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How healthy is your daily diet?
Food is life. We eat it to grow, stay healthy, and have the energy to do everyday activities. The food we consume makes all of these things possible, but not all food is created equal. Studies have shown, for example, that children who eat a nutritious breakfast do better in school than those with a poor diet. The well-fed child is able to pay attention longer, remember more, and participatemore actively in class. Research has also shown that adults who have a healthy diet perform better on the job and miss fewer days of work. The findings,then, are clear. Because our food choices affect our health and behavior, we must do more than just eat; we must eat well.
For many people today, though, making healthy food choices is not easy. We are surrounded by information telling us what's good for us and what isn't, but usually this information is more confusing than helpful. In fact, different research about the same food often produces contradictory results. Take one example: food studies done on eggs. For years, research showed a linkbetween eating eggs and high cholesterol. To prevent dangerous diseases like cancer or heart disease, people were encouragedto limit or completely eliminate eggs from their diets. However, recent studies now say that eggs are actually good for you and that most people can-and even should-eat one a day. It's hard to know who to believe.
Shopping for food can also be challenging. During a visit to a supermarket, we often need to make many different choices. Should you buy this cereal or that one? Regular or fat-free' milk? Toffi or chicken? It's hard to know which to choose, especially when two items are very similar. Many shoppers read product labels to help them decide. Not surprisingly, people are more likely to buy items with the words "doctor recommended," "low fat," or "all natural" on them. But are these foods really better for you? Probably not. Indeed, many food labels are often misleading. For instance, because doctors sometimes recommend that people eat yogurt for their digestion, a yogurt maker might then use the label "doctor recommended" so that you buy their product. In reality, though, their specific yogurt isn't preferred by doctors.
