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Maintaining a Healthy Diet

November 28th, 2009 Johanna No comments

A healthy diet is one that helps maintain or improve health. It is important for the prevention of many chronic health risks such as: obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Healthy eating is not about strict nutrition philosophies, staying unrealistically thin, or depriving yourself of the foods you love.

A healthy diet involves consuming appropriate amounts of all nutrients, and an adequate amount of water. Nutrients can be obtained from many different foods, so there are a wide variety of diets that may be considered healthy diets.

Choose the types of foods that improve your health and avoid the types of foods that raise your risk for such illnesses as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Expand your range of healthy choices to include a wide variety of delicious foods. Learn to use guidelines and tips for creating and maintaining a satisfying, healthy diet. It is easy to adhere to a balanced diet, by following the food pyramid.

The five food groups in the food pyramid provide all the necessary nutrients. Cereals and millets form the base of the pyramid. Vegetables and fruits form the next step of the pyramid. Vegetables and fruits provide phytonutrients, antioxidants, minerals and vitamins. Animal foods and dairy products lie parallel to each other, on the next step. Fats and oils form the apex of the pyramid, as they are restricted.

Balanced diet, as the name indicates, creates equipoise in the system and prevents any kind of associated problems. It provides relaxation to the physical and psychological state of the individual. It enhances the performance and cognitive thinking of the individual. It helps in the maintenance of body weight. Thus, it avoids a number of complications, such as obesity, atherosclerosis, and hypertension and so on. A balanced diet keeps blood glucose and cholesterol levels in the normal range, thereby proving beneficial to the system.

Ensure a balanced diet by inclusion of all the foods with the major nutrients, in various combinations. Combination of foods helps in the mutual supplementation of certain nutrients. For instance, bread provides carbohydrates, whereas beans provide protein. Butter is a rich source of fat. A glass of milk makes the above said meal, a balanced one. Both the quantity and quality of the meals play a very important role in the nourishment of a balanced diet. Eat a balanced diet to prevent deficiency disorders, such as anemia, rickets and so on. Growth and development is affected by an improper diet. In the case of children, eating a balanced diet, in a single go is difficult. This situation is overcome by spreading the foods of a particular meal, to a few hours, based on the child’s capacity to complete.

Maintenance of a balanced diet ensures variety and breaks the monotony of a meal. It also creates interest and makes the meal, more appetizing. Optimum growth and health are the prerequisite of every individual. Achieve the same with a balanced diet.

What is a Good Heart Healthy Diet?

November 28th, 2009 Johanna No comments

Making sure your heart is healthy may add years to your life. The importance of the healthy heart diet is to give up certain types of foods that may cause heart complications. People who are interested should be willing to give up greasy and fattening foods. To some this may mean that you must be willing to give up the foods that taste really good.

Recent studies have suggested that eating a heart-healthy diet can cut the risk of developing heart disease or stroke by 80%. Considering that heart disease is still the number one killer of both men and women in the United States, this is news worth considering!

Weight control and exercise are the primary steps to a healthy heart, but there are additional ways to boost the body’s immunity to heart disease. Take a closer look at how specific food choices impact our capacity to help manage or prevent heart disease and high blood pressure— two of the biggest health challenges we face today.

1. Limit your intake of saturated fats – Replace red meat with beans, nuts, poultry, and fish whenever possible, and switch from whole milk and other full-fat dairy foods to lower fat versions.

2. Use liquid vegetable oils rich in (polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats) in place of butter in cooking and at the table.

3. Aim to eat one or more good sources of omega-3 fats daily—fish, walnuts, canola or soybean oil, ground flax seeds or flaxseed oil.

In order to have a healthy heart, you need to minimize the amount of cholesterol in your body. Cholesterol comes from the foods you eat and from your body itself. However, your body alone creates the appropriate amount of cholesterol for you, so it doesn’t need any additional cholesterol from your food intake. In order to reduce the amount of cholesterol in your diet, you should limit the amount of red meat that you eat. Instead of red meat, you can eat fish and poultry. Use egg whites or substitutes instead of the whole egg. As a rule of thumb, if it’s greasy, you probably shouldn’t eat it.

Being successful at this diet can prevent a heart attack and a stroke. All in all, it should lead to a more healthy existence and give you more energy.

What does a Healthy Diet Consist of?

November 28th, 2009 Johanna No comments

When one wants to lose weight searching the internet is the initial action to look for a diet that looks good and seems like it is attainable but what does a healthy diet consist of? How can you tell the difference between what’s garbage and what’s gold in the maze of diets that are out there. Go on reading to know more about losing weight by eating healthy as well as other things that go into a good diet.

One of the most significant parts of a healthy diet is rest. It may seem strange, but there are hormones in the body that serve as a suppresser for your appetite that are produced when you are sleeping. Getting enough sleep is crucial to losing weight.

Water is another key factor in the response to what does a healthy diet consist of? Drinking more water can allow your body to do wonder for itself. For starters, it takes all the toxins and all that nasty junk and flushes it out of your system. It also hydrates your body, not getting enough water can lead to dehydration, headaches and poor moods.

