What is a healthy diet?
A healthy diet is a way of eating that that reduces risk for complications such as heart disease and stroke. Healthy eating includes eating a wide variety of foods including vegetables, whole grains, fruits, non-fat dairy products, beans, and lean meats, poultry and fish. There is no one perfect food so including a variety of different foods and watching portion sizes is key to a healthy diet. Also, make sure your choices from each food group provide the highest quality nutrients you can find. In other words, pick foods rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber over those that are processed. People with diabetes can eat the same foods the family enjoys. Everyone benefits from healthy eating so the whole family can take part in healthy eating. It takes some planning but you can fit your favorite foods into your meal plan and still manage your blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol.
With the vast variety of information about what defines a healthy diet, it has become difficult to sort out the hype from the truth. However, a good diet, like many other things is about your lifestyle choices. These lifestyle choices include the decisions you make everyday about living, and few people understand the enormous impact that small changes in their lifestyles can have on their overall health. A healthy diet plan is no different. Your diet is probably the single most important aspect of your efforts to be naturally healthy. This is true whether you are trying to lose weight, build muscle , or just trying to improve your overall health. A proper diet is one that includes a wide variety of foods. The USDA has recently updated the food pyramid, which is a good place to start. I have listed below the main components of a healthy diet plan. Fruit Group Eating a variety of fruits each day is an enjoyable way to improve your diet. Because organic foods are best, avoid the canned fr
Prevention is better than cure and a healthy diet can not only reduce your chances of developing heart disease, but also protect your heart from further problems if you’ve already been diagnosed. It’s never too late to start eating healthily, and a good diet can also protect against some cancers and diabetes. Eating healthily can help you keep your weight, cholesterol and blood pressure under control and prevent blood clots and fatty deposits building up in your arteries. Make sure you include plenty of fruit, vegetables and starchy foods, like wholegrain bread, pasta and rice, and reduce the amount of saturated fat, salt and sugar that you include in your diet. It’s easy to eat properly and healthy food is delicious – try our heart healthy recipes and munch your way to a healthier you.
Your diet and physical activity level affect not only your waist line but your health—how you feel today and in the future. Have you ever asked yourself what a healthy diet is? Healthy diet is a balanced diet. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the healthy diet is the one that: • Emphasizes fruits and vegetables. The diet must include at least 4 servings of fruits and 4 servings of vegetables a day. A serving is a medium fruit or a cup of raw leafy vegetable. Fruits and vegetables are important sources of potassium, magnesium, and fiber. • Emphasizes whole grains. These are major sources of energy and fiber. Try to eat whole-wheat bread instead of white bread. Do not add whole-grain product, simply substitute the whole-grain product for the refined one. Tips to help you eat whole grains… • Includes fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products. According to the study published on April 16, 2005 in Obesity Research, dairy foods have a positive impact on weight loss. Dairy
Eating is one of life’s pleasures. Enjoy a wide variety of foods and follow the suggestions in the eating pyramid (see below) and you will consume the nutrients and energy a healthy adult needs. No food or meals are “good” or “bad”. It is what you eat over a period of time that counts. By selecting foods that make up a balanced diet you may avoid or reduce the probability of many illnesses and delay the effects of aging. A healthy diet and keeping fit has many benefits for you – • helps in maintaining an ideal weight • reduces the risk of many common health problems eg.
