Diet & Nutrition: Things You Should Know About
By Helen PackMar 28, 20211072
Vitamins and minerals help our body to provide nourishment for our overall health. A well-balanced and enriched diet protects you from heart disorders, kidney disorders, liver disorders, diabetes, and vitamin/mineral deficiencies. Avoiding high cholesterol food items also helps to control your weight. Besides, eating healthy is also essential for undernourished people.
Following a healthy diet and getting nutrition also improves your quality of life. Nowadays, there are various diet trends that people follow crazily, such as the keto diet. However, these trends distract you from the basic principles of the diet. Let us tell you some basic things you should know about diet and nutrition.
Understanding calories and energy balance
The importance of calories in our food is suppressed in today’s time. Total calorie intake is essential in your diet; keeping track of your calories is not always necessary. Your body fats start to build when you take more calories than you burn. If your calorie intake is lower, you can burn calories every day, which helps you lose weight. Creating a calorie deficit helps you lose weight quickly and in a healthy way. Besides, if you want to gain weight, you need to consume more calories than you burn.
Importance of portion control in diet
Controlling calorie intake is plays a key role in weight loss. Therefore, controlling plate portions reduces calories. Whole foods are difficult to consume, but you can eat them in excess. People who are overweight or trying to lose body fat must keep a check on their portion size. Many simple ways help you to control the portion size. For instance, you can use smaller plates while eating. Also, you can take small food portions at first later; you can wait till 20 minutes to know whether you need a second round of the portion or not.
Another widespread way is by measuring the portion with your hands. For instance, one fist-sized portion of carbs, one to two palms of protein, and one to two thumb-sized portions of healthy fats. High-calorie-containing foods such as cheese, nuts, and fatty meats are very healthy, but keep monitoring the portion size while consuming these items.
Eating whole foods is important
At least 80% to 90% of the time, you must consume whole food. Whole food means eating unprocessed or eating natural food with just one ingredient. Processed or factory-made food is not categorized as whole foods. These are highly nutritious but can lack providing energy, which means they contain fewer calories than processed food. Whereas; many processed foods have low nutritional value and have high calories. However, eating such processed food is linked with weight gain.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are the primary energy source. During digestion, carbs get metabolized into glucose, which is very important for our body cells. Most of your calories, around 45% to 65%, have to come from carbohydrates, which offer four calories per gram. People who follow a 2,000-calorie diet need at least 225 to 325 grams of carbs each day from the food they eat.
Fats
All types of fats contain four calories per gram. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated lipids are beneficial for heart health. It also reduces the risk for type 2 diabetes. So these types of fats are beneficial for health. However, avoid saturated and Trans fats as they damage your cardiac health. Consumption of fats should be 25% to 35% of your total calories, which means around 44 to 77 grams for a 2,000-calorie diet plan.
Protein
Protein is an essential part of the structural unit of our body cells, organs, tissues, muscles, etc. It also helps to provide energy when carbs and fats are not available. Like carbohydrates, protein also has four calories per gram. Approximately 10% to 35% of your calories should come from protein; however, it depends on your activity level. Those who are following the 2000-calorie diet need to consume 50 to 175 grams of protein each day.
All sugars are not bad
Sugar has a negative repute when it comes to dieting. Fruit is healthy, and they contain sugar, which is called fructose, and milk contains lactose. These are naturally occurring sugars and are present in whole foods; therefore, they provide maximum health benefits. However, remember to avoid sugars, such as sucrose, dextrose, maltose, or other added artificial sweeteners. These types of sugars are additives to processed food.
Plant Calcium Absorbs Poorly
We have always thought that green veggies are healthy, but do you know dark green veggies like kale, spinach, and broccoli are rich in calcium, but the bioavailability of calcium in these veggies is very low. These vegetables also contain phytic acid and oxalic acid, which halts the absorption of calcium. Therefore, it is impractical to rely on these veggies for calcium sources. Dairy-based food is the best alternative for calcium intake.
A nutritious food that should be part of your diet
Try to build your diet based on some healthy and highly available foods. Here is some highly enriched food that you add to your list.
Healthy greens should be part of your meals every day. They are low in calories and still contain micro and macronutrients.
A natural sweet is a natural source of sugar and a sweet treat for you; fruits are rich with micronutrients and antioxidants that help to improve your health.
Meat and fish are a rich source of protein; therefore, several fitness enthusiasts regularly consume meat. Meat is a staple in the human diet. However, vegan and vegetarian lifestyles are trending these days.
Nuts and seeds are the best good fat sources available as they also contain some essential micronutrients. Try eating almonds, walnuts, Brazil nuts, pistachios, etc.
Eggs are considered one of the healthiest foods. Whole eggs are a great combination of protein, fats, and micronutrients such as zinc. It is also a good source of Vitamin D, Vitamin K, and Vitamin B6.
For people who are not on a low-carb diet, whole food or starchy foods such as potatoes, quinoa, and Ezekiel bread are rich in nutrition.
Beans and legumes are one of the most resourceful and nutritious foods that are available. Legumes contain low fats and no cholesterol; they are rich in folic acid, potassium, iron, and magnesium. They are a source of good fats and soluble fiber.