What does it mean to eat healthy and why should you care about it?
“Eating healthy means that you’re eating things to extend your life,” said Shama Carter, Junior at Park Slope Collegiate High School.
Eating healthy seems simple: choose fruits over candy, water over soda, and salads over fast food. However, for many people the reality is far more complicated. Between social media trends, busy schedules, and confusing nutrition advice, the idea of “healthy eating” has become harder to define than ever before.
On the contrary, there are some things we do know about being healthy, specifically health comes with balance. Many people subconsciously end up eating the same foods on a cycle which creates a diet that lacks variability and specific mineral needs. By eating unprocessed nutritious foods with a surplus of sustenance you can effectively optimize your body acquiring all the vital minerals and nutrients that you need to be “healthy.”
“The biggest challenges that I face is over spending on food and budgeting in general,” said Carter.
There’s many common myths that people come up with when thinking about having a clean diet, for example, that eating healthy is too expensive. In reality, eating healthy can be very affordable when focusing on whole foods like grains, beans, vegetables, and seasonal fruits.
With eating healthy being affordable why should you even care about it? A balanced diet can improve your energy levels, helping you stay focused in school or during daily activities. It can also support your mental health, making it easier to manage stress and maintain a positive mood. This is specifically important for students because of their high stress life which can be easily mitigated through just a diet change.
“I usually eat at chipotle to prioritize high calories while still being healthy,” said Carter.
For students in the Park Slope area and in the park slope collegiate community there are many potential options for healthy diet choices. Places like Baya Bar, Couleur Cafe, Burger Village, Chipotle, Just Salad, and many more are viable options to optimize health and nutrients. The majority of these places are within walking distance which can encourage exercise in conjunction with a natural vitamin heavy diet.
