Balanced Diet: Know More on Healthy and Nutritional Balanced Diet!
Jasdeep Singh

In this fast paced world, good nutrition may sound very simple but it is indeed really difficult to practice it. We eat too many processed foods or we tend to miss some meals. Some of us even smoke or drink alcohol. We also choose food on the basis of the taste. This not only make us overeat but also we ignore rich nutrient food items which we feel have bad taste. Foods lose substantial nutritional value during storage. There are many such factors which rob us of the nutrients we need for the maintenance of general well being.

We all talk of balanced diet, but how many of us really know the actual meaning of the balanced diet? Balanced Diet is a diet which has adequate amount of all nutrients required for healthy growth and activity. Sounds simple!

We have divided food into five groups on the basis of their nutrient content which are the most integral part of balanced diet.

Group One :

Wheat, Rice and Cereals. They are major sources of starch, carbohydrates, B-Vitamins and fibre.

Recommended Servings : 6-8 servings daily.

Group Two :

Dairy products. They are major sources of calcium , protein and vitamins (A,B2, B6, B12 and D).

Recommended Servings : 2-4 daily.

Group Three :

Fruits and Vegetables. They are major sources of vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates and fibre.

Recommended Servings : 4-6 daily.

Group Four :

Meat, Fish, Poultry and Pulses. They are major sources od protein, Vitamin B12 , zinc and iron.

Recommended Servings : 2-3 daily

Group Five :

Fats, Oils and Sugar. They are major source of energy in our body.

Recommended Servings: Should be barely adequate.

Recommended servings of each group daily comprises a balanced. Now does it still look simple? To make it worse, our hectic life schedules make it more difficult for us to achieve this goal. Hence it has become a challenge now. We cant ignore this vital part of our life too. So we should better gear up for it!

Random Tip: Eating fruits increases your immunity against the development of age-related maculopathy and eye diseases.

About the Author

About the Author: Jasdeep Singh

For http://weightloss-health.com/ your complete and most comprehensive family guide on Health.

Also get free sample low carb recipes at http://weightloss-health.com/low_carb_recipes.htm

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Healthy Eating Facts – Trans Fat And Soda Wake Up Tips

Regardless of the type of diet you may be on, or what your current lifestyle is, there are definitely some healthy eating facts that always stay the same. Saturated fat, for example, is not healthy for you, and it doesn’t matter how active or sedentary you are, nor does it matter how much you weight or how many calories you eat per day. Facts are facts. Man-made trans fats are always unhealthy. Another fact is that restricting your calories too severely can take its toll on your body.

One thing that people didn’t need to concern themselves with several years ago was trans fats; to be more specific, man-made trans fats, as there are some naturally occurring trans fats which aren’t a major health issue. The good news is that trans fats are easy to spot on food labels, but only when you know how. The most recent labeling guidelines say that food manufacturers have to show how much trans fats are in each serving of their food. However, if it’s under a certain amount, thy are allowed to show it as 0 grams of trans fat, even if there is some of it in the food. While this is playing dirty with your health, there is a way you can know for sure. Simply read the full list of ingredients. If you see the word ‘hydrogenated’, then it contains man-made trans fats and you should leave it on the shelf.

Researchers first brought hydrogenated fats and oils to the market in 1911. At the time they solved a big problem: spoilage. Refrigeration was still fairly new, and a lot of homes had no way of keeping their food cool. This meant that most foods that contained fats would turn rancid on the shelf. Trans fats changed that. All of a sudden, people could have margarine, shortening, instant cocoa and various mixes at home.

Refrigeration is no longer a problem, but trans fats are. That’s because researchers have found a link between hydrogenated fats and various diseases. This is most likely due to the fact that hydrogenation changes the molecular properties of otherwise natural fats. Even the government is starting to change the way it looks at trans fats.

Healthy eating facts don’t end with trans fats, though. Another thing to avoid is carbonated soft drinks. If they are sweetened with sugar, then they can have up to 3 tablespoons of sugar in a 12 ounce can! And it’s all empty calories. Even those soft drinks that have added nutrients aren’t that great for you, because you are still getting way too many simple carbohydrates.

Most such beverages also contain artificial flavors, caffeine, artificial colors and other things that aren’t any good for you. But what about sodas that use artificial sweeteners? They aren’t good for you either. The jury is still out on various sweeteners, but so far it looks they are not worth the risk. Even if they aren’t that bad for you, there are enough other bad things in carbonated beverages to make steering clear of them another one of the healthy eating facts you can rely on.

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Life is constantly providing us with new experiences and resources even when we are reduced to immobility. And without stressing too much on the adage health is wealth, it is very important to live by the rules of healthy living.

It is known to many that proper diet, regular exercise, and utmost discipline are the basic ingredients in achieving balanced and healthy living. But more often than not, people who are either obese of morbidly obese do not adhere to these guiding principles on how to achieve those weight loss goals and often experience severe results.

ALL ABOUT LOW FAT DIETS

Through the years, statistics continues to show that 95 percent of people who try traditional diets fail. These studies also show that improper dieting have caused miserable suffering to those have tried it because they underwent drastic food restriction and deprivation. Aside from the depression caused by failed diet and failure of short-term weight loss goal, these people have also developed chronic illnesses.

One of major reasons why people become obese is that they have high blood cholesterol levels due to fat intake. If you want to achieve your desired weight, make sure that you familiarize yourself first with fats. Basically, there are two major types of dietary fatthe saturated and unsaturated fat. Saturated fats may lead to the increase of cholesterol in the blood while eating unsaturated fats or oils can help decrease cholesterol levels. Fats are also categorized as low fat which has 20 to 30 percent of calories derived from fats and very low fat that has 0 to 19 percent of calories from fats.

Experts say that fat has more than twice the calories as the same amount of protein or carbohydrate this is why a good low fat diet can be helpful in the reduction of weight gain and lowering blood cholesterol as well. Over the years, health authorities and experts agree low fat diets are the best because these enable people to control over weight through lowered fat consumption.

The most typical low fat diets include the Ornish Diet, the Pritikin Diet, Hip and Thigh Diet, Scarsdale Diet, F-Plan Again Diet, Mayo Clinic Plan, Rice Diet, Weight Watchers Diet, Jenny Craig Diet, The 3-Hour Diet, and Anne Collins Diet Program that offer different low fat diets.

Here are some ways to eat less fat:

1. Try eating fewer fried foods. Instead of eating fried foods, opt for grilled, boiled, baked, poached, steamed or dry roasted foods.

2. Stop adding butter, lard, and margarine to food while preparing and cooking. Also, spare yourself from spreads.

3. Cut down on visible fat from meat.

4. Eat less fatty meat products like sausages, burgers, meat pies, and pasties.

5. Consume semi-skimmed or skimmed milk instead of drinking whole milk.

6. Try eating low-fat or reduced-fat varieties of cheeses.

7. Eat lesser high-fat foods like crisps, chocolates, cakes, pastry products, biscuits, and pizzas.

8. Drink low-fat or natural yogurts or creams.

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