Healthy Eating Habits For A Longer Life

The basic purpose of food is to provide us with matter and energy. During early years of human civilization all food was grown organically, but today due to the introduction of technology, monetary pressures on the industry, and ever-increasing problem of population, the production of food has undergone drastic changes. These changes included adverse genetic alterations to plants and animals and polluting of soil and water.

One must note that eating the right kind food is very crucial to our health and longevity. Some basic things that will ensure that you consume the right kinds of foods and live a longer, fulfilling life are given below.

• The first thing is to find food that is organic. Organic foods are nearest to their natural forms and are genetically unaltered.
• Eating local food is a good idea. It would mean that the food is fresh. Stick to the food of your region i.e. the food that’s generally being consumed by the people in your region over different periods. This doesn’t mean that foods from other regions should be avoided but should be tested first before you eat them.
• Vegetarian foods are better than non-vegetarian foods owing to the presence of less contaminating substances in them. Also, vegetarian food is easier to break down, for the human body.
• Food should be eaten in moderate amounts. You can divide the food into several small meals every day. This way, food is better absorbed and digested by the body.
• Its good to study different food groups and not mix the wrong kinds of foods together. Bad food combinations can lead to bad stomachs and may cause food allergies as well. A lot of foods do not go together and others may have to be consumed alone leaving considerable time gaps.
• Meals should be well balanced and should contain all kinds of vitamins, minerals, carbs and essential fatty acids.
• A good diet has to include an intake of at least 4 to 6 liters of clean water every day.

Lets take a look at certain foods you need to avoid in excess:

• Food processing is a sure way of ridding a food item of its nutritional value. Food is the most nutritious when it’s raw. If processing is required to remove the threat of bacteria, viruses or to facilitate digestion then food can be heated for a short while in boiling water. Frying, baking and microwaving are sure to damage the molecular structure of foods making them nutritionally less valuable.
• Foods with preservatives should be completely avoided. If bacteria doesn’t find the food worth eating, then it’s also not healthy for you.
• Avoid foods like processed butter and margarines. Also avoid oils that are treated with the process of “hydrogenation”. Hydrogenation corrupts the chemical composition of oils and leads to the formation of unnatural toxic molecules.

Food should be prepared and stored in appropriate containers. Some containers may react with the food stored in them and produce contaminants. Containers to be used should be free of lead. Such containers are mostly made of glass and high quality ceramics.

We can use a variety of containers for cooking such as the ones made of glass, ceramic and stainless steel. Containers made of copper, silver and aluminum etc. should not be used.