A nutritious diet provides the body with the energy and nutrients it needs to function well. A healthy diet includes a variety of foods from all the different food groups, and limiting fats (including saturated and trans), sugar and salt.
Eat a lot of fruits, vegetables (3 or more servings per day) and whole grains. Drink plenty of water and low-fat or fat-free milk and juice. Include a source of protein like poultry, eggs, fish, lean meats and beans.
Protein
Protein is an important nutrient for building and maintaining muscles, bone, nerves, skin and blood. It helps prevent age-related diseases like heart disease and cancer. While high-protein packaged products can be good sources of protein, it is important to get enough from whole foods.
Meat, poultry, fish, low-fat dairy products and eggs provide protein as well as other nutrients, such as calcium and Vitamin D, which help prevent osteoporosis and other bone and joint problems, folic acid, potassium and B vitamins. Legumes, such as lentils, beans (adzuki, black, fava and kidney), chickpeas/garbanzo, and peas (green, snow, snap, mung and pinto) and soy products also provide protein. They are considered complete proteins because they contain all the essential amino acids. Nuts and seeds also provide protein.
Carbohydrates
While carbs have received a bad rap in recent years, it’s important to get the right carbohydrates for your body. Carbohydrates provide your body with energy and are a key part of many of the vitamins and minerals you need.
Your body breaks down sugars and starches into glucose, your primary energy source. Eating high-glycemic foods, such as pastries and sugary drinks, increases your risk for obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Cenforce 100mg and Cenforce 200mg are best medicines to treat erectile dysfunction in men.
Good sources of carbohydrates include whole grains, non-starchy vegetables, fruits, beans and legumes. These carbohydrates are digested more slowly than simple sugars and come with added fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. They also help regulate blood sugar levels. These carbohydrates can even help prevent blood triglyceride levels from getting too high. The glycemic index of a food can be found on the Nutrition Facts label of packaged foods.
Fats
Fats got a bad rap for years, with low-fat diets touted as the key to weight loss and health. However, fats are an important part of a healthy diet, and dietary fats should be comprised of both saturated and unsaturated fats. The best fats are those found in plant sources, such as vegetable and olive oils, avocados, nuts (almonds, pecans and pistachios) and seeds (pumpkin, sesame and sunflower).
It’s also important to avoid consuming trans fats because they behave like saturated fats and increase LDL cholesterol levels, which can lead to cardiovascular disease. The body needs omega-3 fatty acids, which can be obtained from foods such as flaxseed oil, walnuts and fish. These fats also have other important functions.
Vitamins
Vitamins are organic molecules essential to an organism in small amounts for proper function, but cannot be synthesized by the organism (except vitamin D). Most vitamins are not single molecules but groups of closely related molecules called vitamers. Vitamin B is a group of eight essential nutrients (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, vitamin B6, folate and cobalamin).
Most vitamins perform a wide range of tasks, such as helping the body resist infection, maintain healthy skin and vision and converting food into energy. Most people can get enough vitamins from a diet that includes low-fat dairy, whole grains and dark leafy vegetables. However, some people need to take vitamin supplements. Some people also require special vitamins, such as calcium and Vitamin D for strong bones, or vitamin E to prevent blood clots.
Minerals
Minerals are inorganic nutrients that the body loses each day through sweat, urine and saliva. They are lost at an accelerated rate when you exercise, are sick or stressed. Mineral deficiencies can be caused by eating an unbalanced diet, drinking too much fluid or taking supplements that aren’t absorbed properly. Vitamins and minerals work together to maintain a proper chemical balance in the body. For example, calcium and phosphorus form strong bones while fluoride helps prevent tooth decay. Zinc enables cells to defend against infection and bolsters immune response while iron shuttles oxygen through the blood.
The best way to get enough minerals is through a balanced diet that includes whole foods and fewer processed products. You can find a variety of trace minerals in meat, dairy products, leafy vegetables, nuts and beans.
