Over
the last decade, the association between food and health has become more and
more accepted by health professionals and others alike. That is not to say that
everyone
is seeking to eat healthier foods, but millions are. Health food diets are
becoming more widely followed, it seems, by the day.
The
importance of following a healthy diet is becoming more and more significant
with each scientific study. Study after study has shown that the food you
eat, and the liquids you drink, can have a perceptible impact on your health
and well being. Furthermore, taking steps to improve your diet may help you
live longer and avoid some common diseases.
Although
many people realise that diet is important to health, learning enough and
putting it into practice is another matter. Eating a diet that is low in
saturated fats may be a good start, along with a high fibre intake including,
fruits and vegetables.
Listed
below are a few other tips that may help you adopt a healthy eating lifestyle.
Some Basic Health Food Diet Tips
The
following tips to maintain a healthy diet are not comprehensive, but just some
quick pointers. There is new research being done all the time, and results
published just about every week, so if you are serious about a healthy diet,
there is a good reason to keep up to date with the latest developments online
or through health magazines.
1. Visit the USDA
website regularly and make use of their food pyramid trakcer. The US government
has put a lot of effort and money into their research and related public
service web sites, so make the most of it. It is onlne, so you do not need to
be an American or live in the US. I use it sometimes, and I am British and living
in the Philippines; no passport required, this web site is just for the general
good of the population!
2. Maybe grandma told
you this, but if she did she was right: eat lots of fruit and vegetables, up to
5 servings a day if possible, mixing different colours. These are rich in
vitamins and minerals, and some powerful antioxidants, as well as being a good
source of fibre.
3. Fresh fish from a
safe source can make a very tasty and healthy contribution to your diet. The
availability of fish varies greatly fro area to area, country to country, but
in most places you can get some. Maybe not the vast quantities we are lucky
enough to find here in Palawan at the local market, where fresh tuna is very
affordable, but at least you should be able to obtain some fish in your home
area.
4. There is no need to
drop meat from a healthy diet, but you can benefit from low fat meats such as
chicken and turkey. If you find the meat you have bought has a lot of fat on
the outside, then it is easy enough to trim, and well worth the effort. Fish is
rich in protein, low in fat, and is also high in many crucial nutrients.
Additionally, fish contains omega-3 fatty acids, which are known to have
protective effects on the cardiovascular system.
5. An often neglected element of diet is the oil you use for
cooking. The various oils used in cooking can add significant amounts of
fat and calories to your diet, so it is believed to be desirable use those oils
that contain healthier polyunsaturated fat, rather than harmful saturated
fats. Saturated fats come mostly from animal sources and include such
things as lard. Polyunsaturated fats are mainly derived from plant
sources, and include soybean oil and olive oil. However, this is an area
of research that you should keep a close eye on, as there are differing views.
Also, some oils may be beneficial for one type of cooking but not another. So,
if you use a particular oil it is worth searching for reports on its benefits,
and how to use it in a healthy way. You may find it necessary to have one type
of oil for high heat frying, another for low heat cooking, and yet another for
salad dressing.
6. Avoid highly processed foods wherever possible. These foods, such
as white bread, cakes and ready packed and convenience meals, are likely to be
less healthful than more wholesome foods such as whole grain products, fresh
vegetables and fruits.
7. High fat milk
products like cheese and butter, can be replaced by lower fat alternatives. You
can easily find low fat and non fat alternatives for milk, cheese, butter,
margarine, yoghourts and other dairy products.
Those are just a few
simple tips, but remember to find out more about your nutrition needs for good
health from your doctor and nutritionist.
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