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The No Nonsense Guide to Nutrition
To many people the idea of eating a well-balanced and healthy diet is a distant goal that they will never be able to achieve. To others, they couldn’t care less. Our relationship with food, if you were to listen to certain sections of the media, has never been so bad. For example, obesity within the UK is rising to higher levels than have been recorded before. The problem with child obesity is of particular cause for concern, as it seems our children are storing up health problems for future. However, through education and the application of a few simple guidelines and ideas concerning nutrition this situation can change. For those of you who do care about what you put into your body this guide will aim to give you an overall view of nutrition and also give you some ideas as to how easy and simple it can be to eat a balanced diet.
Be aware of Fad diets
Very popular trends in the modern western world are celebrity fad diets. Whether it is Atkins or the celery diet these eating plans are the scourges society. The problem with these diets is that they provide false hope to people who are in a vulnerable situation. The latest celebrity endorsed diet is guaranteed to be a winner in the glossy magazine stakes. This is a winner in terms of profit for the publishers of the magazine or book. The reason these fad diets don’t work is because they do not promote the consumption of a well balanced diet. When people use these diets to lose weight they do not realise that they could be doing more harm than good. Your body is a like a complicated piece of machinery that requires many different types of fuel in the right quantities to function properly. If too much or too little of these fuels is consumed then over time the wheels begin to fall off and the whole system begins to nose dive. Many people who follow these fad diets do not realise that the only reason they lose so much weight to begin with is because by not consuming enough food and fluid they actually lose a lot of muscle tissue and body water. What they are really aiming to lose is body fat. This is a catch twenty-two situation. They maybe happy to have lost a lot of weight so quickly but they will feel lethargic, malnourished and hungry. Simply, the diet cannot be carried on over a long period of time. As soon as a normal eating pattern is resumed the weight will come back and the individuals will find themselves back in the same position as they were before starting the diet. This so-called Yo-Yo dieting is dangerous and can lead to permanent damage to the major body systems. Also there is evidence to suggest that this type of eating pattern actually slows the body’s metabolism, which will make further losses in weight extremely difficult to achieve. Although the aim of this article is not to tell you how to lose weight by following the guidelines and ideas explained you might do this without realising.
Nutrition Guidelines
The guidelines contained within this article are literally that, guidelines. They are not meant to be specific rules that are set down in stone. Therefore, they are open to debate and interpretation. Before each section of nutrition is explained it is important to note that the key to a successful nutrition strategy is that all foods can be consumed, but in moderation. The emphasis here is much more on a wide and varied diet of all kinds of foods rather than eat this list of foods to become healthy.
Bread, Cereal, Rice and Pasta
The main importance with this group of foods is on a wide consumption of around 6-11 servings on carbohydrates per day. This does not mean consuming 11 cakes a day. Instead a varied amount of carbohydrate foods such as bread, rice, pasta and cereals should be consumed mainly coming from wholemeal and whole-wheat sources. This will provide slow releasing energy throughout the day. More refined types of carbohydrate should be kept to a minimum. These include white bread, cakes and biscuits. By consuming a varied diet including around 55-60% of carbohydrate foods a high amount of fibre will be consumed. Fibre is a very important nutrient within any sort of diet. Fibre will not only help the digestion process by keeping the digestive system healthy but it also helps to reduce cholesterol, which in turn will improve your hearts health.
Fruit and Vegetables
A key message of nutrition that has recently been portrayed in the media is that 5 portions of fruit and vegetables should be consumed per day. This is the minimum amount that should be eaten. Realistically, as a guideline between 3-5 portions of vegetables and around 2-4 servings of fruit should be consumed. This will provide a varied amount of nutrients to keep your body in good working order. Fruit and vegetables are great to snack on between meals as they contain a lot of fibre. This helps keep hunger at bay and therefore, reduce the need to satisfy your sweet tooth. The preparation of vegetables is also very important. Take care not to over boil vegetables, as this will destroy the goodness of the food. Instead experiment with different types of vegetable preparation such as steaming and stir-frying with a small amount of olive oil.
Milk, Yoghurt and Cheese
The consumption of dairy products should be promoted as part of a healthy and balanced diet. This is because products such as milk, yoghurt and cheese provide a large amount of protein, fats, vitamins and minerals. A well balanced diet should contain between 2-3 portions of dairy products a day. The make-up of these dairy products is of prime importance. Products that are low in fat should be chosen over full-fat varieties. The reason for this is that no body really has any need to consume a full-fat product. The benefits of dairy products can be gained through low fat varieties without all the extra calories a full-fat product entails. Products that should be chosen include semi-skimmed or skimmed milk, low fat or no fat yoghurt and frozen yoghurt instead of full-fat ice cream for dessert. A key nutrient that is gained through the consumption of dairy products is calcium. This is required in optimum amounts to help protect against colon cancer, hypertension and decrease the rate of bone loss throughout life.
Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs and Nuts
This food group should consist of around 2-3 servings per day. By doing this the body will be provided with an optimum amount of protein, vitamins and minerals. It should be said that rather than gouging on lots of red meat, more white meat such as chicken and also fish should be eaten. This is because red meat is high in saturated fat, which is bad for you. On the other hand, chicken, turkey and fish are much lower in fat, especially when the skin of poultry is taken off before consumption. Oily fish should be eaten at least once a week. This is an excellent source of both Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. These nutrients are known as essential fatty acids. The reason that they are called essential because without them people would die. They have an important role to play in maintaining the health of the heart, liver and brain. Other good sources include walnuts, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds and dark green leafy vegetables.
