How Do I Stick to a Healthy Diet? -part 1-
Enjoy food and practice moderation
Food is one of life's greatest pleasures. All foods, if eaten in moderation, can be a part of a healthy diet. If your favorite foods are high in fat, salt, sugar, and calories, limit how often you eat them, but don't cut them out entirely. Eat smaller servings, eat them less often, or look for healthy substitutes. The key to a healthy, balanced diet is moderation. Eat a wide variety of foods, especially those high in nutrients, such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, fish, lean meats, and poultry.
Fat grams vs Percentages: Which is more important?
Q: My husband says that I should buy only foods that contain 35 percent or fewer calories from fat. I disagree. Who's right?A: You are. Health experts recommend that 20 percent to 35 percent of calories come from fat. But this refers to percent of total daily calories, not to each food item. So, if you consume 1,800 calories a day, you should have no more than 70 grams of fat a day. (35 percent of 1,800 calories = 630 calories, divided by 9 calories per gram of fat = 70 grams.)
Just because a food is high in the percentage of calories from fat doesn't necessarily mean that it has a lot of fat, or that it should be avoided. For example, 55 percent of the calories in part-skim mozzarella cheese come from fat, but 1 ounce has just four grams of fat and 72 calories. To get a more accurate calculation of fat in your diet, count fat grams.
To reduce the amount of fat in your diet, you don't necessarily have to eliminate high-fat foods — just eat them in smaller amounts and less often. Balance high-fat foods with vegetables, fruits, grains and low-fat dairy products.
Healthy diet decisions: Do you know what to eat?
IntroductionIf you're healthy and want to stay that way, do you know what to eat? Suggestions on what and how much to eat can be confusing, especially when faced with varied and conflicting nutritional advice.
CarbohydratesDescription: Carbohydrates are your body's main energy source. Complex carbohydrates include legumes, grains, and starchy vegetables such as potatoes, peas and corn. Simple carbohydrates, also called sugars, are found mainly in fruits and milk, as well as in foods made with sugar, such as candy and other sweets.
Recommendation: Get 45 percent to 65 percent of your daily calories — at least 130 grams a day — from carbohydrates. Emphasize complex carbohydrates, especially from whole grains and beans, and nutrient-rich fruits and milk. Limit sugars from candy and other sweets.
CholesterolDescription: Cholesterol is vital to the structure and function of all your cells, but it's also the main substance in fatty deposits (plaques) that can develop in your arteries. Your body makes all of the cholesterol it needs for cell function. You get additional cholesterol by eating animal foods, such as meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy products and butter.
Recommendation: Limit your intake of cholesterol to no more than 300 milligrams a day.
Fat
Description: Fats help your body absorb many essential vitamins, maintain the structure and function of cell membranes, and preserve the integrity of your immune system. But fat is a very concentrated energy source, providing twice as many calories per gram as carbohydrates and protein. And too much of certain types of fat — such as saturated fat and trans fat — can increase your blood cholesterol levels and your risk of coronary artery disease.
Recommendation: Limit fat to 20 percent to 35 percent of your daily calories. Emphasize fats from healthier sources, such as nuts and olive, canola and peanut oils.
Saturated fatDescription: Saturated fat is most often found in animal products, such as red meat, poultry, butter and whole milk. Other foods high in saturated fat include coconut, palm and other tropical oils. Saturated fat is the main dietary culprit in raising your blood cholesterol and increasing your risk of coronary artery disease.
Recommendation: Limit your daily intake of saturated fat to no more than 10 percent of your total calories. For most women, this means no more than 20 grams a day, and for most men this means no more than 24 grams a day.
FiberDescription: Fiber is the part of plant foods that your body doesn't digest and absorb. There are two basic types: soluble and insoluble. Insoluble fiber adds bulk to your stool and can help prevent constipation. Vegetables, wheat bran and other whole grains are good sources of insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber may help improve your cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Oats, dried beans and some fruits, such as apples and oranges, are good sources of soluble fiber.
Recommendation: Women need 21 to 25 grams of fiber a day, and men need 30 to 38 grams of fiber a day.
Protein
Description: Protein is essential to human life. Your skin, bones, muscles and organ tissue all contain protein. It's found in your blood, hormones and enzymes too. Protein is found in many plant foods. It comes from animal sources as well. Legumes, poultry, seafood, meat, dairy products, nuts and seeds are your richest sources of protein.
