Many diseases and illnesses are caused by poor eating habits and minimal physical activity.
A Balanced diet
To maintain a healthy diet, there are several essentials. You need vitamins and minerals, and proteins, which are found in meat, fish, eggs, beans, milk, starch and other foods. You also need foods that give you energy. For that you need natural fats, which are found in milk products, red meat and oils; or sugar, of which you can find large quantities in fruits, fruit juices, honey, and ketchup. To speed up the passage of the food you've eaten, you need fibers. Those can be found in fruits, beans and starch. You must also consume the right amount of food for yourself (everyone is different), and to eat a good variety. Each meal should include food from 4 different food groups.
| Grain Products | Vegetables and Fruit | Milk Products | Meat and Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|
| Choose whole grain and enriched products more often. | Choose dark green and orange vegetables and orange fruit more often. | Choose lower-fat milk products more often. | Choose leaner meats, poultry and fish, as well as dried peas, beans and lentils more often. |
Diet related diseases
Diabetes is becoming an increasingly common disease; more than 20% of the North American continent has been diagnosed! There are two type: type 1, you're born with, type 2, you develop if you're overweight or obese. Before, only adults developed type 2, but now, a frighteningly large number of children and teens have been diagnosed! Once you've been diagnosed, you must reduce the amount of sugar that you consume. To avoid diabetes, eat a balanced diet, and exercise regularly.
Multiple sclerosis is another, yet less common diet related disease. It affects your nerves, and eventually you need a wheelchair. To cure it, you need to reduce the amount of milk products, vegetables, eggs, and gluten that you consume, and increase in vitamin D.
Another terrible result of poor eating habits is a heart attack. What happens, is that the fat that you have consumed too much of has clogged your veins, obstructing the flow of blood to your heart. Without blood, there is no oxygen, and your heart can no longer function. To prevent a heart attack, you must avoid fatty foods, such as red meat, whole dairy products, most prepared foods, and junk foods.