Eat Smart, Live Longer: The Nutrients for a Healthier You
Posted by Medavie Blue Cross on March 17, 2025
Eat Smart, Live Longer: The Nutrients for a Healthier You
Posted by Medavie Blue Cross on March 17, 2025
Good nutrition is the foundation of a healthy, balanced diet—but what exactly does that mean? At its core, it’s about getting the right nutrients in the right amounts to fuel your body, support growth, and promote overall wellbeing.
Nutrients are the essential building blocks of health. They include carbohydrates, fats, fibre, minerals, proteins, vitamins and water. Each plays a unique role in body growth, metabolism, and cell repair and when consumed in the right balance, these nutrients can support a longer, healthier life.
Good nutrition can help:
- Lower the risk of chronic diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke, certain cancers, and osteoporosis.
Learn more about chronic disease and ways you can prevent them. - Reduce high blood pressure
- Lower high cholesterol
- Improve mood, energy and overall wellbeing.
- Improve your ability to fight off illness and recover from injury.
Poor nutrition can lead to:
- Lack of energy
- Digestive problems and food allergies
- Weight gain
- Increased depression and anxiety
Discover other ways to improve your wellbeing and overall mental health. - Higher likelihood of chronic conditions like coronary heart disease and cancer.
How to fill your plate with nutrient-rich foods
Want to make sure you're getting all the essential nutrients your body needs? Use the Whole Plate Method as a simple guide for balanced, healthy eating. So, the next time you make your grocery list, think about building your plate with these proportions:
- Half of your plate should be filled with fruits and vegetables.
- Quarter of your plate should have protein-packed food such as lean meats, chicken breast, legumes, tofu, or fish.
- Quarter of your plate should include whole grains like quinoa, bulgur, or brown rice.
By following this simple formula, you can maximize your nutrient intake and create meals that fuel your body for better health, energy, and longevity.
The body’s immune response system depends on a steady stream of micronutrients that we get from food. You can boost your immunity simply by making nutrient-rich food choices.
Tip!
Fill your grocery carts with lots of colourful foods! The brighter the food, the more nutrition and immune-boosting ingredients they contain, helping your body fight infections and stay strong.
What foods are packed with fibre?
Want to improve digestion, manage cholesterol, and stabilize blood sugar levels? Make sure your grocery cart is packed with fiber-rich foods.
Where to get more fibre:
- Fruits - apples, apricots, grapefruit, mangoes and oranges
- Vegetables - carrots, celery, potatoes, brussels sprouts, turnips
- Whole grains - oats, quinoa, bulgur, whole wheat bread
- Beans and legumes - lentils, peas, soybeans, peanuts,
- Nuts and seeds - almonds, walnuts, chia seeds, flaxseeds, hemp hearts
What foods are packed with fibre?
Want to improve digestion, manage cholesterol, and stabilize blood sugar levels? Make sure your grocery cart is packed with fiber-rich foods.
Where to get more fibre:
- Fruits - apples, apricots, grapefruit, mangoes and oranges
- Vegetables - carrots, celery, potatoes, brussels sprouts, turnips
- Whole grains - oats, quinoa, bulgur, whole wheat bread
- Beans and legumes - lentils, peas, soybeans, peanuts,
- Nuts and seeds - almonds, walnuts, chia seeds, flaxseeds, hemp hearts
How we can help
Good nutrition is vital for your health, but navigating diet and nutrition alone can be challenging. Medavie Blue Cross members can access expert nutrition advice from a network of registered dietitians. Through our Connected Care online platform, you can choose a dietitian, meet in one-on-one video calls, and receive personalized meal plans and advice tailored to your needs.
Medavie Blue Cross is a premier all-in-one carrier that provides health, dental, travel, life and disability benefits and administers federal and provincial government-sponsored health programs. Together with Medavie Health Services, we are part of Medavie, a health solutions partner committed to improving the wellbeing of Canadians. We are in the...