Recommendation: Between 10 percent and 35 percent of your total daily calories — at least 46 grams a day for women and 56 grams a day for men — can come from protein.
Tips for choosing the best types of fat
Limit fat in your diet, but don't try to cut it out completely. Focus on reducing foods high in
saturated fat,
trans fat and
cholesterol, and
select more
foods made with
unsaturated fats.
Consider these tips when making your choices:
- Saute with olive oil instead of butter.
- Use olive oil instead of vegetable oil in salad dressings and marinades. Use canola oil when baking.
- Sprinkle slivered nuts or sunflower seeds on salads instead of bacon bits.
- Snack on a small handful of nuts rather than potato chips or processed crackers. Or try peanut butter or other nut-butter spreads — nonhydrogenated — on celery, bananas, or rice or popcorn cakes.
- Add slices of avocado, rather than cheese, to your sandwich.
- Prepare fish such as salmon and mackerel, which contain monounsaturated and omega-3 fats, instead of meat one or two times a week.
Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats have few adverse effects on blood cholesterol levels, but you still need to consume all fats in moderation. Eating large amounts of any fat adds excess calories. Fat contains 9 calories per gram, compared with 4 calories per gram for protein and carbohydrates. Also make sure that fatty foods don't replace more nutritious options, such as fruits, vegetables, legumes or whole grains.
A daily limit for fat intake
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommend that fat make up no more than 35 percent of your daily calories. This means that if you consume 1,800 calories a day, consume no more than 70 grams of fat a day. (To figure: Multiply 1,800 by 0.35 to get 630 calories, and divide that number by 9, the number of calories per gram of fat, to get 70 grams of total fat.) Keep in mind, however, that this is an upper limit and that most of these fat calories should come from monounsaturated and polyunsaturated sources.
In addition, the USDA and HHS recommend these upper limits for saturated fat and dietary cholesterol for healthy adults:
- Type of fat -> Saturated fat ; Recommendation -> Less than 10 percent of your total daily calories
- Type of fat -> Dietary cholesterol ; Recommendation -> Less than 300 milligrams a day
Though the USDA and HHS haven't yet established an upper limit for trans fat, they do suggest that you keep your trans fat intake as low as possible.
Be aware that many foods contain different kinds of fat and varying levels of each type. For example, butter contains unsaturated fats, but a large percentage of the total fat is saturated fat. And canola oil has a high percentage of monounsaturated fat, but also contains smaller amounts of polyunsaturated fat and saturated fat.
Harmful fats
Saturated and trans fats are less healthy kinds of fats. They can increase your risk of heart disease by increasing your total and LDL ("bad") cholesterol. Dietary cholesterol isn't technically a fat, but it's found in food derived from animal sources. Intake of dietary cholesterol increases blood cholesterol levels, but not as much as saturated and trans fats, and not to the same degree in all people.
Here are how these fats differ and what their common food sources are:
- Saturated fat. Usually solid or waxy at room temperature, saturated fat is most often found in animal products — such as red meat, poultry, butter and whole milk. Other foods high in saturated fat include coconut, palm and other tropical oils.
- Trans fat. Also referred to as trans-fatty acids, trans fat comes from adding hydrogen to vegetable oil through a process called hydrogenation. This makes the fat more solid and less likely to turn rancid. Hydrogenated fat is a common ingredient in commercial baked goods — such as crackers, cookies and cakes — and in fried foods such as doughnuts and french fries. Shortenings and some margarines also are high in trans fat. As of January 2006, food manufacturers are required to list trans fat content on nutrition labels. Amounts less than 0.5 grams per serving is listed as 0 grams trans fat on the food label.
- Dietary cholesterol. Your body naturally manufactures all of the cholesterol it needs, but you also get cholesterol from animal products, such as meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy products, lard and butter.
Healthy fats
When choosing fats, your best options are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. These fats, if used in place of others, can lower your risk of heart disease by reducing the total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels in your blood. Cholesterol, which your body produces for building cells, is the main substance in fatty deposits (plaques) that can develop in your arteries. Plaques that build up can reduce blood flow through your vessels, increasing your risk of heart disease and stroke.
