Guidelines For A Healthy Diet

You can build a healthy diet now with ease.  Using the guidelines presented in this post will make it easy to for you to create a healthy diet plan.

Lower Fat and Cholesterol

While fat is necessary in your diet to aid in processing fat soluble vitamins (A,D,E,K), it is recommended that you only obtain 30% of your daily calories from fat.  All types of fat are included.  Cholesterol should be kept to 300 milligrams per day.  Despite these recommendations, most people receive approximately 35% to 40% of their diet from fat.

Numerous health concerns increase with excess fat in the diet.  Fat has been linked to heart disease and, possibly, certain forms of cancer.  Diets that contain large quantities of fat have also been connected to increased risk of stroke.  To learn the symptoms of stroke follow the link in the right margin to the Symptoms of a Stroke post.  Limiting the amounts of whole milk and all types of meat is the simplest way to lower fat intake.  Whole milk and meat are the main sources of saturated fat in most peoples’ diets.  Typically, 30% of cholesterol found in the diet is from meat.

Reduce Calories


In the United States, and other countries, obesity is becoming more and more commonplace.  This lies in large part that fat comprises a larger part of most peoples’ diet than it should. The added weight brings a variety of health issues with it; such as many forms of heart disease and the increased risk of stroke.  Type II diabetes is often found in obese adults and will, more than likely, no longer be a concern with a significant reduction in excess body fat.

Reducing caloric intake will help in reducing excess body fat. The number of calories you need is directly related to your age, gender and activity level.  Men use more calories than women do, younger people use more calories than older people do and active people use more calories than inactive people.  The nutrition information provided on food labels, unless otherwise mentioned, are based on a 2,000 calorie per day diet plan.

Be aware of the amount you put on your plate.  The way you define a serving may be significantly larger than the portion that is intended as a serving as mentioned in nutrition information.  Measure your meals to determine how your preferred serving compares to the intended serving size.

Lower Salt Intake

It is stated on the Daily Value label that a person ingest no more than 2,400 milligrams of sodium daily.  This is approximately one teaspoon of sodium.  It has been estimated that men, on average, eat 4,000 milligrams of sodium daily while women average approximately 3,000 milligrams daily.

The levels of sodium in processed foods make it difficult to lower sodium intake.  Approximately 75% of the sodium found in most peoples’ diets come from processed foods.  Only 15% comes from the salt shaker, the remaining 10% is a natural ingredient in the foods that are eaten.  Reducing portions of frozen foods, processed meats, processed cheese (pasteurized process cheese food), canned and dried soups, salad dressings, canned meats and vegetables and tomato sauces will dramatically lower your sodium consumption.  Using herbs and spices when cooking will provide flavor without adding sodium.

 

Eat More Complex Carbohydrates


It is easy to fill your diet with complex carbohydrates.  Breads, beans, rice, pasta, whole grains and fresh fruits are excellent sources of complex carbohydrates.  Furthermore, these sources typically contain significant amounts of fiber.  Fiber will help keep your digestive system operating at its optimum level.  Adequate amounts of fiber in the diet is also associated with lower risk of colon cancer and may help relieve acid reflux disease.  For more information on this, follow the link in the right margin to How To Beat Acid Reflux Disease.  You should attempt to obtain 60% of your calories from complex carbohydrates.

These tips can help a person to create a healthy diet.  It may seem overwhelming at first, but do not be dismayed. Start with one item, then gradually implement the rest.  Good health to you.