You know that you should eat better, but for some reason that you can't quite place, you're not. Or maybe you're one of the many North Americans who resolved to improve their diets this year and have given up on your resolution already. If this sounds familiar, then take comfort in knowing you're on the right track. You have the knowledge and the desire to improve your health by improving your diet. All you need is a little push to get started. So, for those of you looking for some motivation to start, here are seven great reasons.
Look Younger
If you choose to eat primarily junk food and processed food, not only are you not giving your body the nutrients it needs, but also you are consciously ingesting toxins that your body will have to work to remove. Consuming sugars and grains, especially processed forms, will increase your insulin level, and that is the equivalent of slamming your foot on the aging accelerator. There is simply no more potent way to reduce aging than by choosing to re-evaluate your consumption of sugar and grains.
Reach Your Optimal Weight
If you're eating the right foods and in the right proportion, it is almost impossible to overeat, as your body will naturally tell you when you are full. Further, your body will naturally normalize its weight, whether you need to lose weight or gain it.
If your diet is focused on carbohydrates like grains, potatoes, sweets and other starchy and sugary foods, you'll likely have trouble losing weight. This is because the body's storage capacity for carbohydrates is quite limited and when you eat them in excess they are converted, via insulin, into fat and stored in the adipose, or fatty, tissue. This is our main estrogen connection as post menopausal women.
Improve Your Mood
If you feel depressed or experience a drop in mood an hour of so after eating it may be due to an improper combination of proteins, fats and carbohydrates at your last meal. You might be eating good food but having too much of one type of food in place of another can easily produce the symptoms related to an imbalance. You can determine the correct combination of foods for you and you'll likely find that your mood improves after a meal.
Increase Energy
Eating the right foods and in the right amounts, will produce a marked and lasting improvement in your energy and should leave you feeling satisfied for hours. On the contrary, eating junk foods will cause your energy levels to drop.
Get Radiant Skin
If you eat a diet full of pure, whole foods, your body will be healthy and will have the nutrients to devote to things such as skin and hair. If you only give your body a limited amount of nutrients, your body will use them for immediate, vital functions and may not have enough left over to improve the quality of your skin.
Fight Disease and Prevent Common Illness
Eating right will strengthen your immune system, and, as you likely know, a strong immune system is key to fighting off disease, viruses and other illness. It is especially imperative to avoid sugar if you feel you are coming down with something. But keeping sugar out of your diet for the long haul will do wonders for your health and make your body stronger, which will make it harder for the flu or other common illness to bother you.
Live a Longer, Higher-Quality Life
Along with living a longer life, you will have a higher quality of life when you eat the right foods. Your insulin levels will stay under control - remember, elevated insulin levels are one of the major accelerants of aging--and you will have energy, stamina and great cognitive function, even as you get older. Start Eating Right Today!
