Although there is no single blueprint for a healthy balanced diet, there are a few basic principles that are likely to be part of most healthy eating-plans. As follows:
1. Include Foods From All Food Groups
Unless you are a vegetarian or otherwise advised by your doctor, your daily diet should include a variety of foods, ideally from all the main groups of foods, such as: meats, dairy, fruits, vegetables and fats.
See also: Food Digestion Guide.
2. Carbohydrate Should be Slow-Release and Low in Glycemic Value
Carb-containing foods with a low value on the glycemic index keep you satisfied for longer, reduce cravings and help maintain stable blood glucose levels. It's not necessary to eat only low GI foods. Intermediate (moderate) GI foods are okay, too. But you should include at least one low GI food at every meal.
3. Fat-intake Should be Predominantly Non-Saturated
- Choose lower-fat meats and dairy foods.
- Trim all visible fat.
- Eat regular fish (any type).
- Eat butter/margarine sparingly.
4. Eat Enough Omega-3 Fats
- Choose unrefined cooking oils.
- Try oils containing omega-3 fatty acids: (eg.) canola, flax oil.
- Alternatively, include regular oily fish in your diet.
5. Eat More High-Fiber Foods
Unless otherwise advised by your doctor, make sure your daily diet includes sufficient dietary fiber (both soluble and insoluble) for your needs. A ballpark figure is 25-30g per day. When increasing your fiber intake, do so gradually.
6. Beware Hidden Fats and Sugars (and Sodium)
Much of our intake of fat and sugar and sodium is typically from packaged or prepared foods, such as: sauces, packet foods, sodas, candy, soups and so on. You can't avoid these types of food, but you should check the label and choose brands that are lower in sugar, saturated fat ("hydrogenated" or "trans-fats") and sodium.
7. Choose Healthy Snacks
Snacking is a universal and very healthy eating habit. Eating regularly throughout the day maintains stable blood-glucose levels (thus reducing the build-up of hunger) and helps maintain optimum metabolic rate. For healthy snacks, choose chopped fruit, chopped vegetables, nuts and seeds, wholegrain sandwiches, fresh lean meats, and mineral water.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Healthy Diet (Part 1)
Healthy Balanced Diets Come in Various Forms
There is no one type of balanced diet, with a fixed amount of fat, carbohydrate and protein, that suits everyone. An elderly person may need a different balance of foods to that of a teenager. Or an obese diabetic may need a different type of balanced diet to that of an underweight athlete, and so on. Also, tastes and digestive preferences vary considerably. Thus a healthy diet may take a variety of different forms with differing proportions of fat, protein and carbohydrate.
Healthy Eating in a Nutshell - Nutritional Quality Counts
Instead of focusing on calorie-counting, carb-counting or fat-counting, focus on the nutritional quality of the food. For example, choose less-processed foods (eg. oats) rather than highly processed alternatives (eg. regular breakfast cereal). Choose whole grain carbs (eg. wholegrain rye bread) rather than refined versions (eg. fluffy white bread). Choose extra low fat ground beef/steak, rather than fattier alternatives. Choose unrefined or extra virgin vegetable oils, rather than the refined brands. Choose foods that require a little cooking, rather than instant foods.
Refined Foods Cause Us to Overeat
According to a recent study, at least 58 percent of the calories in a typical Western diet come from empty calorie foods, meaning: white fats, white (refined) oils, white sugar, white flour products and alcohol, most of whose minerals, vitamins and fiber have been removed by processing and refining. These refined empty calorie foods are likely to cause us to gain fat, because they cause us to overeat.
One of the mechanisms that turns off hunger is a feeling of fullness. By the time we've filled up on these concentrated-calorie, fiber-poor foods we've eaten more calories than we need - and the excess turns to fat. When we obtain adequate amounts of all essential nutrients, biological hunger ceases. If our foods are nutrient-deficient we may overeat until we get them which is one reason why nutrient enrichment is important for achieving a healthy weight.
We Absorb More Calories From Refined Foods
Because they lack fiber and bulk, high calorie refined foods also slow down intestinal activity. They take up to five times longer to pass through the intestinal tract than do natural unrefined high fiber foods (75 hours compared to 15) and the body absorbs calories during the entire time of their constipated passage.
Non-Nutritious Refined Foods More Likely to be Stored as Fat
Foods cannot be metabolised properly without minerals and vitamins. The energy that empty calorie foods contain becomes unavailable to our body and is stored as fat until (or in the hope that) we get the necessary minerals and vitamins at some later time. In the meantime we feel hungry and eat more. This too turns into fat unless minerals and vitamins are also provided.
Non-Nutritious Refined Foods Reduce Calorie-Burning
Minerals, vitamins and essential fatty acids are systematically removed from foods during refining. Their absence lowers our metabolic rate; we feel less like being active and become lethargic. Then even if we eat less we don't burn up the calories we eat and get fat even on a low calorie diet.
Our Digestive System
Our food digestion system (mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine) helps us to convert and absorb energy and nutrients from food. Carbohydrate, fats and protein are each digested differently within the upper gastrointestinal tract, but surplus calories from these three micronutrients are ALL converted to body fat. Malabsorption, an unhealthy diet, infections and food toxins can cause a range of digestive disorders including: Indigestion, Dyspepsia, Constipation, Diarrhea, Gastroenteritis, and other digestion problems, or even food poisoning.
There is no one type of balanced diet, with a fixed amount of fat, carbohydrate and protein, that suits everyone. An elderly person may need a different balance of foods to that of a teenager. Or an obese diabetic may need a different type of balanced diet to that of an underweight athlete, and so on. Also, tastes and digestive preferences vary considerably. Thus a healthy diet may take a variety of different forms with differing proportions of fat, protein and carbohydrate.
