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Balanced Nutrition 101
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Balanced nutrition consists of two elements:
healthy eating habits and healthy
food choices.
Healthy eating habits
Frequency
Your body is like a furnace, you must add fuel
frequently to keep the fire burning. To do so, consume a healthy
meal or snack every 2 to 3 hours when you’re
awake. Quit eating at least 2 hours before bedtime as your
metabolism slows down while you’re asleep.
By frequently eating small portions of healthy
foods, you will maintain stable blood sugar levels, which
can help you lose weight and possibly also prevent diabetes,
heart disease, and other illnesses.
Speed
It takes your brain up to 20 minutes to realize
that you’ve eaten and are no longer hungry. Chew
your food at least 30 times per morsel to give your
brain the time it needs so you don’t overeat. This will
also help you digest those nutrients that need to be broken
down by the enzymes in your saliva.
By eating slowly, you may avoid both weight
gain and indigestion, and you will enable your body to make
better use of the foods you consume.
Quantity
Nutrition pioneer, Adelle Davis advised, “Eat
breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dinner like a
pauper.”
This statement still holds true today. A large,
nutritious breakfast fills you up after hours of sleep, and
gives you the energy you need to go through your day. A medium,
nutritious lunch picks you up mid-day. And a small, nutritious
dinner is enough to make you feel satiated without going to
bed on a full stomach. Add a couple of nutritious snacks
in between, and you have a recipe for a very healthy and happy
you.
Preparation
Make raw or lightly steamed vegetables your
staple. Raw fruit is also great in small quantities (three
servings per day). Other healthy ways to prepare your foods
include boiling, poaching, baking, roasting, and grilling.
Go light on sautéed and smoked foods, and avoid fried
ones, especially deep fried.
Healthy food choices
Variety and quality
By consuming a variety of colorful foods throughout
each day, you will obtain many different vitamins and minerals,
enjoy more flavorful meals, and avoid getting bored with any
particular food.
Choose foods that provide the most and the best
quality nutrients: foods that are fresh or frozen raw, organic
(when available), and colorful. Avoid processed foods, especially
those that contain any artificial ingredients.
Eating this way may help you prevent nutrient
deficiencies and many of the disorders that come with them.
Nutrient balance
To function properly, your body and mind need
ALL nutrients in the right proportions and amounts.
WARNING: A diet
can be dangerous to your health if it requires you to give
up a major food group (carbohydrates, proteins, fats), or
reduce your food intake significantly below the amount recommended
for your gender, age, size, and fitness level.
Carbohydrates
provide you with energy, as well as fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
Fiber helps you digest food, eliminate waste, and regulate
blood sugar levels. It also gives you a sense of satiety.
Vitamins regulate your hormonal health, cell signaling, and
tissue growth. Minerals regulate your metabolism, cell formation,
and other biochemical functions
Most individuals require almost half of their
diet to consist of carbs. The trick is to choose the healthy
varieties. In a nutshell, favor carb sources that are
made by nature, colorful,
and crunchy when raw.
You can have as many vegetables as you want,
and a few fruit servings per day. Whole grains, such as brown
rice, also provide lots of nutrients. Go light on refined
grains and human- or machine-made carbs. They can make tasty
treats but have little nutritional value.
Proteins help
build and maintain your cells and tissues.
Unless you are allergic, legumes (beans, peas,
peanuts), tree nuts, small fish, and eggs tend to be healthier
protein sources than meat, dairy, and large fish.
Legumes, nuts and fish provide healthy fats
and antioxidants in addition to protein. Eggs, especially
from organically raised, free-ranging, pasture-fed hens, are
relatively low in saturated fat and provide “better”
cholesterol than meats and dairy.
Meat and dairy are high in saturated fat and
“bad” cholesterol, and acidify in your blood stream.
“Low-fat” and “fat-free” dairy products
tend to be very high in sugar. Large fish may be high in mercury
and other heavy metals. All of these qualities may be harmful
to your health if you consume meat, dairy, or large fish in
excess.
Fats transport
fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, enabling your body to
absorb them. They also help control cell development, cholesterol
levels, mood, inflammation, and many other aspects of your
health. In addition, fats can improve the flavor of your food
and give you a sense of satiety.
Fats have received lots of bad press in the
recent decades. The truth is, however, that NO
fat occurring naturally is intrinsically bad for you.
The problem begins when you overindulge, especially on saturated
and polyunsaturated fats, both of which are prevalent in processed
foods.
The healthiest fat is omega-3, often referred
to as superunsaturated. Its food
sources include cold-water fish, flax seeds and oil, seaweeds,
soy beans, and walnuts.
Monounsaturated fats, such as olive and canola
oils, avocados, most nuts and nut oils, also tend to be beneficial
to many aspects of your health as they support your immune
system.
The only fats that are always bad for you and
have NO redeeming value are trans fats. These byproducts of
the artificial process of hydrogenation (causing liquid oils
to become solid in room temperature) occur exclusively in
processed foods. Trans fats contribute to health conditions,
such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular and Alzheimer’s
diseases, prostate and breast cancers, liver dysfunction,
and infertility.
So which, do you think, is better for you: margarine
or plain old butter? The vegan in me squirms as I say this
but, I must admit, butter it is.
Don’t forget water!
Water hydrates you, regulates your body’s
temperature, transports water-soluble nutrients and oxygen
and, along with fiber, helps eliminate waste.
Water constitutes about two thirds of your body.
You lose some of this water each time you eliminate, sweat,
cry, or even breathe. To maintain the natural balance, you
need to replenish what you lost by drinking water and other
liquids. You also obtain some water from your food.
If you drink enough water, especially filtered
water, it helps flush toxins out of your body. It also helps
you breathe by moistening your lungs, and it keeps your skin
and other organs hydrated, as well.
On the other hand, dehydration can give you
headaches, lethargy, sunken eyes, and constipation. It may
even lead to kidney failure. In addition, your body will attempt
to store all the water it can get, which may result in swollen
feet and hands.
How much water is enough?
Divide your body weight in pounds in half. That’s how
many fluid ounces of water you need each day. Add one third
of this amount if you’re an athlete. About 20% of your
water requirement is satisfied by the foods you consume, but
the remaining 80% needs to come from water and other beverages.
However, you may not want to bother counting
ounces, and that’s fine, too. You can use your thirst
as the measure of your water requirement. Drink when you’re
thirsty, but try not to get to that point.
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Balanced Nutrition | Nutrient
Deficiencies | Nutrient
Overdose
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Nutrition Tips