What Is a Balanced Diet?
The topic of what makes a balanced diet has undergone radical changes since the 1920's four food groups and then again with the release of the food pyramid guide in 1992. Today, the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes for Health make the following statement: "A balanced diet means getting the right types and amounts of foods and drinks to supply nutrition and energy for maintaining body cells, tissues, and organs, and for supporting normal growth and development." It may be helpful to you to break it down into the following categories: carbohydrates, proteins, fats and fiber. These four groups make up the necessary components for healthy nutrition.
Other People Are Reading
-
Carbohydrates
-
These come primarily from fruits, vegetables and grains. They give us the immediate energy we need to function in our daily lives. It is important that you consume reasonably sized portions of each of these types of carbohydrates daily.
With diabetes and other related blood sugar diseases, it's important that you understand how many carbohydrates you can consume to keep your blood sugars level. Avoid drinking vegetable and fruit juices as they are high in sugar and calories, and often lack the fiber you get from eating the food.
Proteins
-
A healthy and strong body requires good sources of protein to build and maintain healthy muscles. Proteins can be found in legumes, nuts, dairy products and animal meats and fish. When consuming animal proteins, always choose lean cuts of meat, limiting red meats (bovine and wild game) to two or three days a week.
-
Fiber
-
Fiber naturally occurs in plant life. A diet rich in fresh fruits, nuts, vegetables and whole grains should provide you with the necessary dietary requirements for fiber in your diet. A good rule of thumb is to eat it, don't drink it. Not only does fiber help to fill you up and create a feeling of being full, it satisfies our need to chew.
Fats
-
If you are wondering what trans fats are, they are also referred to as partially hydrogenated oils or liquid vegetable oils. So in other words, if it's fried, it has trans fats in it. Good fats are monounsaturated fats like olive oil, nuts, avocados and, yes, even butter.
Moderation or Even Elimination
-
Be moderate in your use of alcohol, stimulants such as caffeine, sodium and food additives. In some cases, you may need to eliminate alcohol and stimulants to prevent hypertension.
Eating Out
-
Unless you happen to know of a good restaurant that cooks completely from scratch and doesn't use trans fats, prepackaged ingredients, flavor enhancers or high amounts of sodium, eating out is generally bad for you. Additionally, the portions are too large and it's cost prohibitive.
-