If you want to know how to lose weight by eating healthy just look at what you’re eating. If you’re eating chips, cookies and drinking soda, it’s a safe bet that those things contributed to you being overweight. Turning around your eating habits and eating more fresh fruits; vegetables, whole grain pastas and bread will greatly affect your diet, weight and your mood. Eating better makes you feel better. Another great tip is to spread 3 large daily meals out into five or six to keep your metabolism up and running and burning calories and fat all day.

Work out is another factor. Working out can be a great way to speed up your weight loss. Going to the gym or getting on an at-home exercise program can only help you lose weight, feel better and give you more energy.

Doing these things and adding into your daily life is a guaranteed way to lose weight. When you lose weight you feel great because your body feels great! It’s time to stop eating all that junk food and learn how to lose weight by eating healthy, exercising and getting enough rest. If you’re thinking about starting a diet and exercise program be sure to talk to a doctor or dietician if you can afford one. They can point you in the right way as well as keep you on track and provide support throughout the process.

American Heart Association Diet Plan Online

November 24th, 2009 Johanna No comments

The American Heart Association (AHA) is the nation’s most trusted authority on heart-healthy living. AHA diet plan helps you create a personalized plan to lose weight in a healthful way. After a simple assessment of your current habits, you choose the eating and exercise strategies that best fit your needs. You’ll learn how to set practical goals, eat well to lose extra pounds safely, and add physical activity to keep the weight off for good.

The American Heart Association is an organization in the United States. Their goals are to promote and foster cardiac care and awareness. One of its primary goals is to reduce disability and death rate caused by cardiovascular diseases and stroke and help people cope. It is a non-profit organization.

The American Heart Association Diet Plan advises clients to become aware that labels on food can also be misleading if not read carefully. Most consumers overlook the fact that most snack foods and beverages contain more than one serving per package. While a small pack of chips might read 150 calories, the package may actually contain two servings. For most people, once that bag of chips is open, it is very difficult to close it up after eating one serving. The same thing goes for high caloric beverages, including flavored coffees, juices, and sodas. Most commercial epicure coffee beverages, such as lattes, contain several hundred calories. Comparatively, a cup of black coffee contains no calories! Always remember to keep an eye on food portions, especially when eating out. Whether consuming healthy food, or occasionally indulging in junk food, eating in moderation is the key to maintaining a healthy body, as well as monitoring daily caloric intake for a heart healthy diet.

AHA provided a healthy guideline for people who want to live longer and lose weight.  The eating plan is based on these AHA dietary guidelines:

* Total fat intake should be less than 30 percent of calories.

* Saturated fatty acid intake should be less than 10 percent of calories.

* Polyunsaturated fatty acid intake should be no more than 10 percent of calories,

* Monounsaturated fatty acids make up the rest of total fat intake, about 10 to 15 percent of total calories.

* Cholesterol intake should be no more than 300 milligrams per day.

* Sodium intake should be no more than 3000 milligrams (3 grams) per day.

Definition of a Healthy Diet

November 19th, 2009 Johanna No comments

A healthy and balanced diet is typically defined as a diet in which nutrient intake is maintained, and cholesterol, salt, sugar and fat are reduced. The idea of a healthy diet is frequently used by a government to ensure that citizens are well “protected” against common illnesses, as well as conditions which stem from poor diet; of which many problems such as headaches, lethargy, reduced libido, heart disease, alcohol poisoning, and obesity may be attributed. In addition to this, a well balanced diet is vital to athletes and martial artists who are pushing their bodies to the limits on a regular basis, as without a good diet, the body will not have the fuel to recover.

The meaning of a healthy diet by some is also thought of as a diet which will combat or prevent sickness. When eating healthily, the likelihood of succumbing to common minor illnesses, such as the common cold and lesser forms of influenza, is decreased, mainly because consumption of a healthy diet would provide ample nutrients and energy for the body, so as to help stave off such illnesses. Similarly, a healthy diet will help the body during recovery from illness. The myth of “Starve a cold, feed a fever” is a common misconception, particularly in the United Kingdom. This is a myth in every sense of the word because providing the body with nutrients during illness is actually beneficial – nutrient and energy stores would be replenished, allowing for more energy to be used by the body to combat illness. However, that being said, a recent study claims that short term “starve a fever, feed a cold” might actually be correct depending on the underlying cause of the fever. Eating and fasting causes brief fluctuations in the amount of chemical messengers called cytokines.

The U.S. government has established dietary plan represented by a food pyramid that consists of the following groups.

Fruits and Vegetables. Together, fruits and vegetables should include the highest percentage of the foods you eat. Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables is important for providing the fiber, vitamins and antioxidants the body needs.

Grains. These are the second-most-important food group, providing carbohydrates that are converted to energy. Breads, cereals, rice and pasta are in this group. Whole grains are preferable to white, processed and refined grains.

Dairy Products. The best sources of milk are those that retain high calcium content. Choose low-fat or fat-free milk, yogurt and cheese. Avoid butter and cream.

Meats and Beans. These provide protein. Choose lean meats and poultry or fish. Seeds, nuts, peas and eggs are also in this category.

Oils. These are a source of fat, should comprise the smallest percentage of the diet. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are best; avoid saturated and trans fats. Good sources of oil are fish, nuts and vegetable oils.