Final answer:
Health foods are thought to possess the quality of supporting overall wellness and providing additional nutritional benefits, such as reducing the risk of chronic diseases and promoting a state of well-being, beyond merely meeting basic nutritional needs.
Step-by-step explanation:
Dubish suggests that healthy foods possess the quality of promoting wellness and providing nutritional benefits beyond basic sustenance. According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, functional foods, which include conventional foods such as fruits, vegetables, and yogurt, may reduce the risk of disease or promote optimal health. Other benefits of a diet rich in healthy foods include the potential to fight illness and aging and reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, obesity, and diabetes.
Conventional health foods, as opposed to heavily processed items, are more nutritious, being high in vitamins, minerals, protein, carbohydrates, fats, and fiber. Foods that are minimally processed like frozen vegetables, or those forming part of cultural eating practices like the Mediterranean or paleo diets, are believed to contribute significantly to health and wellness.
It's also important to note that a balanced diet should avoid excessive refined carbohydrates, sugar, salt, saturated and trans fats found in many processed foods, which are linked to different health issues. Instead, embracing a diet with a variety of whole foods is ideal for maintaining good health and avoiding metabolic disorders like obesity and diabetes.