Diet
A healthy diet is one of the most important ways you can maintain an active lifestyle and protect against health problems. Healthy eating increases energy, improves the way your body functions, strengthens your immune system and thwarts weight gain.
A healthy diet helps you:
Guidelines for healthy eating:
Food Groups:
A healthy diet helps you:
- Meet your nutritional needs. A varied, balanced diet provides the nutrients you need to avoid nutritional deficiencies. Non-nutrients, such as fiber, are also necessary to a healthy diet.
- Feel energetic and manage your weight. A healthy diet can help you feel better, provide you with more energy, and help you fight stress.
- Prevent and treat certain diseases. Healthy eating can prevent the risk of developing certain diseases such as cancer and heart disease. It is also helpful in treating diabetes and high blood pressure. Following a special diet can reduce symptoms, and may help you better manage an illness or condition.
- Enjoy life. Food is the mainstay of many social and cultural events. Not only does it provide nutrition, it helps facilitate connections between people. Cooking fresh, healthy meals can also be an enjoyable way to spend time, either on your own or with others.
Guidelines for healthy eating:
- Don't skip meals. Plan your daily meals and snacks. For healthy eating, if your weight is normal, enjoy three meals and two additional snacks if you're hungry in between mealtimes.
- Learn simple ways to prepare food. Healthy eating doesn't have to mean complicated eating. Keep meal preparation easy, eat more raw foods such as salads and vegetable juices, and focus on the pleasure of eating healthy food rather than the calories.
- Avoid eating more sugar. If you feel tired in the afternoon, reach for fruits, veggies or a high protein snack rather than sweets, which actually rob your body of energy.
- Listen to your body. Stop eating when you feel full. This will help you remain alert, relaxed and feeling your best.
Food Groups:
- Grains – Whole grains include whole wheat, brown rice, oatmeal, whole grain barley, millet, and popcorn. Whole grains are more nutritious than refined grains which include many breads, pastas, breakfast cereals, tortillas, and grits.
- Vegetables – Go for the brights: the deeper the color, the greater the concentration of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Dark green and orange vegetables, from broccoli, kale and mustard greens to butternut squash and sweet potatoes, are several excellent choices. Dried beans and peas, such as black beans, kidney beans and tofu, count in the vegetable category as well as the meat group. 100 percent vegetable juice counts, too.
- Fruits – Fruits can be enjoyed a number of ways: fresh, canned, frozen, dried, whole, cut-up, or pureed. Go easy on the fruit juices, though; they contain a lot of natural sugars. Besides the standards such as apples, bananas, oranges, peaches, pears and plums, try mangoes, blackberries, papayas, hybrid melons and avocados.
- Milk and other dairy –choose fat-free or low-fat dairy products. If you're lactose-intolerant, there are lactose-free and lower-lactose products, such as hard cheeses and yogurt.
- Meat and beans – This group includes fish, poultry, eggs, beans, peas, nuts and seeds, so it's easy to vary your healthy eating choices. Avoid large quantities of red meats because they contain a lot of saturated fat.
- Oils – Oils are a major source of fats in your diet. Common plant and fish oils include: canola oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, olive oil, safflower oil, soybean oil, and sunflower oil. Most of the fats you eat should be polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats.
- Discretionary calories – discretionary calories include “the extras” like solid fats, added sugars, and alcohol, or more food from any food group are okay in moderation.