One type of polyunsaturated fat, omega-3 fatty acids, may be especially beneficial to your heart. Omega-3s appear to decrease the risk of coronary artery disease. They may also protect against irregular heartbeats and help lower blood pressure levels.
Here are the differences among these healthy fats as well as the best food sources for each type:
- Monounsaturated fat remains liquid at room temperature but may start to solidify in the refrigerator. Foods high in monounsaturated fat include olive, peanut and canola oils. Avocados and most nuts also have high amounts of monounsaturated fat.
- Polyunsaturated fat is usually liquid at room temperature and in the refrigerator. Foods high in polyunsaturated fats include vegetable oils, such as safflower, corn, sunflower, soy and cottonseed oils.
- Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fats found mostly in seafood. Good sources of omega 3s include fatty, cold-water fish, such as salmon, mackerel and herring. Flaxseeds, flax oil and walnuts also contain omega-3 fatty acids, and small amounts are found in soybean and canola oils.
Dietary fats: Know which types to choose
Most foods contain several different kinds of fat — including saturated, polyunsaturated, monounsaturated and trans fat — and some types are better for your health than others are.
It's not necessary that you completely eliminate all fats from your meals. Rather, choose the best types of fat and enjoy them in moderation.
Fat: A necessary nutrientYour body needs fat to function properly. Besides being an energy source, fat is a nutrient used in the production of cell membranes, as well as in several hormone-like compounds called eicosanoids. These compounds help regulate blood pressure, heart rate, blood vessel constriction, blood clotting and the nervous system. In addition, dietary fat carries fat-soluble vitamins — vitamins A, D, E and K — from your food into your body. Fat also helps maintain healthy hair and skin, protects vital organs, keeps your body insulated, and provides a sense of fullness after meals (satiety).
But too much fat can negatively impact your health. Eating large amounts of high-fat foods adds excess calories, which can lead to weight gain and obesity. Obesity is a risk factor for several diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, cancer, gallstones, sleep apnea and osteoarthritis. And too much of certain types of fat — such as saturated fat or trans fat — can increase your blood cholesterol levels and your risk of coronary artery disease.
Tips for fitting in fiber
Need ideas for high-fiber meals and snacks? Try these suggestions:
- Start your day with a high-fiber breakfast cereal — 5 or more grams of fiber per serving. Opt for cereals with "bran" or "fiber" in the name. Or add a few tablespoons of unprocessed wheat bran to your favorite cereal.
- Add crushed bran cereal or unprocessed wheat bran to baked products such as meatloaf, breads, muffins, casseroles, cakes and cookies. You can also use bran products as a crunchy topping for casseroles, salads or cooked vegetables.
- Switch to whole-grain breads. These breads list whole wheat, whole-wheat flour or another whole grain as the first ingredient on the label. Look for a brand with at least 2 grams of dietary fiber per serving.
- Substitute whole-grain flour for half or all of the white flour when baking bread. Whole-grain flour is heavier than white flour. In yeast breads, use a bit more yeast or let the dough rise longer. When using baking powder, increase it by 1 teaspoon for every 3 cups of whole-grain flour.
- Eat more whole grains and whole-grain products. Experiment with brown rice, barley, whole-wheat pasta and bulgur.
- Take advantage of ready-to-use vegetables. Mix chopped frozen broccoli into prepared spaghetti sauce. Snack on baby carrots.
- Eat more beans, peas and lentils. Add kidney beans to canned soup or a green salad. Or make nachos with refried black beans, baked tortilla chips and salsa.
Eat fruit at every meal. Apples, bananas, oranges, pears and berries are good sources of fiber. - Make snacks count. Fresh and dried fruit, raw vegetables, and low-fat popcorn and whole-grain crackers are all good choices.
High-fiber foods are good for your health. But adding too much fiber too quickly can cause intestinal gas, abdominal bloating and cramping. Increase fiber in your diet gradually over a period of a few weeks. This allows the natural bacteria in your digestive system to adjust to the change. Also, drink plenty of water. Fiber works best when it absorbs water, making your stool soft and bulky. Without the added water, you could become constipated.
