A proper diet, including all food groups, is optimal for achieving a healthy body. Since we are young, we are all taught that eating fruits and vegetables is beneficial and that we are unlikely to get sick if we always include them in our meals. On the other hand, unhealthy food choices can be easily found in the market and are often very hard to resist. This is especially true if you haven’t built a good habit of including good food choices in your eating habit.
With many processed foods available, it is effortless to pack your meals with unhealthy contents unconsciously. Often, these foods come with harmful fats, sodium, and cholesterol levels that can influence your biological age and increase your risk of developing certain health problems.
Unhealthy Diet & Your Health
Usually, we think that our body is still young and so unhealthy eating is less harmful. However, a body age test which can be composed of different evaluations like cholesterol and blood sugar levels, eating habits and lifestyle, can reveal otherwise. Although some people are still young in actual age, their biological profile may appear older when it comes to their cumulative rate of ageing.
Many components in our food have a bad reputation and are often linked to diseases. Aside from being associated with heart and liver problems, fats are suggested to speed up premature ageing. But with the knowledge of the healthy kinds and limits, you can enjoy this food group without having to worry about the negative effects it may cause your body.
Different Types of Fat
There are two major dietary fats, and both have different structures and properties. Although they are said to be essential in our body for our cell functions, keep in mind that too much consumption of fat, especially the bad type, can be unhealthy.
Saturated Fats
Often referred to as the bad guy amongst all kinds of fats, this kind of fat is known as solid fats as they stay solid at room temperature. You can find saturated fats in most animal-based products such as pork, beef, eggs, poultry, full-fat dairy items, and baked and fried foods. Tropical oils such as hydrogenated coconut oil and palm kernel oil also contain this kind of fat.
The recommended amount of saturated fat in your daily diet is only 5% to 6% of calories. This is because this kind of fat is attributed to the elevation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or bad cholesterol. Hence it is not good for your health. With increased cholesterol levels, plaque buildup is a hard-to-avoid risk that often leads to heart disease.
Unsaturated Fats
Unsaturated fats, or the ‘good fat’, are known for contributing good effects to the body compared to unsaturated fats. They are liquid at room temperature. They are beneficial because they improve blood cholesterol levels, help ease inflammation, reduce blood clotting, and are heart-friendly due to their ability to decrease the risks of developing heart attack and stroke. There are two kinds of these good fats: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
Monounsaturated fats have a double-bond structure and are rich in the antioxidant vitamin E. Some of the common sources of monounsaturated fats are avocados, olives, nuts such as cashew, hazelnuts, brazil nuts, almonds, and seeds like pumpkin and sesame seeds. They are also found in common cooking oils, including olive, peanut, and canola.
The other unsaturated fat type is polyunsaturated fats. This contains more than two double bonds, which makes them different from monounsaturated fat. This good fat is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, which is famous for being pro-heart health. This type of fat is abundant in fatty fish like salmon and mackerel but can also be found in flaxseeds and walnuts.
Fats and Ageing
There are many ways the consumption of too much fat can promote premature ageing. To start, the consumption of too much fat can lead to weight gain and obesity, which increase metabolic imbalances and affect the body’s cellular processes like ageing.
Compared to other nutrients found in food, all fats are more packed with energy containing nine grams of calories every gram, and consuming high levels of it, especially saturated or trans fats, is a precursor to additional weight. As proven by scientific evidence, excess weight and fats in the body result in many health problems, including heart disease and stroke.
High consumption of fats is also attributed to speeding up the premature ageing of the biggest organ in the body, the skin. A 2020 study published by the Nutrients journal about the relation between diet and skin ageing suggests that high fat is connected to skin inflammation. This leads to the destruction of the skin’s structural components and contributes to the formation of wrinkles.
Good Nutrition Best Practices
Similar to lifestyle modification, you can also change your eating habits and food choices to ensure optimal health. Good nutrition does not mean excluding fats from your diet. Remember, fat is also an important food group. However, the key to avoiding health problems and premature ageing promoted by high-fat consumption is to go for the right and healthier fats. Here are some of the best practices for better nutrition:
- Instead of choosing full-fat dairy products, you can opt for low-fat options such as liquid non-tropical plant oils such as olive, canola, and corn oil. As with protein sources, choose lean meat, poultry, or fish, especially salmon, which is high in omega-e fatty acids;
- Always go for whole foods instead of choosing ultra-processed foods. Often, these ultra-processed foods contain huge amounts of trans fats. This can cause chronic inflammation in the body, which aids the ageing of your cells. Whole foods, such as those that are from nature, like fruits and vegetables, are your best options instead of going for industrially produced products like processed oils, refined sugar, white flour, and many more;
- Stay hydrated and always ensure to consume enough amounts of liquid, especially water. Good hydration and sufficient fluid levels in the body is the optimal part of our diet. Aside from aiding vital bodily functions to occur, staying well-hydrated also keeps your skin healthy, reducing the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines and t other signs of ageing;
- Develop a healthy eating habit to give your body the sustained energy needed to perform physical activity. This, in turn, will help you maintain weight and increase your metabolism;
- Avoid consuming high amounts of salt or sodium as part of your daily intake. These come in the form of junk foods like chips, sodas and energy drinks, which often contain high amounts of added sugars aside from sodium. Consuming these kinds of food can also cause your cells to shrink, leaving your skin dehydrated and ageing faster.
Take Away
Staying healthy should not be as stressful as it sounds. While planning healthy meals and regular exercise can be overwhelming, the key is balancing everything and ensuring that you consume healthy foods across all food groups. A healthy eating habit is vital regardless of your age, but it creates a big difference internally, affecting your biological ageing and overall wellness.
Aside from avoiding the development of chronic diseases, prolonging your life is also the top benefit of having a healthy diet. Always remember to balance your consumption of calories with the amount of physical activity that you do.
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