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.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lai_Fun_Wan

High Cholesterol? - Check Out Your Diet

By Scotie Keithlow

All of us lead a busy lifestyle today. Everyone is in a mad rush to achieve his or her goals and in the bargain we have forgotten to take out time for ourselves. We do not have time for relaxing, leisure or even taking care of ourselves.

All of this takes a toll on our body and it becomes important that we ensure that our eating habits are healthy. A healthy eating habit, which includes taking balanced diet, can help us in keeping fit that will enable us to take on further challenges in life. Eating healthy is a pillar for maintaining good health. One of the disease conditions that are hitting people all across the world is the cholesterol problem. And if you are one of those who have not heard about this terminology yet, it is high time that you visit your family doctor and get to know more about this condition.

Cardiovascular diseases are gaining the proportion of an epidemic. One of its causes is high level of cholesterol in the blood. The major portion of cholesterol that is found in our body comes from the food that we eat. Hence it is important to monitor our cholesterol levels on a regular basis and at the same time consume food that is low in cholesterol. Though we all love to eat foods that are rich in fat, it is high time that we wake up to the reality of cardiovascular disease.

The danger of this disease is aggravated by the fact that most of the Americans are obese. Obesity implies that the eating habit of the individual is not healthy. And thanks to this phenomenon of obesity, there have been a slew of diets offering low cholesterol and are being talked about.

We are what we eat. And if we choose a diet that is low in cholesterol, it is obvious that our body will never grow up to have high blood cholesterol levels. Given the increasing awareness on eating healthy, there are many different types of low cholesterol diets that are being floated all around.

It is important for a consumer to pick up a diet that is really effective in controlling the intake of cholesterol thereby resulting in low blood cholesterol. If you want to know more about these low cholesterol diets, one of the easiest places to get information is the Internet. And all this information is available for free.

To find more information about nutrition and your diet and its effect on cholesterol levels visit http://a1-nutrition.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Scotie_Keithlow