Boosting your fiber intake
How much fiber do you need each day? The National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine, which provides science-based advice on matters of medicine and health, gives the following daily recommendations for adults:
- Men : range-age 50 and younger need 38 grams ; range-age 51 and older need 30 grams
- Women : range-age 50 and younger need 25 grams ; ranger-age 51 and older need 21 grams
If you aren't getting enough fiber each day, you may need to boost your intake. Choose whole-grain products, raw or cooked fruits and vegetables, and dried beans and peas. Refined or processed foods — such as fruit juice, white bread and pasta, and non-whole-grain cereals — are lower in fiber content. The grain-refining process removes the outer coat (bran) from the grain, which lowers its fiber content. Similarly, removing the skin from fruits and vegetables decreases their fiber content.
So what are your best sources? This list shows the amount of dietary fiber in several types of foods.
Food item (with Fiber content in grams*)
Split peas, cooked, 1 cup (16.3 grams)
Red kidney beans, boiled, 1 cup (13.1 grams)
Raspberries, raw, 1 cup (8.0 grams)
Whole-wheat spaghetti, 1 cup (6.3 grams)
Oat bran muffin, medium (5.2 grams)
Broccoli, boiled, 1 cup (5.1 grams)
Oatmeal, quick, regular or instant, cooked, 1 cup (4.0 grams)
Green beans, cooked, 1 cup (4.0 grams)
Brown rice, cooked, 1 cup (3.5 grams)
Apple, medium with skin (3.3 grams)
Popcorn, air-popped, 2 cups (2.4 grams)
Whole-wheat bread, one slice (1.9 grams)
*Fiber content can vary between brands.Source: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, 2004
Whole foods rather than fiber supplements are generally better. Fiber supplements — such as Metamucil, Citrucel and FiberCon — don't provide the vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients that high-fiber foods do. However, some people may still need a fiber supplement if dietary changes aren't sufficient, or if they have certain medical conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome. So, please check with your doctor if you feel you need to take fiber supplements
What is dietary fiber?
Dietary fiber — also known as roughage or bulk — includes all parts of plant foods that your body can't digest or absorb. Fiber is often classified into two categories: those that don't dissolve in water (insoluble fiber) and those that do (soluble fiber).
- Insoluble fiber. This type of fiber increases the movement of material through your digestive system and increases stool bulk, so it can be of benefit to those who struggle with constipation or irregular stools. Whole-wheat flour, wheat bran, nuts and many vegetables are good sources of insoluble fiber.
- Soluble fiber. This type of fiber dissolves in water to form a gel-like material. It can help lower blood cholesterol and glucose levels. You can find generous quantities of soluble fiber in oats, peas, beans, apples, citrus fruits, carrots, barley and psyllium.
The amount of each type of fiber varies in different plant foods. To receive the greatest health benefit, eat a wide variety of high-fiber foods.
An essential part of a healthy diet
"Eat more fiber"You've probably heard it before. But do you know why fiber is so good for your health?
Dietary fiber — found mainly in
fruits,
vegetables, whole
grains and
legumes — is probably best known for its ability to prevent or relieve constipation. But fiber can provide other health benefits as well, such as lowering your risk of diabetes and heart disease.
If you need to add more fiber to your diet, don't worry. Increasing the amount you eat each day isn't difficult. I will tell you more about how much dietary fiber you need and ways to include more high-fiber foods into your meals and snacks.
'When' to see your doctor
You can't prevent or control all digestive problems simply with lifestyle and dietary changes. Some digestive conditions can be hereditary or related to an infection or another specific cause. Still others occur for unknown reasons. Visit your doctor if your symptoms linger, become a daily annoyance or if they become more frequent or severe.
Make Changes To Your Lifestyle
Changes in your everyday life also can impact your very moment digestion. Try to:
- Maintain a healthy weight. Bloating, constipation and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) tend to be more common if you're overweight. Extra pounds increase pressure within your abdomen and stomach, forcing stomach acid back into your esophagus (reflux), causing a burning sensation in your esophagus (heartburn) and inflammation of the tissues that line your esophagus (esophagitis or GERD).
- Get regular exercise. Aerobic exercise — sustained physical activity that increases your breathing and heart rate — stimulates the activity of your intestinal muscles, helping push more food waste through your intestines more quickly.
