below:

Reduces the risk of heart disease

According to research, it has been found that a balanced diet and physical activity help in removing 70-80% of heart diseases. Healthy eating helps in keeping the heart healthy and in reducing blood pressure.

Prevents Cancer and Delays Ageing

If your meals are loaded with antioxidants, it helps you to reduce the risk of cancer. All the free radicals in our body increase the risk of cancer, and antioxidants successfully reduce this risk through a well-balanced diet. You should include green vegetables, carrots, nuts, seeds, blueberries, raspberries, etc. in your diet which also helps in reducing the signs of ageing.

Boosts mood

According to a study, both nutrition and mood are related to each other. A healthy and balanced diet helps in improving mood. If you want to feel happy all the time, then eat one meal full of nutrition in all three meals.

Strengthens bones

If you want strong bones and teeth, then eat food that contains plenty of calcium and magnesium. Good bone health keeps you away from bone problems in old age. Always eat food that contains low-fat, cabbage, broccoli, etc. for healthy bones.

Controls body-weight

Obesity is becoming very common due to the food we eat these days. Because of busy schedules, people look for quick food options like junk food, highly processed food, sugary drinks etc. So, it has become very important to give up such habits and choose a healthy balanced diet which is full of nutrition. Healthy eating not only fulfils the deficiencies of our body but also helps in keeping weight under control. We do not think that after knowing this benefit, you would also again trap yourself in unhealthy eating.

Gives Energy

Eating a well-balanced diet gives energy to your body. You do not feel tired all the time. If you want to remain active always, then make a habit of a well-balanced diet and limit your habit of eating unhealthy food.

Conclusion

There are many benefits of eating a well-balanced diet, so why not eat a well-balanced meal once in a while? It is very difficult to eat healthy meals all the time, that too when every person is short of time in today's time. So, you have to ensure that one meal a day is full of nutrients. If you feel that this is difficult for you, then you can consult a professional nutritionist. They will plan your meals and ensure that you have essential nutrients in your food, and if there is any deficiency in your body, then it is also fulfilled. You can book an appointment at Rukmani Birla Hospital, which is the best healthcare service in Jaipur, where you will find experienced and very professional nutritionists. The doctors here make sure that they understand your needs well and fulfil whatever your requirements are.