What is a good diet?
Choosing a good diet can be very confusing. Much too often we encounter this person promoting one type of diet, another person another diet; this magazine heralding this weight loss diet plan, that researcher proclaiming his diet is the best; one diet plan calling for only protein and fat, another telling you to only drink shakes. So what should we really eat? With so many contradictions, what is really the best diet? That is exactly what we are going to consider. There are four basic guidelines or principles of a good, healthy diet. These guidelines outline a nutritious maintenance diet which will promote health for the rest of our lives, as well as form the basis of a therapeutic diet for those who are battling with health problems. • These are the guidelines for a good diet: 1) A diet high in complex carbohydrates 2) A diet high in fiber 3) A diet low in protein 4) A diet low in fat A diet high in complex carbohydrates: Complex carbohydrates are very long chains of various sugar mol
Thanks for your question. When you say “diet”, I am assuming you mean some sort of meal plan that will help you lose weight, or achieve optimal health. “Diet” is actually the foods and beverages a person eats and drinks on a daily basis, which can be healthy or unhealthy. Most people consider “diet” to mean a fad diet or meal plan which is to be followed for a certain amount of time to lose weight. Fad diets (such as low carbohydrate or high protein “diets”) are not a good idea for long term weight loss, and can be detrimental to your health. Fad diets often exaggerate weight loss, are unbalanced or inadequate in vitamins and minerals, and can lead to weight cycling. Weight cycling occurs with some one that “diets” chronically. Weight goes up and down, and self esteem usually declines. Just say NO to fad diets! In order to eat a good “diet”, a meal plan should be balanced, have a variety of foods, contain adequate calories, vitamins and minerals, be moderate in fat, sugar, salt and alc
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Food Guide Pyramid illustrates a good diet for most healthy Americans. The goal is to include foods from the five different foods groups and maintain a balanced diet throughout the day. The focus of the diet should be from the base of the pyramid – grains, fruits, and vegetables. The number of servings decrease as you progress upward, with the top of the pyramid recommending fats, sweets, and oils be used sparingly. And while there is no single “cancer diet” – a list of foods that is known to prevent cancer, the American Cancer Society suggests a varied assortment of healthy foods, emphasizing plant sources. The five food groups include grains and starches, fruits, vegetables, milk and dairy, and meats and protein foods. Fruits and Vegetables provide vitamins and minerals, which include antioxidants (cancer fighting compounds). Fruits and vegetables can be eaten raw, cooked, canned
