Getting The Balance Right - A Guide To Healthy Eating

When trying to create a balanced diet you need to look at the building blocks of a healthy diet once that contains all the essential elements the body needs. Even if you are happy with your current wait you will likely maintain it easier with a balance of carbohydrates (often know as carbs),fat and proteins.

Foods such as eggs those foods made from milk such as yoghurt, cheeses and of course just milk it's self are high in on of those essential building block protein which is why nutritionist recommend we eat plenty of protein in a balanced diet.

Moving on to Carbohydrates the story is pretty much the same in terms of calories at around 4 calories per gram. But unlike protein which occurs only naturally (unless added as a supplement) carbs can be found both naturally and also in food that a processed or if you prefer man made.

Examples of natural carbohydrates include obvious ones such as potato's (in their various forms),bread,rice and oatmeal.Then we have processed foods or man made carbohydrates such as cakes, cookies,bagels and candies etc.

However Fat derives 9 calories from each GRAM, a full 225% more calories per gram than either protein or carbohydrates.Maybe that suprises you but it shouldn't really but few people uderstand the significance and even then it's not that simple. Nothing ever is ...

There are 4 main types of fat which makes things a little more complicated these are Mono Unsaturated Fat, Poly Unsaturated Fat, Saturated Fats (mainly derived from animals) and the man made Trans Fat's or Trans Fatty Acids.

A balance of carbs,protein and fat (ideally mono and poly unsaturated fats with a small proportion of animal fats) will prevent you having problems with being over weight and obese. It is when these food groups get out of balance that problems occur.

If you choose to have a diet which has a high level of fat or indeed a high level of carbohydrate (especially man made carbs) you increase your chances dramatically to having problems with your weight.If you continue this way may end up extremely obese or as doctors use the term morbidly obese.

Since fat has substancially more calories per gram than both protein & carbohydrates, just ensure the bulk of your diet is a balance of the first two food groups with some healthy fats thrown in for good measure.

There are 4 different types of fat lets look at each in turn...

Mono Unsaturated Fatty Acids (Monounsaturated Fats).. Examples of which are seeds,nuts and vegetable oils. They are found in liquid form at room temperature.

Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFA's):- Poly Unsaturated Fats are are most commonly seen in vegetable oils, fish and seafoods. They are liquid or soft at room temperature.Essential fatty acids Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are types of Polyunsaturated fats and are considered essential to our diet but our bodies can not make them so they must be obtained through the diet.

Saturated Fats (Saturated Fatty Acids) are usually solid at room temperature and are found mainly in foods from animal sources like meat, dairy products and butter. Some vegetable oils such as coconut, palm kernel and palm oil are also full of saturated fatty acids.

Trans Fats (TFA's):- These are manufactured vegetable oils which have been specially processed to become solid at room temperature by the addition of hydrogen. You may have heard them called hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils or fats. They have been used in some margarines,junk foods and processed snacks which the manufacturers claim enhances their flavor and shelf life.

Think of it this way fats from animals such as butter, shortening, pastry and the like are saturated fats. Whereas fats from sunflower oils, some nuts and olive oil and unsaturated fats. Some margarines and spreads are also unsaturated fat but read the label first.Don't forget any fat will make you fat if eaten to excess but unsaturated fats are better for you.

If you want to be eating healthy you need to keep a good balance of all 3 main food groups.

Article Source: http://www.articlemonk.com

When seeking help and diet advice i'm convinced love the latest free report by Graham Foster "82 weight loss tips to lose 22.5 pounds of horrible fat in only 5 short weeks"
Don't reprint this article. Instead, reprint a free unique content version of this same article.

Please Rate this Article

5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5 

Not yet Rated