As this "My Plate" diagram illustrates, the focus for a healthy diet is on fruit and vegetables. Add in lean protein and whole grains with a bit of dairy, and you have a healthy diet.
Before 2010, the dietary guidelines for Americans was illustrated with a pyramid.
- Engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity, above usual activity, on most days of the week. To help attain and manage body weight in adulthood, increase that amount to up to 90 minutes.
- Eat the right number of calories for your energy needs.
- Eat more fruits and vegetables, at least two cups of fruit and two-and-a-half cups of vegetables daily.
- Half of all grains and breads should be whole grains, at least three or more servings per day.
- Avoid cholesterol and trans fats, and limit animal fats.
- Choose healthy fats, such as fish, nuts, and vegetable oils. Avoid trans
- Limit added sugars or caloric sweeteners.
- Consume less than one teaspoon of salt per day.
- Consume three cups per day of fat-free or low fat milk or equivalent milk products.
- Those who choose to drink alcoholic beverages should do so sensibly and in moderation. Some people should not drink at all.
- Practice food safety, such as preparing meats separate from fruits and vegetables.
What diet works the best? It all depends on your lifestyle, exercise routine, and body metabolism. In other words, each person needs to find a diet that works best for them - a diet that provides energy and helps them maintain a healthy weight and percentage of body fat. All researchers agree, that any diet must be accompanied with exercise to have a lasting effect. Without exercise, often the yo-yo syndrome is experienced where the weight, plus a little extra, comes back after an initial weight loss period.
Diet, nutrition, fitness, and energy levels are a result of a positive LIFESTYLE. It is long-term.
There is no magic pill for keeping at your ideal weight, contrary to what some marketing schemes would like you to believe.
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Weight control comes down to the basic equation:
Calories in - calories burned = calories left to be stored as fat or calories needed and taken out of fat stores
In other words:
If Calories In equals Calories Out, weight is maintained.
If Calories In is greater than Calories Out, weight is gained.
If Calories In is less than Calories Out, weight is lost.
If you consume too many calories, the excess is stored as adipose tissue (fat). Converting fat to adipose tissue takes fewer calories than the conversion of either carbohydrate or protein to adipose tissue. Still, if you eat too many carbohydrates they will still be stored in adipose tissue.
A diet void of fat, however, often results in feelings of deprivation. Fat in the diet is important for a feeling of satiety.
Recent research has indicated that people are inclined to eat more of a food if it is labeled "Fat Free" or "Low in Fat". It is important to remember that low fat does not mean low in calories. If you consume more calories than you use, it will still result in increased weight regardless of the "fat free" status.
Fad diets will be discussed in more detail next week but, fundamentally, the primary reason fad diets work over the short term is due to the reduction in calories. Weight loss results due to lower calorie intake, not necessarily due to any special combination of foods.
Exercise is important for weight loss by increasing the number of calories burned.
What is your calorie balance?
Calories in = the food we eat. Calories burned, though, includes those from normal activities and then add in exercise and activities calories
Your metabolic rate = your resting metabolic rate (calories burned when doing nothing) + energy consumed by your daily activities (the more you move, the more you burn).
Calories burned for various activities is a function of our weight and intensity.
To figure your metabolic rate go to: Metabolic Rate Calculator.
For a good calorie burning counter go to: Calorie Burn Counter.
"Good" and "Bad" food options
The Bad Fats
Some fats are bad because they tend to worsen blood cholesterol levels.
Saturated Fats are mainly animal fats. They are found in meat, seafood, whole-milk dairy products (cheese, milk, and ice cream), poultry skin, and egg yolks. Some plant foods are also high in saturated fats, including coconut and coconut oil, palm oil, and palm kernel oil.
Trans Fats are produced by heating liquid vegetable oils in the presence of hydrogen. This process is known as hydrogenation. The more hydrogenated an oil is, the harder it will be at room temperature. For example, a spreadable tub margarine is less hydrogenated and so has fewer trans fats than a stick margarine. Most of the trans fats in the American diet are found in commercially prepared baked goods, margarines, snack foods, and processed foods. Commercially prepared fried foods, like French fries and onion rings, also contain a good deal of trans fat.
The bottom line is that the healthier fats are those that are liquid at room temperature. The less healthy fats are solid at room temperature. Think olive oil versus butter.
The Good Fats
Some fats are good because they can improve blood cholesterol levels.
Unsaturated Fats are found in products derived from plant sources, such as vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds. There are two main categories: polyunsaturated fats (which are found in high concentrations in sunflower, corn, and soybean oils) and monounsaturated fats (which are found in high concentrations in canola, peanut, and olive oils).
The bottomline:
Fruits: Eat a variety of whole fruits, rather than fruit juices, aiming for 2 cups of fruit a day.
Vegetables: Eat a variety of vegetables, aiming for at least 2 1/2 cups a day. Eat more dark green and dark orange vegetables, such as broccoli, kale, leafy greens, carrots, sweet potatoes and winter squash, as well as beans and peas.
Whole grains: Eat at least 3 ounces of whole-grain foods daily. Make sure that grains listed on the ingredient label say "whole."
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Mindless Eating
An excellent book that examines what we eat and how to go about dropping a few pounds is "Mindless Eating" by Brian Wansink.
For more information on this topic go to the Mindness Eating Web site
Click on the top of the site to check your Mindless Eating Meter.
Important points made in the book are that small changes in how we eat can result in weight loss over the long term.
Examples of small changes include the following:
- Use smaller plates to make your meal appear to be more significant than it would seem on a large plate.
- For dinner, adopt the Half-Plate Rule. Half the plate is filled with vegetables and the other half is protein and starch.
- Keep tempting foods out of sight and out of mind. Store them in the basement, or in the back of the cupboards.
- Never eat directly from a package. Always portion food out into a dish so you must face exactly how much you'll eat.
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Making Sense of Portion Sizes
Many of us tend to underestimate the amount of food we eat and tend to overestimate the recommended portion sizes for many foods.
For example, try pouring out your usual portion of pasta and measure it! Then, compare it to the label portion size. Chances are, you're eating two, three, four or more times the amount on the label.
Relating the portion size of a serving to everyday items is an easy way to visualize what a true portion size looks like.
- Woman's fist or baseball - a serving of vegetables or fruit is about the size of your fist
- A rounded handful - about one half cup cooked or raw veggies or cut fruit, a piece of fruit, or ½ cup of cooked rice or pasta - this is a good measure for a snack serving, such as chips or pretzels
- Deck of cards - a serving of meat, fish or poultry or the palm of your hand (don't count your fingers!) - for example, one chicken breast, ¼ pound hamburger patty or a medium pork chop
- Golf ball or large egg - one quarter cup of dried fruit or nuts
- Tennis ball - about one half cup of ice cream
- Computer mouse - about the size of a small baked potato
- Compact disc - about the size of one serving of pancake or small waffle
- Thumb tip - about one teaspoon of peanut butter
- Six dice - a serving of cheese
- Checkbook - a serving of fish (approximately 3 oz.)
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Topic: Nutrition and Diet
First, let's define "Diet"
What is a healthy diet?