Easy Steps To a Healthy Diet
I heard everybody that knows anything about diets, that a good diet is a healthy one. True, no doubt about it, but what is a healthy diet not too many people know. Following a healthy diet can be accomplished by making just some simple adjustments to your current diet. Most people do not realize the incredible impact that a healthy diet has on our bodies, making the difference between poor health and good health. So take the time to make some simple changes to improve your family’s diet and you will see the difference.
Along with regular physical activity, a healthy diet is the most important factor that determines your weight. If you are overweight or obese, your chances of developing many diseases or conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis, and certain cancers, increase significantly.
Your first step to following a healthy diet is to make sure you include food from all food groups from the food pyramid: vegetables, fruits, whole-grains, meat, milk and good fats products should all be incorporated into your daily diet.
Vegetables
A diet rich in fruits and vegetables can lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, and cancer. It also contributes to a healthy weight, reducing your risk of obesity and the conditions associated with it. There are a multitude of vegetables to choose from. Legumes are low in fat, contain no cholesterol, are high in protein, and have phytochemicals, compounds that help prevent heart disease and cancer. They are also a good source of fiber. For the best vegetables see a previous post: 25 Vegetables you Should not Miss.
Fruits
Eat a variety of fruits each day. The best ones are fresh fruits, but you can eatalso canned, dried or frozen. Stay away from fruit juices as they usually have sugar added. If your juice is home made, then go for it. You might be interested in another previous post: Top 15 healthiest fruits.
Whole Grains
Choose whole grain cereals, breads, rice, and pasta. When buying the products, be sure you read the label. If you want to know what you should be looking at on a food label, please see The Most Important Facts About Food Labels. Whole grains are an excellent source of fiber. Dietary fiber can help reduce your risk of diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
Meat
Meat is the primer source of proteins. Choose lean meats, poultry and fish, but do not fry them! Baked, boiled or grilled is the healthiest way to eat meat.
Milk
Dairy products can lower your risk of diabetes and help build strong bones, reducing your risk of osteoporosis. If you want to lose weight, you should consider low-fat milk products.
Sugars and Alcohol
Avoid foods containing sugar and alcohol. Always check food labels to see how much sugar is present and you may be surprised. Alcohol can increase your risk of many conditions including some types of cancers and it also increases you appetite, so try to avoid it.
Fats
Fats are a special food category, because there are different kinds of fat in our foods: some are good and some are bad for your health. You must know the difference and consume only good fats.
- Monounsaturated fats (olive oil, flaxseed oil, peanut oil and avocados) and
- Polyunsaturated fats (safflower, sesame, sunflower seeds) raise your good cholesterol levels. To stick to a healthy diet, choose foods with these fats.
- Saturated fat and trans fatty acids (beef, veal, lamb, pork, lard, butter, cream, whole milk dairy products) are the bad ones. They raise your bad cholesterol levels, contributing to your risk of heart disease. Saturated fats can be present in processed foods like frozen dinners and some canned food.
It is not difficult to make the simple changes necessary to change an unhealthy diet to a healthy one. The advantages, better health, longer life, and more energy, far outweigh any inconveniences you may experience.
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RSS Trackback URL 8. March 2007 (17:40)Filed under: Diets, Nutrition