What is healthy eating ?

WHAT DOES HEALTHY EATING MEAN

Healthy eating is balanced eating, where you consume a variety of foods. It includes protein, carbohydrates (especially fiber), fats and fluids.

      Protein :

Protein helps repair your muscles, skin and nails. It can help you heal if you’ve been ill or have had surgery.

The best sources of protein are meat, fish, poultry, milk, eggs, cheese, yogurt, legumes (such as dried peas, beans and lentils), nuts, seeds and soy products (such as tofu or soy beverages).Whole grains,

vegetables and fruit can also provide small amounts of protein.

Here’s how you can easily get the protein you body needs in one day along with many other good nutrients, such as iron, calcium and vitamin B12:

     - At breakfast, have few egg whites, one slice of whole wheat toast and a banana. Or try oatmeal made with few egg whites and milk or unsweetened, fortified soy beverage, or cold cereal make with low-fat buttermilk.

     - At lunch, have a chunk of low fat cheese and a bowl of lentil soup. Or try steamed brown rice with cut-up chicken pieces and vegetables, such as green beans or bok choy.

     - For an afternoon snack, have a handful of nuts with three-quarters of a cup of low-fat yogurt, or a small glass of milk or unsweetened, fortified soy beverage.

     - For dinner, have fish (or tofu) with half a cup of brown or basmati rice, and half a cup of broccoli or other vegetable and one cup of mixed salad.

      Carbohydrates :

Healthy carbohydrates – such as vegetables, fruit, whole grains and low-fat dairy products – provide your body with the fuel your heart, lungs and other organs need to function properly. They deliver essential vitamins and minerals and help give you the energy you need to run another block, swim a few more laps or to do another set of weight lifting. Many are also important source of fiber.

A few carbohydrates, however, are unhealthy- particularly the ones that are easily digested and that quickly raise your blood sugar. These include white bread, white rice, cookies and cakes. Some weight loss programs say to cut down on or cut out all carbohydrates because they make you gain weight. But that severely limits what you can eat and you miss out on many important nutrients.

Permanent weight loss or weight management requires a permanent change in lifestyle and eating habits.

      Fiber :

Most adult only get about half the fiber they need each day. Fiber is a nutrient found in plants. You need fiber to keep your bowels regular and healthy. Eating a lot of high-fiber foods can also help lower blood cholesterol levels, control blood sugar levels and help prevent high blood pressure. Because fiber makes you feel full for longer, it can also help with weight control.

Grains and grain products are products are particularly high in fiber. In fact, a high-fiber cereal for breakfast (one with four grams or more of fiber) will help keep your hunger under control for the whole day.

Follow up throughout the day with other high-fiber foods, such as whole wheat toast of pasta with vegetable sauce, a spicy bowl of chili, or low-fat yogurt with fruit and bran added on top. Fruits and vegetables, beans, lentils and chickpeas are also great sources or fiber.

      Fats :

Research now proves that it is not fat that is bad for you, but the type of fat you eat that counts most.

Everyone needs to eat some fat to stay healthy. Fat supplies your body with energy and helps build a protective coat around your cells – but it’s got to be healthy fat and in the right amount. 

Unhealthy fats are saturated and trans fats. Saturated fats are mostly found in food that come from animals. Trans fats come mostly from vegetable oils that have been made solid through a process called hydrogenation.

     Fluids :

Fluids are essential to life. They help you to think clearly and keep your body temperature here it is supposed to be. You may not know when you’re thirsty. And by the time you feel thirsty, you could already be dehydrated, which means you’ve lost too much water and may soon start feeling tired, confused, hot, flushed and even nauseous.

Try to drink in between eight to twelve 8-ounce glasses of fluids each day.