Nutrition

It has been established that good nutrition is made up eating a wide variety of foods and that this constitutes a balanced diet. While all foods contain one or more necessary nutrients, some have more than others and are therefore should feature more prominently in your diet.

More and more people are turning to herbal remedies and supplementary vitamins because of the side effects of drugs. Others say that these have not been tested in the way modern drugs are. But others say that they have been tested by people who have used them for centuries and they have stood the test of time, which is something that cannot be said about modern drugs. What we must do is test what is claimed and neither accept nor dismss such claims until we have put them to the test.

Good nutrition equates to eating a wide variety of different foods, but some are more important than others. You must keep in mind that your body is composed of proteins and you need to replace those which have been lost daily. Other foods are also needed for good nutrition.

But you may, like others, have chosen to follow a certain type of diet due to your personal preferences, or because certain foods trigger an allergic reaction in your body, etc.

In an earlier article it was said that many people are overweight, but it also true that many are allergic to certain foods, such as nuts, wheat and other grains and have to avoid them if they want to enjoy good health.

So let us see what foods constitutes a balanced diet and leads to good nutrition, bearing the above in mind. In every category there are foods which can be said to be superior to others in that category, but which you may not wish to or cannot eat due the fact you are allergic to them.

So what you can substitute for those foods will also be given.

There are 3 major categories of food: Proteins, Carbohydrates and Fats. We start with

Proteins: The most dependable sources of protein are meat, fish, eggs, milk and cheese, as they contain all the amino acids that are bodies are composed of. If you are a vegetarian, you can eat eggs and cheese and if you are a vegan you can substitute nuts and pulses. But do not just have one of these, but mix them.

Carbohydrates: these are divided between starches and sugars. Most people nowadays eat these after they have been prosed and all the goodness removed from them. In some cases the nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals have been put back, using artificial versions, which do not contain what they do in their natural form. But more often than not even this is missing.

Many people are allergic to wheat products, but can eat other grains, such as corn, rice, etc.

But if you are allergic to all grain products as some are all you can do is avoid them and make sure that you get your carbohydrates from such sources as fruit and honey. But definitely avoid white sugar, as this contains no nutrients.

Fats: Food also contains vitamins and minerals and these are a vital part of nutrition and essential if you are to be healthy. There are twice as many calories in fat as in the other 2 categories and must be eaten sparingly. Fats contain cholesterol which, by some people, is cited as the cause of heart trouble. It is not realized that our bodies produce it, but it is only what we get from external sources that cause problems. What definitely should be avoided is hydrogenated fats, as our bodies are not equipped to deal with them. Oil, particularly olive and sunflower oils are good for you as are essential fatty acids.

If you are a vegetarian, or a vegan it is possible to eat a balanced diet, but you have to be careful not to do what many vegetarians do and eat a lot of pasta, especially if this is not the wholegrain variety. If you make this the basis of your diet you stand the risk of developing anemia, even pernicious anemia. This is because our bodies require B12, which your body does not produce and you need to get from food and meat is one of the most dependable sources.

Food also contains vitamins and minerals and these are vital for good nutrition. Some are water soluble and have to be taken daily, but other are oil based and can be stored by your body.

Click here to see what vitamins and have minerals have been identified, what foods they are in and what they do for you. Vitamins and Minerals