Why do YOU eat healthy?

There are so many people on CC who eat healthy.... and than there are those who don't care about health and just eat whatever they want as long as they stay within their calorie range.

So, why do you choose to eat healthy?

Hopefully I'll get some 'insightful/in-depth' responses or actual experiences.... (for example, my friend never ate healthy and ended up with a stroke and really regret it) that involve more than 'i want to live a long life and avoid diseases' cause thats obvious :)

I have had these health issues that made me realize that not only eating healthy but living a healthy lifestyle will help me alot. :)

It makes me FEEL good.

I have energy.

I don't feel like crap after stuff my face with whatever's available... I actually put thought into what I'm going to consume.

I know it's what my body needs and, in turn, my body will treat me properly.

It tastes good! 

I second what cellophane said.

it makes me feel good when i eat healthy . . .
the last time i had fast food was over a month ago and when i ate it, it litterally made me feel nasty. the greese, and the fat, it just makes you feel bloated and blah.

i dont think i could go back to the way i use to eat.

Eating healthy allows me to meet my calorie deficit while not feeling like I'm depriving myself. It also helps me fuel my workouts a lot better than eating a bag of Cheetos.

• It tastes better - I haven't eaten any sweets, trans fats, fast food, artifical ANYTHING, or packaged snacks for almost two years and now I can't imagine why anyone would want to.
• It makes me feel better
• It improves my athletic preformance (I swim and run most days)
• I can eat MORE food for more energy and nutrients, yet get LESS calories - actually, with all the metabolism benefits, I can eat thousands of calories for maintenence as long as I Eat Clean!
• I don't want to die young. I'm sorry, just had to say it. Seeing how many other kids around me are overweight and obese, it just scares me.
• It is the way God intended for us to eat
• It's better for the environment
• It doesn't support big-business corporations

This is a really good inquiry =] I eat healthy foods and treat my body well because I'm all too familiar with disordered habits- they suck the life out of a person. Every time I eat enough, I feel a rush of power because I've beaten something that's held me back for so long. Also, I can almost hear my body thanking me when I eat foods that nourish it. I feel so much more invigorated eating healthy foods as opposed to snacks and sweets. They make me feel better about myself and more optimistic about my life. Food is important to people, obviously, and having control over it in a positive way can influence us to do great things =]

When i limited my calories intake, i got sick because i wasnt getting enough vitamins...

So now i eat healthy to get the right micronutrients.

Also...

-It gives me sooo much more energy in workouts.

-Makes me feel good.

-Allows me to be creative and learn to cook.

-Fills me up much more than sugary, fatty, unhealthy foods.

I've been a vegetarian for over a year. I love it. I can't fathom a greasy-gross fastfood burger ever coming near my face again. I started eating healthier when I had my daughter. I want to be a good role model. We grow some of our own vegetables. I also volunteer at a local organic farm that pays it's workers in produce. Becoming a vegetarian has made us think outside of the box. It really cuts out a lot of quick/convenient/unhealthy options.

it honestly not only makes my body feel cleaner and more-energized, it helps my mind feel cleaner too. when i don't eat healthy, i tend to get this over-all "blah" feeling, which tends to suck sometimes.

I made the connection between how good my workout was and what I ate before it...usually the pizza did not lead to a good workout, oddly enough...

Like others said, it's so much more satisfying to eat 2000 calories each day of fruits and veggies than junk...WAY more food!

I was sick of the way junk food made me feel...I get really lethargic after eating huge amounts of sugar, bloated after eating salty snacks like chips, and fast food destroys me...unfortunately, now that I'm used to the good stuff, when I DO choose to indulge, these negative effects are just magnified...ah well.

Overall, it just makes me feel better, and healthier.  I'm hugely afraid of getting sick, and I managed the whole winter without missing a day of school/work due to illness.  Excellent.