Fats, Oil and Sugar and Salt
It has been written in the media recently that all fats are bad for you. This is certainly not the case. We require a well-balanced intake of fats in order to perform many different functions such as providing energy for the body, supporting and protecting internal organs and lubricating body tissue. As explained in the previous section we require a certain amount of the right sort of fats, namely unsaturated fat. There are two types of unsaturated fat. These are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. 2-3 portions of these fats should be consumed per day. It has been proven that these types of fats help to reduce cholesterol, which in turn leads to a lower risk of heart disease. Excellent sources of these fats include olive and sunflower oils. The fats that should be avoided are known as saturated fats. These increase the risk of heart disease and certain cancers. They are mainly found in animal products such as red meat, lard and butter. Due to the high risk of this type of fat consumption of these sorts of products should be kept to a minimum. Overall fats should make up around 30% of calories consumed per day. Sugar and salt consumption should also be kept to a minimum. They should be used sparingly in the preparation and consumption of food due to the risk of hypertension from excess salt consumption and greater risk of obesity through eating too much sugar.
Portions Sizes
An important aspect of eating a well-balanced and nutritious diet concerns the actual amount of food consumed. On average an adult male needs around 2500 calories a day to maintain a healthy body weight. For women this number is around 2000 calories. Because of this, it is important that portion sizes are kept to a sufficient amount so that food is not over consumed. Research completed into the causes of obesity concluded that the main reason why this has become such a problem in the western world is because portion sizes have increased so people are consuming more food than ever before. Now this is not an exact science. Just bear in mind to be realistic in the portion size of all foods when preparing them to eat. An important indicator of how much food you put on your plate is hunger. Prepare enough food to satisfy any hunger feelings. Therefore, if you don’t feel too peckish prepare a smaller amount than you would normally do if you were very hungry.
Fluid
An area that is often overlooked when it comes to nutrition is the consumption of fluid. Water is your body's principal chemical component, comprising, on average, 60% of your weight. Every system in your body depends on water. For example, water flushes toxins out of vital organs, carries nutrients to your cells and provides a moist environment for ear, nose and throat tissues. Lack of water can lead to dehydration, a condition that occurs when you don't have enough water in your body to carry out normal functions. As part of a well balanced diet a male should drink around 3 litres of water a day (13 cups). Women should consume around 2.2 litres (9 cups). This does not mean that you have to drink straight glasses of water. Around 20% of this figure will come from food consumed. What should be kept in mind is the source of fluid that is consumed. For example, it is better to have a glass of fresh orange juice than a glass of a fizzy juice drink. Fizzy drinks and cordials that have high sugar contents should be kept to a minimum. Alongside these are also caffeine rich drinks such as coffee and tea and also alcohol. All these drinks have potential damaging effects on the body. This is of particular importance when it comes to alcohol, as it is a toxin can be very harmful to the body if it is over consumed. Also, it contains a lot of empty calories that the body cannot do anything with, which will only add to the appearance of a so called ‘beer belly’. However, the anti-oxidant benefits of a glass of red wine a day cannot be ignored. Anti-oxidants help to prevent cancer within the body. If any amount of alcohol over this amount is consumed the benefits are lost.
Supplements
The use of supplements in the modern western world has grown enormously in recent times. Through clever marketing and the application of suspect research consumers have snapped the hands off producers of food supplements to buy into the idea that there is a quick fix for every problem. Food supplements have no role to play in the consumption of a healthy well balanced diet. No pill will ever replace all the nutrients found in an apple or strawberry. Therefore, unless you are given specific guidance to consume food supplements for a medical condition spend your money on a wide and varied diet and not a food supplement.
Eating Patterns
It is all well and good consuming a diet that is full of the foods that have been mentioned so far in this article. The key to maximising the effects of the foods consumed is how often they are eaten. A trend that is very popular in the modern western world is how people more often than not consume 3 square meals a day. This leads to deep rises and falls in a person’s blood sugar levels, which have a direct effect on energy levels. By making small changes to this popular trend this situation can be greatly improved. Instead of consuming 3 large meals per day try consuming 6 smaller meals. This means that blood sugar levels are kept a lot more constant throughout the day, which will improve energy levels.
Conclusion
This article aimed to break down the barriers to eating a well-balanced and nutritious diet. By providing this information in a simplified form hopefully it will make people’s lives easier and more prosperous as good nutrition will improve mood, energy and enthusiasm for life. Take on board the points made in this article but do not set them in stone. The guidelines are exactly that and therefore, they are open to interpretation. What is important is that by making small changes for the better to your existing diet a lot can be achieved. Remember that all food can be consumed, but in moderation and also that it is important to include a wide variety of foods in your diet.
Eat Well, Be Well (Food Standards Agency) -http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/healthydiet/nutritionessentials/
The British Nutrition Foundation - http://www.nutrition.org.uk/
The Nutrition Society - http://www.nutritionsociety.org/