A healthy diet plays an important part in helping to prevent or control
some serious diseases, such as heart attack, stroke, some cancers,
diabetes, and liver diseases – just to name a few. In order to live a
healthy life, people need to keep body weight as close as possible to an
ideal weight. It is important to determine your ideal weight and the
calories you need to maintain it. A healthy diet includes a variety of
food from each food group:
• Grains
• Vegetables
• Fruit
• Oils
• Milk
• Proteins
This will help to ensure you get adequate amounts of carbohydrates, protein, vitamins and minerals, and fiber. The Food Guide Pyramid published by the US Department of Food and Agriculture is a good guideline to follow for a well-balanced healthy diet.
• Grains
• Vegetables
• Fruit
• Oils
• Milk
• Proteins
This will help to ensure you get adequate amounts of carbohydrates, protein, vitamins and minerals, and fiber. The Food Guide Pyramid published by the US Department of Food and Agriculture is a good guideline to follow for a well-balanced healthy diet.
Introduction
A healthy diet is important in preventing several serious diseases, such as:
- Coronary artery disease
- Obesity and its related complications
- High blood pressure and its related complications
- Diabetes and its related complications
- Some forms of cancer
Other diseases that can be prevented or controlled by a healthy diet include:
- Strokes
- Liver diseases such as cirrhosis
- Renal failure
- Anemia
- Infectious diseases related to the cleanliness of food ingested
This patient education program will help you better understand how your body uses food and what kinds of food your body needs in order to function properly. It will also ask you questions about healthy eating habits.
Calories & Weight
The body continuously uses energy to keep the body temperature normal and to maintain bodily functions.
Energy is measured in calories. A “calorie” is a unit of energy that is made available to the body by the food we eat.
The number of calories required for good health depends on a person’s age and size. A large person needs more calories than a small person because a bigger body needs more energy than a smaller body.
Physically active people need more calories than inactive people.
Medical conditions can also affect metabolism. For example, a person with a thyroid gland that does not secrete enough thyroid hormone will have a slower metabolism.
When people eat more calories than they need, the extra calories are stored in the fatty tissues of the body and can lead to increased weight.
When people eat fewer calories than they need, the body burns fat to supply the needed calories and the person loses weight.
In order to live a healthy life, people need to keep body weight as close as possible to an ideal weight.
To determine your ideal weight, talk to your healthcare provider.
People who are 20% heavier than their ideal weight are medically “obese.” To reduce weight, they should eat less calories than their body needs.
Energy is measured in calories. A “calorie” is a unit of energy that is made available to the body by the food we eat.
The number of calories required for good health depends on a person’s age and size. A large person needs more calories than a small person because a bigger body needs more energy than a smaller body.
Physically active people need more calories than inactive people.
Medical conditions can also affect metabolism. For example, a person with a thyroid gland that does not secrete enough thyroid hormone will have a slower metabolism.
When people eat more calories than they need, the extra calories are stored in the fatty tissues of the body and can lead to increased weight.
When people eat fewer calories than they need, the body burns fat to supply the needed calories and the person loses weight.
In order to live a healthy life, people need to keep body weight as close as possible to an ideal weight.
To determine your ideal weight, talk to your healthcare provider.
People who are 20% heavier than their ideal weight are medically “obese.” To reduce weight, they should eat less calories than their body needs.
Food Groups
Food is commonly divided into the following categories.
- Fat and cholesterol
- Protein
- Carbohydrate
- Vitamins
- Minerals
- Fiber
The food group that includes fat and cholesterol is one of the most publicized food categories. Fat is important to help us build our bodies, especially our brains. The brain has proportionately more fat in it than most other organs in the body.
Too much cholesterol in the blood can lead to blockages in arteries leading to the heart and brain, as well as in other organs. Blocked arteries very often lead to heart attacks and strokes.
The body is able to make all the cholesterol it needs; therefore it is not important that we eat cholesterol.
Cholesterol is found in animal products. There are also very high amounts of cholesterol in the yolk of eggs.
There are generally 2 types of fat:
- saturated fat
- unsaturated fat.
Saturated fat is usually solid at room temperature and is mainly an animal product. This is the kind of fat that can be seen on a steak. Saturated fats tend to increase the level of cholesterol in the blood and, therefore, are not healthy.
Unsaturated fats are healthier than saturated fats. Unsaturated fat is usually liquid at room temperature and comes mostly from vegetables. Olive oil is an unsaturated fat.
Carbohydrates are “sugary” foods. They include:
- sugar
- rice
- bread
- cereals
- pasta
- potatoes
- beets
Protein is very important for the body. Protein can be found in:
- Meat
- Poultry
- Fish
- Dry beans
- Eggs
- Nuts
The body cannot produce vitamins and minerals. We have to consume them. Without enough vitamins and minerals, the body could contract serious diseases.
Women after menopause are at a higher risk of developing osteoporosis, or bone weakness, than men of any age.
Fiber is mainly found in non-animal products, such as vegetables and fruits.
