Many of us eat a diet that lacks some of the basic nutrients for good health. We eat too many prepared and highly refined foods and eat too many meals in fast-food restaurants.
Chronic dieters have the added problem to eating too few calories to get the proper nutrition.
The daily food records of over weight people is alarming. It is not uncommon to see a diet consisting of six bottles of coke, several candy bars, and some cookies, donuts or potato chips as the total daily intake. The nutritional highlight of the entire week may be a hamburger, fries and a milk shake.
All of us have been taught at least some basics about good nutrition. However, many of us ignore most of this information. This may have something to do with the very permissive era through which we have just passed. The spirit of the 70's seems to have been "if it feels good, do it," or likewise, " if it taste good, eat it."
Working mothers are often too busy to prepare nutritious meals or teach their children how to cook healthful foods. More & more meals are eaten away from home or are prepared at home from prepackaged convenience mostly frozen sources.
We have a built-in protective drive that attract us to high-calorie, high-fat, high-sugar foods to ensure adequate nutrients for protection against starvation. Although this drive served us well before refined, convenience foods were so readily available, it can create problems for us today. If we allow ourselves to eat only those things that taste good to our "junk-food' appetites, we end up with a diet that will cause fatness and may create many other problems.
Let's analyze the average American diet. The average female eats about 2,000 calories daily; the average male about 3,000 calories. Of these, 40 to 50 % comes from fat.
Refined fats like vegetable oils have few vitamins or minerals. Animal fats have some vitamins and minerals, but very few compared to a total number of calories. In addition, the average American eats about 120 pounds of sugar per year or just over 5000 calories per day with no vitamins or minerals.
Fats and sugars in these quantities will tend to make most of us fat. Obviously, we need to make changes if we as a society hope to become thin and healthy!
The Right Balance
Obviously the best road to a healthy diet is one of moderation: reducing fats (but not eliminating them); obtaining enough, but not too much protein, and increasing complex carbohydrates seem to be the best balance.
The best diet plan is to include a balance of 20% fat, up to 20% protein and 60% carbohydrates. This balance of foods provides the nutrients and energy one needs and when brought into balance, improves your own energy reserves and feeling of well-being. How to do that?
First examine your own daily food intake. for one day, write down everything you eat!! from your first morning cup of coffee (don't forget the cream) to your last bedtime snack. Then using the following formula, figure the number of fat, carbohydrate and protein grams.
Formulas For Figuring % Of CALORIES From Fat in A Serving
- Fat grams*x 9 = fat calories
- (fat calories/total calories*) x 100 =% of fat*
- *Amount per serving
Each fat gram contains 9 calories, each protein and carbohydrate gram contains 4. Multiply the number of grams by the appropriate figure to see how many of your day's calories came from fat, protein and carbohydrates. Then divide the day's total calories by each of those figures and this will tell you what percentage each food component contributed to your day's calories. If you are like most Americans, you'll find more of your food energy came from fats and proteins and less from carbohydrates.
Examine your daily intake again. Did you eat most of your food in the evening? Did you skip breakfast? Did you load up on snacks in the middle of the day?
Poor habits also contribute to an inefficient balance of the three basic food components. Start good food habits the moment you wake up in the morning and make it an all day practice. With your newly-made chart in hand, you can see what your good and bad eating habits are. Then start making changes.
Changes Should Be Slow At First
Make changes slowly at first, perhaps one new change every 2 to 3 days to begin with, allowing yourself time to get used to the new way food tastes. Make simple substitutions in favorite meals, start to increase your fruit and vegetable consumption while trimming back on snacks, soda pop and sweets.
You will probably be pleasantly surprised to discover that your meals won't have the feared bland, bloaty effect, but instead food will taste better, you'll enjoy eating more because you'll have more time to enjoy food and you'll feel much much better.
In a few months time you'll discover your cabinets and refrigerator are sporting a new, leaner look--and so will you! More than that, a new change will occur: you'll feel yourself filled with new energy. What better place to put your new-found energy than into a mild exercise program, such as a brisk daily walk?
The effects of simple exercise and your improved eating habits will further increase your sense of well-being and confidence. And that's bound to have a positive effect in all areas of your life! Remember You Are in control.
"We Believe in your right to be Healthy"
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