Working a 9-5 job shouldn’t stop you from keeping yourself and your family healthy. There are ways you can maintain a balanced diet without exerting too much effort in prepping and cooking your meals yourself. But is there really a need to go the extra mile in preparing healthy food, or would any ingredient and dish serve equally well?
While many people assume that unhealthy food is just there for flavour, we know that healthy food can taste equally as good as meals you have outside that contain copious amounts of salt, taste enhancers and MSG. Still, aside from this myth being debunked, we have listed some benefits of healthy meals that go way beyond just the food itself. Here are some that we know will benefit you and your loved ones at home.
-
Keeping your heart healthy
According to statistics, heart disease is one of the significant causes of death in adults all over the world. Foods high in fat can lead to hypertension or high blood pressure, one of the leading causes of heart failure, heart attack, and stroke. But fret not, as a diet that contains plenty of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains along with reduced sodium intake can create a significant improvement in your heart health.
-
Reduce your risk for cancer
Fruits and vegetables, as well as legumes and nuts, are excellent sources of antioxidants, such as lycopene, beta-carotene, and vitamins A, C, and E, should be included in your diet. These can not only reduce your risk of a wide range of cancers, it also introduce a plethora of vital vitamins and minerals that are vital to keeping healthy bodily functions. Raspberries, broccoli, cabbage, spinach, eggplants, and apples are among the best foods to eat if you want to pack on antioxidants too.
-
Improve your mood.
Researchers discovered that eating foods with high glycaemic loads, such as refined carbohydrates in white bread, biscuits, cakes, and fizzy drinks, can increase the symptoms of fatigue and depression. Snacking on complex carbohydrates, such as sweet potatoes, quinoa, beans, and rolled oats, can increase serotonin, the feel-good chemical, in your brain. That is why a full and healthy meal can often keep you satiated and prevent you from snacking, introducing high levels of glucose, sweeteners and other artificial products into your body.
-
Keep your gut function stable.
The colon has natural bacteria that help in metabolism and digestion. They also produce vitamins B and K, which are good for the colon as they help fight harmful bacteria and viruses. Eating foods high in fibre and low in sugar helps decrease inflammation of your gut, increasing naturally occurring bacteria in your stomach. These not only help keep your energy levels throughout the day but have also shown tangible benefits in maintaining a healthy weight, according to research and studies.
-
Maintain cognition and brain health.
A study identified foods and nutrients that help prevent dementia, memory loss, and cognitive decline in the elderly. To keep your brain healthy, you need to consume foods rich in vitamins C, D, and E, omega-3 fatty acids, flavonoids, and polyphenols. These include fatty fish, coffee, blueberries, turmeric, dark chocolate, nuts, broccoli, pumpkin seeds, and eggs, to name a few. While this has always been touted for both the young and the elderly, our diet is one of the main parts of our lifestyles and maintaining a good diet will benefit people of all ages in the long run.
-
Help you lose weight.
Eating a balanced diet will help you maintain a moderate weight, reducing your risk of chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart ailments, and some cancers. It is also known that fruits, vegetables and beans that are high in dietary fibre can also keep you feeling satisfied, reducing hunger pangs and snacking episodes, helping you keep to a planned diet or staying without a certain caloric count.
Conclusion
Healthy dieting doesn’t have to be difficult, fussy or complicated. Knowing the right methods to prepare healthy meals can often be tastier than foods packed to the brim with salt and MSG. If this is something you and your family are looking for and need help with, then we at FattyDaddyFattyMummy are here to provide a solution.
We have designed our healthy and nutritious menu, Love, Tingkat!,to revolve around the concept of healthy meals. This is the perfect menu for parents that want to provide delicious and nutritious meals for their families and loved ones. With only the freshest of ingredients and professional cooking methods that utilise less sodium, healthier canola oil, no MSG or artificial flavours, and no processed or canned foods, we are certain that this is the best tasting healthy meal you can get. With our tingkat home delivery in Singapore, you and your loved ones are sure to come back to a piping hot, healthy and delicious meal every night!