Healthy Eating in a Nutshell - Nutritional Quality Counts
Instead of focusing on calorie-counting, carb-counting or fat-counting, focus on the nutritional quality of the food. For example, choose less-processed foods (eg. oats) rather than highly processed alternatives (eg. regular breakfast cereal). Choose whole grain carbs (eg. wholegrain rye bread) rather than refined versions (eg. fluffy white bread). Choose extra low fat ground beef/steak, rather than fattier alternatives. Choose unrefined or extra virgin vegetable oils, rather than the refined brands. Choose foods that require a little cooking, rather than instant foods.
Refined Foods Cause Us to Overeat
According to a recent study, at least 58 percent of the calories in a typical Western diet come from empty calorie foods, meaning: white fats, white (refined) oils, white sugar, white flour products and alcohol, most of whose minerals, vitamins and fiber have been removed by processing and refining. These refined empty calorie foods are likely to cause us to gain fat, because they cause us to overeat.
One of the mechanisms that turns off hunger is a feeling of fullness. By the time we've filled up on these concentrated-calorie, fiber-poor foods we've eaten more calories than we need - and the excess turns to fat. When we obtain adequate amounts of all essential nutrients, biological hunger ceases. If our foods are nutrient-deficient we may overeat until we get them which is one reason why nutrient enrichment is important for achieving a healthy weight.
We Absorb More Calories From Refined Foods
Because they lack fiber and bulk, high calorie refined foods also slow down intestinal activity. They take up to five times longer to pass through the intestinal tract than do natural unrefined high fiber foods (75 hours compared to 15) and the body absorbs calories during the entire time of their constipated passage.
Non-Nutritious Refined Foods More Likely to be Stored as Fat
Foods cannot be metabolised properly without minerals and vitamins. The energy that empty calorie foods contain becomes unavailable to our body and is stored as fat until (or in the hope that) we get the necessary minerals and vitamins at some later time. In the meantime we feel hungry and eat more. This too turns into fat unless minerals and vitamins are also provided.
Non-Nutritious Refined Foods Reduce Calorie-Burning
Minerals, vitamins and essential fatty acids are systematically removed from foods during refining. Their absence lowers our metabolic rate; we feel less like being active and become lethargic. Then even if we eat less we don't burn up the calories we eat and get fat even on a low calorie diet.
Our Digestive System
Our food digestion system (mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine) helps us to convert and absorb energy and nutrients from food. Carbohydrate, fats and protein are each digested differently within the upper gastrointestinal tract, but surplus calories from these three micronutrients are ALL converted to body fat. Malabsorption, an unhealthy diet, infections and food toxins can cause a range of digestive disorders including: Indigestion, Dyspepsia, Constipation, Diarrhea, Gastroenteritis, and other digestion problems, or even food poisoning.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Weight and Health
Weight-Related Health Risk Factors
Being overweight (BMI > 25) is not good for long term health. Being obese (BMI > 30) and carrying significant excess body fat is worse. But excess weight and excess body fat are only part of any weight/health risk assessment. Other weight-related risk factors include the following:
Additional Weight-Related Risk Factors
* Your fat distribution. Abdominal fat is a more serious health risk.
* Your family history of heart disease.
* Your family history of weight-related health problems.
* Your age. Male older than 45 years; or a postmenopausal female.
* Your blood pressure.
* Your level of blood fats (high LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, high triglycerides).
* Your blood sugar levels.
* Your breathing.
* Signs of arthritis in Hips or knees.
* Whether you smoke.
* Whether you take sufficient exercise.
* Your general eating habits.
All these weight-related risk factors will form part of any weight/health assesment.
Being overweight (BMI > 25) is not good for long term health. Being obese (BMI > 30) and carrying significant excess body fat is worse. But excess weight and excess body fat are only part of any weight/health risk assessment. Other weight-related risk factors include the following:
Additional Weight-Related Risk Factors
* Your fat distribution. Abdominal fat is a more serious health risk.
* Your family history of heart disease.
* Your family history of weight-related health problems.
* Your age. Male older than 45 years; or a postmenopausal female.
* Your blood pressure.
* Your level of blood fats (high LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, high triglycerides).
* Your blood sugar levels.
* Your breathing.
* Signs of arthritis in Hips or knees.
* Whether you smoke.
* Whether you take sufficient exercise.
* Your general eating habits.
All these weight-related risk factors will form part of any weight/health assesment.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
The Human Digestive System
What Is Digestion?
The human body obtains the energy and nutrients it needs from food. However, our cells cannot absorb these nutritional benefits until the food has been "digested" - meaning, "processed and converted into a useable form". Thus digestion is the complex process of breaking down food molecules into energy and other useful components, which can then be absorbed into the bloodstream and distributed throughout the body to maintain good health. Food remnants which are not absorbed during the digestion process are expelled as waste in the form of feces.
The human body obtains the energy and nutrients it needs from food. However, our cells cannot absorb these nutritional benefits until the food has been "digested" - meaning, "processed and converted into a useable form". Thus digestion is the complex process of breaking down food molecules into energy and other useful components, which can then be absorbed into the bloodstream and distributed throughout the body to maintain good health. Food remnants which are not absorbed during the digestion process are expelled as waste in the form of feces.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Diet For High Cholesterol
f you have elevated levels of fats in the blood (hyperlipemia) - eg. if you suffer from raised cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia) (in the upper range 200-239 mg/dL) or high triglycerides (hypertriglyceridemia) (> 200 mg/dL) - your doctor will almost certainly advise you to follow a specific diet plan designed to lower your cholesterol. So here is some advice about a cholesterol reduction diet.
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