By: Busra Ozkaya
A healthy diet consists of a variety of nutrient-rich foods that provide essential nutrients, promote
overall health, and reduce the risk of chronic diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and
cancer. Since maintaining a healthy diet is crucial for overall well-being, we need to take conscious steps
and make informed decisions about the foods we eat, and even how and when we consume them. By
following specific processes and taking significant steps, one can achieve a healthy diet.
First of all, understanding the nutritional needs to have a healthy body is so important. This involves
adopting the recommended daily intake of essential nutrients such as carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins,
and minerals. Another important point is to keep in mind that individual daily nutritional requirements are
based on factors like age, gender, weight, and degree of physical activity. A balanced energy intake
(calories) is essential to refrain from unhealthy weight gain, total fat should not exceed 30% of total
energy intake and intake of free sugar should be limited to less than 10% of total energy intake.
Additionally, a further decrease in sugar intake to less than 5% of total energy intake is recommended for
health benefits by the WHO.
Secondly, picking out and consuming a wide variety of foods from all food groups is another key
aspect of a healthy diet. In other words, our bodies need fruits, vegetables, legumes (lentils and beans),
whole grains (unprocessed maize, millet, oats, wheat, and brown rice), lean proteins, nuts, and healthy
fats for optimal health. According to the WHO report, at least 400 g (i.e., five portions) of fruit and
vegetables every single day, excluding potatoes and other starchy roots, are parts of an optimal diet.
The report also offers us some tips to achieve a sufficient intake of fruits and vegetables:
-Always include vegetables in meals!
-Choose fresh fruits and raw vegetables instead of snacks!
-Consume fresh fruits and vegetables in their suitable season!
On the other hand, minimizing the consumption of processed foods, fast foods, and snacks supports a
healthier diet and reduces the risk of obesity.
What size portion we consume is equally important to what we consume because controlling
portion sizes helps to maintain a healthy weight. While eating, to have self-control and to find the right
balance, using smaller plates and serving sizes can help manage calorie intake. Meal planning and
preparation beforehand can help incentivize and maintain consistently healthy eating habits. To put it
another way, as it helps you manage ingredients and portions it might help you keep away from
resorting to unhealthy food choices out of convenience.
One of the highlights is being balanced with water and salt in the body. Drinking an adequate
amount of water throughout the entire day helps to maintain a hydrated body. Therefore, it contributes to carrying out bodily functions, facilitating digestion, and regulating body temperature. Although water is
the best choice for hydration, other options like herbal teas are convenient. Cynthia Thurlow, who is a health coach and nutrition specialist, states that plain coffee and teas are beneficial to help restrict calorie intake. She also advocates that they can reduce cravings for foods and snacks. Unfortunately, many people around the world are often unaware of the amount of salt and water they consume, ignoring the required balance of salt and water for their bodies. Keeping salt intake to less than 5 g every single day helps to prevent hypertension, chronic heart disease, and stroke, especially in the
elderly adult population. For this reason, WHO Member States have been working to decrease the global
population’s intake of salt by 2025.
In conclusion, by following these steps and making gradual changes to eating habits, individuals
can achieve a sustainable diet and improve their overall health and well-being. As a result, we can work
together to make positive changes, thus creating a healthier world for ourselves and others.
