We often complain about how a healthy diet is much more expensive than a not-so-healthy one. However, following this poor excuse seems to be affecting us more than we thought. Up to one out of five deaths all around the world are related to bad diets.
Although there are various factors that affect deaths linked to dietary issues, there a four key points that are extremely important, but people increasingly ignore. It’s essential you keep these in mind if you want to live a long, healthy life.
Up your nut game
A very high percentage of people give a minimum importance to the amount of nuts they consume. In fact, people are not used to ingesting nuts because they are usually not part of regular recipes. Nuts are also overlooked at when it comes to snacking.
Nuts are essential to our diets. They contain all sorts of fiber, protein, vitamins and healthy fats. And yet, on average, we only consume 3 grams daily, when we should be aiming for 21.
Drink more milk
Although there are many open debates on whether we should drink milk or not, whole milk seems to be coming back strong. And apparently, we are only ingesting 16% of what we should be.
However counterintuitive it may seem, consuming full-fat dairy products seems to lead to a decreased obesity risk. It also improves vitamin D absorption in children. And of course, the most obvious one: milk is related to stronger bones.
Eat more whole grain products
Out of all of the things we are lacking in our diets, whole grains are also on top of the list. Although we should be ingesting 125 grams daily, the reality is that we only ingest 29 grams. The problem with a low whole grain intake is that it’s a huge risk factor for death and disease.
Upping your whole grain intake can be highly beneficial for your health. The risk of heart disease becomes lower, digestive health improves and it helps with weight management.
Say no to processed food
Processed foods are a massive sector of the food industry. Sugary drinks, all sorts of processed meats, and foods that are too salty all take part in this extremely unhealthy lifestyle. A lifestyle filled with devastating side-effects. High amounts of soda causes weight gain, diabetes and tooth decay.
High amounts of sodium, like those found in processed food, are very unhealthy because it rises blood pressure, and increases your risk of having a stroke or a heart attack. Processed meats, in particular, have shown to cause diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer.
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