If you indulge in high calorie diets on a regular basis you will definitely notice the effects of over feeding yourself with empty calories. Weight gain, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, insulin resistance, etc. will soon start to raise their head and sap your energy putting strain on your system. Change in mental clarity, feeling weak and irritability are all signs you haven't given your body enough nutritious food to rebuild your cells, clean the toxins out, and fight diseases. If you find that a day goes by and the only thing you've had to eat is a bagel and coffee, you will be feeling the physical effects sooner or later.

Your body needs calories for energy. It is vital to obtain the necessary amount of calories every day to maintain your optimum health. Individuals, who do not take in the proper amount of calories because of dieting or, will risk their health and set their metabolism to starving mode, will cause their body to store more energy as fat after you stop dieting.

A diet too high in calories will also put health at risk. Obesity puts a strain on the organs and increases the risk for health problems such as diabetes, heart disease and even cancer. Knowing what a typical serving size of food is can help you determine if you (or a family member) are taking in the appropriate amount of calories. It is important for parents to teach children moderate eating habits to ensure healthy diet for life.

Aside from merely watching caloric intake, it is important that your diet has strong nutritional value. You could eat an entire box of doughnuts to meet your calorie needs without having met your daily requirements for vitamins, minerals, protein, essential fatty acids, fiber, and more. Choosing a diet that lacks nutrition on a regular basis will lead to a lowered resistance to illness, general weakness, and irritability. Other diet deficiencies, such as a lack of calcium, can lead to more serious disorders such as osteoporosis.

While pregnant women, lactating women, the elderly and ill individuals may choose to supplement their diet with food supplements, the average healthy person should get all the nutrition they need from healthy food. This is hard to achieve when the shelves at the store are filled up with fast food. Be an educated consumer; read the food labels and choose high fiber, low calorie, low sugar, and products low in trans fat. Organic produce is usually better and the healthiest choice.

What about the occasional burger? Fast-food in the diet is not so harmful if it is only an occasional treat, but will show its negative effects if consumed as a major part of the diet. Educating yourself and your family on what a healthy diet is will help you and your family to feel great and enjoy good health to old age.