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Cardiovascular Health & Wellness
Key Takeaways

  • Your diet affects every system in your body, influencing disease risk, mood, sleep, energy, and overall well-being.
  • The body uses food for fuel, but nutrients matter. Excess calories are stored as fat, and poor nutrition can lead to deficiencies and illness.
  • Ultra-processed foods and excess sodium raise the risk of obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes.
  • Modern eating habits, like oversized portions, sugary drinks, and fast food, often lead to overeating and poor nutrition.
  • Track what you eat and aim for nutrient-dense foods that provide more value per calorie. Sustainable, balanced changes are key to long-term health.

The foods we eat play a major role in our physical, mental, and emotional health. Eating healthy is not about strict limitations or depriving yourself. It’s about feeling good, having more energy, and supporting your body’s long-term health. Understanding how food affects the body can help you make choices that work for your lifestyle and goals.

How Does What We Eat Impact Our Health?

What we eat affects every part of the body, from our heart and brain to our bones, immune system, and metabolism. A nutritious diet can help prevent chronic diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and certain cancers. Healthy eating also supports better mood, sleep, digestion, and energy levels.
On the other hand, diets that are high in added sugars, unhealthy fats, and processed foods can increase the risk of illness, weight gain, and poor mental health. Over time, unhealthy eating habits can lead to serious health problems that reduce quality of life and increase medical costs.

The Body Turns Food into Energy

Your body breaks down the food you eat into smaller components, such as sugars, amino acids, and fatty acids, that it can absorb and use for fuel. This process begins in the mouth and continues through the stomach and intestines. Once absorbed, nutrients are either used immediately or stored for later.

How Different Nutrients Are Used:

  • Carbohydrates and sugar: Broken down into glucose, which provides quick energy to cells. Excess sugar is stored as fat.
  • Fat: Offers long-term energy storage and supports brain health, hormones, and cell structure.
  • Protein: Broken down into amino acids, which are used to build and repair tissues, muscles, and enzymes.
  • Alcohol: Provides calories but no essential nutrients. The body prioritizes alcohol metabolism over other nutrients, which can interfere with energy balance and storage.
  • Fiber: Unlike other carbohydrates, fiber is not digested. It helps regulate digestion, supports gut health, lowers cholesterol, and keeps you full longer.
  • Vitamins and minerals: These micronutrients are essential for hundreds of processes, including bone strength, oxygen transport, immune function, and nerve signaling.

What Happens When You Eat Too Much or Too Little?

  • When you consume more calories than your body needs, the extra energy is stored as fat.
  • When your body needs more energy than you consume, it breaks down stored fat and, in some cases, muscle tissue to make up the difference.

What Are Processed Foods and How Do They Impact Health?

Processed foods are any foods that have been changed from their original form. This includes methods such as canning, freezing, cooking, drying, packaging, or adding preservatives and other ingredients. While some level of processing is necessary to make certain foods safe or convenient, such as pasteurizing milk or freezing vegetables, not all processed foods are created equal.

Types of Processed Foods:

  • Minimally processed: These retain most of their natural nutrients. Examples include bagged spinach, frozen berries, or roasted nuts.
  • Moderately processed: These may have added ingredients for flavor or preservation. Examples include canned beans, whole-grain bread, and yogurt with added sugar.
  • Highly processed or ultra-processed foods: These are industrially made and often contain added sugar, salt, unhealthy fats, artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. Examples include soda, packaged snacks, instant noodles, sugary cereals, fast food, and processed meats like bacon or hot dogs.

How Do Processed Foods Affect Health?

Highly processed foods are typically low in fiber, vitamins, and minerals but high in added sugar, sodium (salt), and saturated or trans fats. These characteristics make them more likely to contribute to:

  • Weight gain and obesity: These foods are often high in calories but don’t provide lasting fullness, which can lead to overeating.
  • Heart disease and high blood pressure: High sodium and unhealthy fats increase the risk of cardiovascular issues.
  • Type 2 diabetes: Diets high in added sugars and refined carbohydrates can lead to insulin resistance.
  • Digestive issues: Low-fiber processed foods may contribute to constipation and poor gut health.
  • Increased inflammation: Artificial additives and preservatives may disrupt metabolic and immune functions over time.

Many processed foods are designed to be hyper-palatable, meaning they are engineered to trigger cravings and encourage overconsumption, often without providing lasting nourishment.