Fiber, also known as roughage, helps to keep bowels regular and possibly protect against colon cancer.
Since the human body does not absorb fiber, it is not counted as consumed calories.
A Healthy Diet
A healthy diet is a diet that provides sufficient nutrients for your
body. Different people need different amounts of calories. Here are five
general guidelines that apply to all people.
- Eat a variety of foods. No one category of food can give you all the nutrients you need. A healthy diet always includes food from different food groups.
- Eat the amount of food your body needs. When you eat more food than your body needs, the extra calories are stored as fat. Find your ideal weight, desired level of physical activity, and aim at reaching and maintaining this weight.
- Eat a lot of grain products, vegetables and fruits. Dietitians recommend plant foods because they include few calories and lots of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. In addition, they have no cholesterol and are low in fat.
- Eat a diet low in fat and cholesterol. No more than 30% of the calories you eat should come from fat.
- Choose moderation for certain foods and drinks. Sweets (such as candy), salt, and alcohol should be consumed in moderation.
The Pyramid
The Food Pyramid is a guide for healthy eating that suggests eating a
variety of food while eating the appropriate amount from each group of
food.
The Food Guide Pyramid has 6 colors. Each color represents a food group. The larger the area of the color category, the more servings you need from this food group.
Orange represents grains. Eat at least 3 ounces of whole grain bread, cereal, crackers, rice, or pasta every day. Look for “whole” before the grain name on the list of ingredients.
Green represents the vegetables. Eat more dark green and orange veggies. Eat more dry beans and peas. Eat a variety of vegetables to get different vitamins and nutrients.
Red represents fruits. Eat a variety of fruit. Choose fresh, frozen, canned, or dried fruit. Go easy on fruit juices.
Yellow represents the oils. They are the smallest category. Make most of your fat sources from fish, nuts, and vegetable oils. Limit solid fats such as butter, stick margarine, shortening, and lard.
Blue represents milk. Pick low-fat or fat-free milk. If you can’t consume milk, choose lactose-free products or other calcium sources.
Purple is the last category and it represents protein. Choose low-fat or lean meat and poultry. Bake it, boil it, or grill it. Vary your choices with more fish, beans, peas, nuts, and seeds.
The amount of food eaten is measured in a unit called a "serving." Depending on the food group, the serving size may be measured in cups, grams, slices, or whole fruits.
The number of servings from each food group depends mostly on the person's age, sex, height, and level of physical activity.
How many servings you need from each group depends on the number of calories you need each day.
The stairs in the food pyramid are to remind you to be physically active. You should be physically active for at least 30 minutes most days of the week. Children and teenagers should be physically active for 60 minutes every day or most days.
The Food Guide Pyramid has 6 colors. Each color represents a food group. The larger the area of the color category, the more servings you need from this food group.
Orange represents grains. Eat at least 3 ounces of whole grain bread, cereal, crackers, rice, or pasta every day. Look for “whole” before the grain name on the list of ingredients.
Green represents the vegetables. Eat more dark green and orange veggies. Eat more dry beans and peas. Eat a variety of vegetables to get different vitamins and nutrients.
Red represents fruits. Eat a variety of fruit. Choose fresh, frozen, canned, or dried fruit. Go easy on fruit juices.
Yellow represents the oils. They are the smallest category. Make most of your fat sources from fish, nuts, and vegetable oils. Limit solid fats such as butter, stick margarine, shortening, and lard.
Blue represents milk. Pick low-fat or fat-free milk. If you can’t consume milk, choose lactose-free products or other calcium sources.
Purple is the last category and it represents protein. Choose low-fat or lean meat and poultry. Bake it, boil it, or grill it. Vary your choices with more fish, beans, peas, nuts, and seeds.
The amount of food eaten is measured in a unit called a "serving." Depending on the food group, the serving size may be measured in cups, grams, slices, or whole fruits.
The number of servings from each food group depends mostly on the person's age, sex, height, and level of physical activity.
How many servings you need from each group depends on the number of calories you need each day.
The stairs in the food pyramid are to remind you to be physically active. You should be physically active for at least 30 minutes most days of the week. Children and teenagers should be physically active for 60 minutes every day or most days.
Food Labels
Food labels help to determine what we are eating. Food labels are
mandated by law and include more accurate information than commercials
and advertisements.
By reading the food label, you can determine the:
By reading the food label, you can determine the:
- calories per serving
- calories from fat
- total grams of fat
- total grams of carbohydrates
- total grams of protein
- percent daily values
These are the percentages per serving of the total recommended daily needs for each listed element in the packaged food.
Summary
When eating healthy becomes a life habit, it can help prevent diseases.
To make a healthy diet part of your life, you need information and
motivation.
This program has provided you some information. Do you need any motivation?
Healthy eating does not have to be difficult. There are lots of tasty and healthy food choices.
This program has provided you some information. Do you need any motivation?
Healthy eating does not have to be difficult. There are lots of tasty and healthy food choices.
