HOW TO FOLLOW A HEALTHY DIET
Everyone loves eating food. But do we really know the value of healthy eating? Most of the food you eat becomes a part of your body in some way such as: your bones, muscles, and not to mention the over 1 billion cells that make you who you are!
THE DIFFERENT FOOD CATEGORIES: CARBOHYDRATES
The first category of food is carbohydrates. These foods are the first source your body relies on to give you energy and to keep you moving and working throughout the day. Carbohydrates are usually really easy to get. They are mainly found in breads, potatoes, vegetables, legumes and fruits. However, these foods should be eaten in moderation. When our body has more carbohydrates than it actually needs for energy, it will store the extra nutrients as fat. This fat will be stored under your skin which is the observable kind. But even more dangerous is when this fat is stored around your bodies organs! To avoid this, you can increase your activity throughout the day by doing exercises, running, and even dancing if that’s what you like! This way, your body can use the extra nutrients as energy to keep you going.
Carbohydrates also have something called dietary fiber. Dietary fiber is good for you because it clears out your digestive system and takes out any toxins that might be there from the food you have eaten. Dietary fiber is not used for energy so you don’t have to worry about it being converted into fat. Overall, you will have better bowel movements and an enhanced immune function if you eat foods rich in dietary fibre. One food that is a great source of fiber is kidney beans and other beans and legumes. If you cook them and eat them with rice that is even better because the rice will give you the energy you need!
THE DIFFERENT FOOD CATEGORIES: FAT
Many people think fat is a bad thing, which is true if you have too much! But there are also “good fats” that you need to make sure you have in your diet so your body can function. Fat is important because it acts as an insulator under our skin to keep us warm. It also cushions our organs and protects them from external pressures. Fats also carry important nutrients (vitamin A,D,E,K) which our body needs. Foods that have the “good fat” include fatty fish such as salmon and tuna. If you don’t like fish, you can also eat foods such as avocados or nuts.
THE DIFFERENT FOOD CATEGORIES: PROTEINS
The last nutrient is proteins. Proteins are really important to provide structure to your body. Your muscles use proteins to grow and work efficiently. One of the best sources of proteins is animal foods. The egg whites in eggs are a great source of protein also. For people who are vegetarians and do not like eating meat, you can still get protein by eating a variety of different vegetables such as lentils or nuts. The key is to make sure you have variety.
WATER IS ALSO A NUTRIENT
Lastly, when we talk about nutrients, we often forget that water is a nutrient. About half of our body is made up of water so it is really important we stay hydrated. If you are out in the heat a lot and do a lot of physical work during the day, it is important to take sips of water occasionally. If you can, drink warm water than has been boiled. When we drink warm water, our body can take it in more easily instead of using up energy to heat it up. Also when we heat water, a lot of bacteria and toxins are eliminated in the process.
Very useful article. Helped me alot.
Wow thanks for these useful lesson