Sodium and Health: What You Should Know

Sodium (often called salt) is a mineral that your body needs to maintain fluid balance, help nerves function, and contract muscles. But consuming too much sodium, especially from processed and restaurant foods, can harm your health.
Where Does Excess Sodium Come From?

Most of the sodium Americans consume (over 70%) comes from processed and restaurant foods, not from salt added at the table. Common high-sodium foods include:

  • Processed meats (deli meat, sausage)
  • Packaged snacks (chips, crackers)
  • Frozen dinners and canned soups
  • Fast food and takeout meals
  • Condiments and sauces (soy sauce, ketchup)

Health Risks of Too Much Sodium

Excess sodium can lead to:

  • High blood pressure (hypertension): This increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and kidney problems.
  • Fluid retention and bloating: Too much salt can cause your body to hold onto water.
  • Increased risk of heart failure in people with pre-existing cardiovascular conditions.

How Much Sodium Is Too Much?

The recommended daily sodium intake for most adults is less than 2,300 milligrams per day (about one teaspoon of salt). People with high blood pressure or certain medical conditions may need even less, as advised by their healthcare provider.

Tips to Limit Processed Foods and Sodium:

  • Choose whole or minimally processed foods like fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins.
  • Read nutrition labels and aim for foods with less than 140 mg of sodium per serving.
  • Cook more meals at home using fresh ingredients to better control salt and additives.
  • Season foods with herbs, spices, lemon juice, or vinegar instead of salt.
  • Rinse canned beans and vegetables to reduce sodium content.
  • Be cautious with sauces, dressings, and condiments, which often contain hidden sodium.

Eating fewer processed foods and lowering your sodium intake can have powerful effects on your overall health. These changes can help reduce your risk of chronic disease, improve energy levels, and support long-term wellness.

Modern Dietary Customs in the U.S.: How Habits Are Shaping Our Health

In the United States, modern eating habits have shifted dramatically over the past several decades. Convenience and availability have led to widespread dietary patterns that can negatively impact health and increase the risk of weight gain and chronic disease.

Common Dietary Trends Contributing to Poor Health

Sugary Beverages:

Sodas, sweet teas, energy drinks, and flavored coffees are common in many Americans' daily routines. These beverages are high in added sugars and provide little to no nutritional value. A single 20-ounce soda can contain over 16 teaspoons of sugar. Regular consumption of sugary drinks contributes to increased calorie intake without satisfying hunger, which can lead to weight gain and insulin resistance.

Super-Sized Portions:

Portion sizes in restaurants and at home have grown significantly. What was once considered a large meal is now often the standard. Larger portions encourage overeating, even when the body does not need the extra calories.

Fast Food and Convenience Meals:

Fast food and take-out meals are popular for their speed and affordability. However, these foods are often high in calories, saturated fats, sodium, and added sugars while being low in fiber and essential nutrients. Frequent consumption of fast food is linked to higher rates of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.

Ultra-Processed Foods:

Many packaged and shelf-stable foods are classified as ultra-processed. These products are often high in additives, refined carbohydrates, unhealthy fats, and salt. Examples include frozen pizza, flavored snack cakes, packaged chips, processed meats, and sweetened breakfast cereals. These foods are engineered to be highly palatable, making them easy to overconsume and harder to resist.

Salt on wooden chopping board.
Fuel Your Body

Talk to a nutritionist or your primary care provider to discuss your diet and how it impacts your health. They can help you identify ways to adjust your habits to ensure you are eating the right foods. What you eat fuels your body with both calories and essential nutrients. In today’s fast-paced, super-sized food culture, it’s easy to consume too many calories or miss out on key nutrients. This can lead to health issues like obesity, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure or cause other problems even if your calorie intake is appropriate.

If you’re unsure whether your diet is balanced, start by tracking everything you eat and drink for one week. This will give you a clear picture of your habits.

Talk with a nutritionist or your primary care provider. They can help you understand how your diet affects your health and guide you toward making meaningful, sustainable changes.

Want to Learn More?

Explore These Riverside Health Resources

High Blood Pressure

Learn more about hypertension (high blood pressure), including how the food you eat can impact your blood pressure.

Medical Screening Guidelines

Learn more about the medical screenings recommended for your age.

Health & Exercise

Health and weight is not only about what you eat. They are both impacted by home much you move. Learn more about how physical activity impacts your health.

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