It's super important to eat healthy, we hear this all the time. We know it keeps us trim, but... what else? And is junk food really so bad in moderation?

Being Calorie Smart

For those trying to lose weight, lower calorie diets can seem like the end of the world. It can feel restrictive and difficult. If it didn’t, more people would be trying to lose weight!

The good news is that a healthy diet can help make the journey much, much easier. Things like vegetables and fruit are low in calorie, but have big filling potential. That means you can fill your plate with these healthy options, and top it with lean protein and carbs, for a well-rounded, low-calorie meal.

Getting Your Vitamins

Fruits and vegetables have no cholesterol. But they do have vitamins like A, C and potassium. Things like folic acid found in these foods can help the body form red blood cells, helping you stay in tip top shape, especially if you’re pregnant.

That means a healthy diet can lead to better hair, teeth, skin, general organ health, and then some. Compare that to your daily junk food runs, and you’ll immediately feel and see the difference.

Heart Healthy

Imagine what fried foods and burgers do to your heart. Layers of fat can constrict, or suffocate the heart, leading to lower blood flow and overall a higher risk for heart conditions.

But healthy foods lead to a reduced risk. Stoke chances significantly plummet for those with healthy, balanced diets. It’s even been linked to less propensity for things like obesity, diabetes and cancer.

Staying Regular

Not to get too graphic, but eating healthy helps you stay regular. Your bowel movements move at a regular, natural pace, without the bloat, the pain, and the constipation. And although it’s a smart part, it matters quite a bit.

Think about it this way: say a man is all about junk food. He wakes up to eat pizza for breakfast, he has mac n’ cheese for lunch, and then lasagna for dinner. He’s probably going to have a tough time in the bathroom.

Now, compare him to a guy who eats lean protein, such as chicken breasts and fatty fish. Maybe this guy eats oatmeal in the morning, and he mixes plenty of vegetables into all of his meals. Nothing overly fatty, or high in calories, except on occasion.

The differences would be very real. The one with the healthier diet would forgo all major issues, feel much more at ease in his clothing, etc.

It’s Easier to Maintain Weight

Healthy eating and weight management go hand in hand. Sure, you can lose weight while eating a terrible diet. After all, it’s all about your calorie intake. It’s a number’s game.

But considering healthy foods are lower in calories, it’s much easier to feel full, and eat much more, while still losing or maintaining weight. In a stark contrast, eating the same amount of unhealthy food would take way too much exercise to burn off. In fact, it would quickly become unsustainable, leading to an excess of fat storage and weight gain.

High Energy Levels

It’s no secret that what you put in your body has an effect on you. When you eat poorly, you feel it. You may feel bloated, uncomfortable, or otherwise heavy after a particularly unhealthy meal. Tiredness is another very common side effect, which is actually your body’s way of saying it has a lot to process, so it needs you to shut down in order to invest all its energy on digestion.

Does that sound right to you? Because it’s not supposed to work that way.

Your body is essentially a machine. Like a car, really. If you treat it right, it will treat you well in return. But feed it something terrible, and it will splutter and clunk out much, much quicker than it should.

In other words, after a meal, you should feel normal, even somewhat energized. You should feel sustained, comfortably full, but not like you need to be rolled out of the restaurant. And you certainly should not feel like you need to fall asleep. In fact, if you do, you ate too much, and the overall meal quality was lacking in nutrients.

Remember, food is fuel. It’s there to keep you alive and running. We want it to taste good, and it certainly can, but that doesn’t have to equate to junk.

Mental Health

Most people assume healthy diets affect people’s bodies. That it extends to people’s hearts, bones, even skin and hair. And it certainly does…

But it also affects mental health. Nutrients in healthy food are essential for brain development and maintenance.

And in another twist, it also helps to develop things like positivity, happiness, and a sense of satisfaction. Even self-acceptance and love!

For example, if a woman eats a healthy diet, and adheres to it more often than not, with minimal splurges on unhealthy choices, she is likely to feel positive about her overall health. She’s likely happy about her habits, and she’s probably satisfied with what she has to show for it. Maybe she even accepts her body as it is, and loves it, because she’s clearly putting in the effort to make it into whatever she wants it to be and look like.

It certainly beats the mentality of those with poor diet choices, who likely always feel guilty about their food selection, or live in outright denial of just how bad it’s gotten.

Developing Good Habits

Finally, eating right is important because it means you’re developing good habits and associations to food. You’re not cutting things out, you’re just moderating portions and practicing some common sense.

You’re not giving into fad diets that work for the short term, only to leave you hungry, lost, and confused once you reach your goal weight. This is why so many dieters regain the weight back within the first two years.

Good habits mean you’re learning how to be healthy, rather than just following directions without understanding the reasoning behind them. And this ensures that you can maintain a happy, healthy lifestyle for the long term.