Top 4 Secrets Behind A Nutritious Diet

By Lai Fun Wan

What are the basic healthy eating principles of a nutritionally sound diet? First there must be variety, wholesome food and able to cater to an individual's diet needs that may vary depending on the individual's situation.

Why variety? We must choose food from a variety of sources everyday because through variety, there is less opportunity to exclude some essential food groups. Many are not aware of this important diet principle. Therefore eating many different types of nutritious foods is essential.

Different types are likely to result in a diet that receives adequate amounts of nutrients for good health. Even foods in the same food group may have different nutrients and it is important to consume a variety within each food group. For example, bananas are rich in vitamins B and strawberries are rich in vitamin C. Eating food coming from different sources can be beneficial. For instance, insoluble fiber like wheat helps to prevent constipation whereas soluble fiber like oats has been associated with lower risk in blood cholesterol. Other dietary fiber like vegetables such as broccoli, brussels, cabbage and cauliflower are believed to assist in the prevention of a number of cancers.

Wholesome food is food made from whole ingredients. We should take wholegrain bread as it contains more goodness of the entire grain. As a general rule, the less processed a food is, the better. We should try to avoid processed foods as much as possible because of the preservatives, colors, flavors and additives it contains.

Besides these principles to a nutritionally sound diet, we need to consider other factors affected by an individual's lifestyle choices, genetics and environment. Simply eating all food groups may not guarantee a balanced diet. The nutritional requirements of an individual may be impacted by age, health and lifestyle choices, medication, quality of food consumed and most importantly of all, the degree of an individual's digestion and absorption.

Whilst it is imperative to eat wisely, JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association 2002; 287: 3127-3129 by Robert H. Fletcher, MD, MSc; Kathleen M. Fairfiled, MD, Dr PH, Harvard University, highlighted that that most people do not consume an optimal amount of all vitamins by diet alone. Thus it may appear prudent for everyone to take a good multivitamin daily to promote optimum nutritional status. Although there have been arguments for and against the use of supplements, there are enough substantial circumstances to warrant the use of good quality multivitamins to supplement an individual's diet. These may additionally help to assist an individual's nutritional requirement to its optimal level.

Wan Lai Fun is the owner of http://www.healthyeatingfun.com. For further recommended resources on how to start a profitable health business that is Guaranteed to jumpstart your healthy eating Click here to grab your free special healthy eating report.

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