When I was a child, it was straightforward and there wasn't that much to know about nutrition. There were four food groups. Sugar was tasty, but bad for you, and vegetables were good. It was all quite simplistic, and very easy to remember.
These days, it's not as simple in fact it can be downright complicated. Every time you turn around another expert offers up a different opinion about nutrition. Each day there seems to be a new article with supporting research telling us that everything we know about nutrition is now wrong. Doesn't it seem like all the foods you like are now bad for you? Somehow, eating right doesn't seem as simple. It's as though the plethora of information out there has made it much more difficult to eat healthily.
In actuality, nutrition hasn't changed. Food hasn't changed that much. And a healthy diet 20 years ago is actually still good for you today. The challenge is not to get overwhelmed by all the various nutrition information that's available. If you keep in mind the basic guidelines, that's all you'll really need to know about healthy eating.
One of the most important things to know about nutrition is that food comes in several forms: proteins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals and vitamins. These are not food groups. Rather, each type of nutrient can be found in varying amounts in those foods that you eat. Each of these nutrients plays a vital role in keeping you healthy. The goal of a good nutrition program, is to find the right balance of these five nutrients. This is the one nutrition fact that will make a difference between healthy and unhealthy eating, between making you fat or fit.
The question is how to find the right balance. It's really not that difficult. You don't have to be an dietitian or a nutrition expert to get this one right.
It's recommended that carbohydrates make up about one third of your diet. Carbohydrates include most foods which come from plant sources, including grains, fruit, wheat, vegetables and anything made from them. Some self-proclaimed nutrition experts have published whole books about avoiding carbohydrates. Nothing could be more foolish! Carbohydrates are critical and enabled the body to store energy to function. They are essential, and should never be removed from your diet entirely.
The second third of your diet should come from protein rich sources. In general, protein comes from animal sources, such as pork, beef, chicken and fish. Fish is a wonderful source of lean protein. Be careful though, protein can be loaded with fat
The last third of your diet should be fat. Yes, you did read this right. The true nutrition experts know that fat is a critical part of your diet, and should not be completely eliminated. It's important to remember to incorporate good fats, like omega-3 fats which come from fish and nuts. Particularly avoid trans fats and saturated fats.
If you understand how to keep the proper balance of nutrients in your diet, then you know all there really is to know about nutrition.
No comments:
Post a Comment