Food is very important. FOOD AND NUTRITION, a hand book that discusses the importance of having a proper diet states that "a good diet is the most basic human need… without sufficient food we would die." That's a fundamental truth we can easily appreciate when we take a look at those emaciated figures of starving men, women, and children who are denied this "most basic human need."
There are still others who are able to meet this need to a considerable degree but who are still seriously undernourished. On the other hand, there are many others who could eat well but who end up eating wrongly—consuming large doses of junk food that provide very little nourishment. This is why it has often been said that food is one of the most abused of our possessions.
What constitutes a healthful diet? And what kind of adjustments can we make in our diet to ensure we are eating right? How can we take responsibility for our health and eat in a way that is likely to improve it?
The Essence of a Healthful Diet is basically about making good choices from the group of foods that are available where we live. For help in making healthy choices, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends the use of a four-tiered food guide pyramid.
At the base of this pyramid are complex carbohydrates, made up of grain foods, such as bread, cereal, rice, and pasta. These foods form the foundation of what we can call ahealthful diet. Following that (tiers two and three) are two equal sections, i.e. vegetables and fruits and protein sources. These groups also include forms of complex carbohydrates. Most of your daily diet should be selected from these three food groups.
Finally, at the very top of the food pyramid is a small area that includes fats, oils, and sweets. These are categories of foods that provide very few nutrients, and so should be eaten sparingly. The recommendation is that most of your foods should be chosen from the bottom part of the pyramid, and that you choose fewer from the top. But rather than sticking to the same food items from each section of the pyramid, it is far better to experiment with a variety of foods within those sections.
This is because each food has a different combination of nutrients and fiber. Some vegetables and fruits, for example, are good sources of vitamins A and C, while others are high in folic acid, calcium, and iron. A combination of these the various types will do your body a lot of good.
Health experts advise that it is best to keep dietary-fat intake below 30 percent of total calories and saturated fat below 10 percent. You can do this without necessarily becoming a vegetarian and without having to totally abandon ALL the things you enjoy eating. How?
Substitution is the key. Yes, Substitute foods low in total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol for foods high in these types of fats. Opt for vegetable oil and soft margarine in place of animal fat, solid shortening, or ghee (a type of clarified butter popularly used in India). Also, avoid the use of such vegetable oils as palm oil and coconut oil, since they're unusually high in saturated fats. And most importantly, you should drastically limit your consumption of commercially made bakery products, such as doughnuts, cakes, cookies, and pies, since these commonly contain saturated fats.
Meat is a very important source of protein. And no one intends to suggest that you stay off meat altogether. Meat is actually listed in the same section ofthe Food Pyramid as poultry and fish. But note that fish, chicken, and turkey often contain less fat per serving than such meats as beef, lamb, and pork, depending on the cuts used and the method of preparation.
In addition, hamburgers, hot dogs, bacon, and sausages are usually especially high in saturated fat. Many experts recommend limiting the amount of lean meat, fish, and poultry consumed per day to no more than six ounces. And although organ meats, such as liver, may have dietary benefits, they should however be consumed with discretion since they're known to be high in cholesterol.
Between regular meals many people delight in snacks, which often consist of potato chips, peanuts, cashews, cookies, candy bars, and the like. If you appreciate the value of ahealthful diet , then you'd do well to replace these with low-fat snacks that include homemade popcorn (that has no added butter or salt), as well as fresh fruit, and raw vegetables like carrots, celery, and broccoli.
Indeed, the efforts we put into taking good care of our body is one of the best investments we can ever make. A healthy diet is very important in this regard. It could mean the difference between either living healthily or battling one health problem after another, either now or later in life.
As a Entrepreneur sometimes in our busy schedule we forget the importance of a healthy diet. So remember to eat balanced meals and exercise daily.
Omar Thorton