- Control stress. When you're stressed your digestive muscles exert less effort, digestive enzymes are secreted in smaller amounts and passage of food waste through your digestive tract slows. This can cause heartburn, bloating and constipation. Stress can also do the opposite — speed passage of food through your intestines, causing abdominal pain and diarrhea. Stress can worsen symptoms of conditions such as peptic ulcer, irritable bowel syndrome and ulcerative colitis.
- Avoid tobacco. Beyond increasing your risk for a number of cancers, smoking can contribute to heartburn and peptic ulcers, and is thought to increase your risk of Crohn's disease. The nicotine in tobacco can increase stomach acid production and decrease production of sodium bicarbonate, a substance that neutralizes stomach acid. Air swallowed during smoking can produce belching or bloating from gas. Smokeless tobacco — spit tobacco, chew, snuff or dip — is just as dangerous.
- Use medications cautiously. Medications taken regularly can noticeable affect your digestion. For example, narcotics taken for pain relief can cause nausea and constipation. High blood pressure drugs can cause diarrhea or constipation, and some antibiotics can cause nausea or diarrhea. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others), naproxen (Aleve) and ketoprofen (Orudis KT), can cause nausea, stomach pain, stomach bleeding, ulcers or diarrhea if you take them regularly or exceed the recommended dosage.
Practice Good Eating Habits
Just as important as what you eat is the manner in which you eat. Poor digestion may simply be due to bad habits. Try to:
- Eat moderate portions. Moderate portions are digested more comfortably. Large meals put increased demands on digestion, since your body is only able to produce a certain volume of digestive juices.
- Eat at regular times. Your digestive organs operate best when you follow a regular schedule — breakfast, lunch and dinner. Skipping meals can lead to excessive hunger, which often results in overeating. With a regular schedule, your digestive organs have time to rest between meals.
- Relax while you eat. When you're relaxed, you tend to chew your food more completely, your gastric and intestinal juices flow more freely, and your digestive muscles contract and relax normally. Eating faster means you're not likely to chew your food as well and you might swallow more air, causing heartburn, belching, bloating or excessive gas.
Food Ingredients ~ Diet
Make changes to your diet
Changes in what you eat and drink can keep your digestive tract healthy. For maximum digestive health, try to follow each instructions:
- Eat plenty of fiber. Foods that contain fiber — such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains — pass more easily and quickly through your digestive tract. Fiber gives stool bulk and also softens it, which helps prevent constipation, diarrhea and symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. Fiber can decrease pressure in the intestinal tract, reducing your risk of developing hemorrhoids and small pouches in your colon (diverticular disease). A fiber-rich diet may also play a part in lowering your risk of colon and rectal cancer.
- Reduce fat and oils. Excess fat slows digestion, which can lead to heartburn, bloating and constipation. A high-fat diet may also worsen the symptoms of conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, pancreatitis and Crohn's disease. A diet high in saturated fat — animal fat — may increase your risk of colon cancer.
- Drink ample fluids. Fluids lubricate food waste so that it passes more easily through your digestive tract. Fluids also soften stool, helping to prevent constipation. They dissolve minerals, vitamins and other nutrients, making them easier for your tissues to absorb. Water is best, but milk, juice and most other beverages are more than 90 percent water, so they also can help meet your daily fluid needs.
- Drink less alcohol, if you drink at all. Anything more than a moderate amount of alcohol — no more than one drink a day for women or two drinks a day for men — can lead to digestive disorders. Alcohol can inflame your stomach lining and relax your lower esophageal sphincter — the valve that prevents stomach acid from backing up into your esophagus. This can cause bleeding or heartburn. Alcohol can also aggravate symptoms such as diarrhea or nausea.
Digestive Health
The common suggestion about health was always talk about whatever the in-take we consume in will determine the direction of our lifestyle. Sure thing it was being fenomenal topic to discuss until today.
Digestive system can adjust to a wide variety of foods, tolerate an astonishing amount of emotional stress and put up with hurried meals of questionable nutritional value. But over time a poor diet, bad eating habits and other unsavory lifestyle habits can take their toll. The possible results? Distressing bouts of heartburn, nausea, cramps, diarrhea or constipation.
Take the time to learn what we can do to keep your digestive system healthy. Our body will thank ourself with fewer painful symptoms. Means that our body systems are smarter than it's belonging.
So the key is we need to adjust the ingredients for good digestion. And I'll post it in the next blog, so please enjoy :-)
