A balanced diet helps to maintain and develop a healthy weight, protects you against chronic diseases and supplies energy to the body to meet life’s demands. However, what constitutes a healthy diet, and how to you obtain such a diet? Whether you want to lose weight, gain weight, or whether you are dealing with a health condition or just want to develop better eating habits, you need to start somewhere. See Bodybuilding Supplements
The American Heart Association recommends that you eat a wide variety of nutritious foods from all of the basic food groups. Nutrient rich foods contain vitamins, minerals, fiber, proteins and other nutrients in order to be healthy.
What are the Most Important Steps to a Healthy Diet?
The basic steps to good nutrition come from a diet that:
- Helps you either lose weight or keep your BMI in the "healthy" range.
- Is balanced overall, with foods from all food groups, with lots of delicious fruits, vegetables, whole-grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products.
- Is low in saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol. Keep total fat intake between 20 to 35 percent of calories, with most fats coming from sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, such as fish, nuts, and vegetable oils (canola and Olive oil).
- Includes a variety of grains daily, especially whole-grains, a good source of fiber.
- Includes a variety of fruits and vegetables (two cups of fruit and 2 1/2 cups of vegetables per day are recommended for a 2,000 calorie diet).
- Has a small number of calories from added sugars (like in candy, cookies, and cakes)
- Has foods prepared with less sodium or salt (aim for no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day, or about one teaspoon of salt per day).
- Does not include more than one alcoholic drink per day (two drinks per day for men). However, be sure to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day.
Beware of Front Labeling
The front label is where manufacturers can say whatever they choose to. But when you look at the nutrition facts on the back, you might be wondering if the two labels refer to the same product. The following are some miss-guided labeling techniques to be aware of:
Fortified, enriched, added, extra, and plus. This means nutrients such as minerals and fiber have been removed and vitamins added in processing. Look for 100% whole-wheat bread, and high-fiber, low-sugar cereals
Fortified, enriched, added, extra, and plus. This means nutrients such as minerals and fiber have been removed and vitamins added in processing. Look for 100% whole-wheat bread, and high-fiber, low sugar cereals.
- Fruit drink. This means there's probable little or no real fruit and a lot of sugar. Instead look for products that say "100% Fruit Juice."
- Made with wheat, rye, or multi-grains. These products have very little whole grain. Look for the word "whole" before the grain to ensure that you're getting a 100% whole-grain product.
- Natural. The manufacturer started with a natural source, but once it's processed the food may not resemble anything natural. Look for "100% All Natural" and "No Preservatives."
- Organically grown, pesticide-free, or no artificial ingredients. Trust only labels that say "Certified Organically Grown."
- Sugar-free or fat-free. Don't assume the product is low-calorie. The manufacturer compensated with unhealthy ingredients that don't taste very good and, here's the kicker, have no fewer calories than the real thing.
Hopefully, this information can serve as a tool to assist you in choosing a good nutritional diet that meets your specific needs.
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