Eating Healthy
Introduction
A healthy diet plays an important part in helping prevent several serious diseases, such as:
• Coronary artery disease.
• Obesity.
• High blood pressure.
• Diabetes.
• Some forms of cancer.
A healthy diet may also help prevent or control other diseases such as:
• Strokes.
• Liver diseases.
• Renal failure.
• Anemia.
• Some infectious diseases.
This reference summary will help you better understand how your body uses food and what kinds of food your body needs in order to function properly.
Calories and Weight The body uses energy to keep the body temperature normal and to maintain bodily functions. Energy is measured in calories.
A calorie is a unit of energy
that comes from the food we eat. A calorie is not a unit for measuring weight.
The number of calories required for good health depends on a person’s age and size.
A large person needs more calories than a small person because a bigger body needs more energy than a smaller body. Physically active people need more calories than
inactive people. A growing child needs more calories for each pound of body weight than an adult. This is because a child is growing and calories are needed to fuel growth.
Some people burn more calories than others. People who are the same age, same size and have the same activity level may require different calories. Medical conditions can also affect metabolism. For example, a person with a thyroid gland that does not make enough thyroid hormone will have a slower metabolism. Metabolism is the rate at which the body uses calories.
When people eat more calories than they need, the extra calories are stored in the fatty tissues of the body. This leads to weight gain. When people eat fewer calories than they need, the body burns fat to supply the needed calories and the person loses weight. In order to live a healthy life, people need to keep their body weights as close as possible to an ideal weight. To determine your ideal weight, talk to your health care provider.
Food Groups
Food is commonly divided into the following categories:
• Fat and cholesterol.
• Carbohydrates.
• Protein.
• Vitamins.
• Minerals.
Fat is important to help us build our bodies, especially our brains. Each gram of fat is equivalent to 9 calories.
Cholesterol is an important building block for the cells of the body. But too much cholesterol is bad for the body.
Too much cholesterol in the blood can lead to blockages in the arteries that lead to the heart, brain and other organs. Blocked arteries to the heart and the brain often lead to heart attacks and strokes.
The body is able to make all of the cholesterol that it needs. It is not important for people to take in extra cholesterol from the foods that they eat. Cholesterol is found in animal products. For e
Two of the most common types of fat
xample, egg yolks are high in cholesterol.
aturated fat.
Sa
in animal products.
vel of cholesterol in the blood. They are not healthy. Unsaturated
Carbohydrates are foods that are high in sugar. Each gram of carbohydrates is equal
cereals.
Protein is important for the body. Each gram of
h and poultry.
include:
• Saturated fat.
• Uns
turated fat is found This is the kind of fat that can be seen on a steak. Saturated fats tend to increase the le
fats are healthier than saturated fats. Unsaturated fat mostly comes from vegetables.
Olive oil is an unsaturated fat.
Saturated Fats Unsaturated Fats
to 4 calories. Sources of carbohydrates include:
• Beets.
• Bread and
• Pasta.
• Potatoes.
• Rice.
protein has 4 calories. Protein can be found in:
• Dry beans.
• Eggs.
• Meat, fis
• Nuts.
Our bodies need vitamins and minerals to be healthy and work normally. Vitamins and
as sodium. Eating too much
s calcium. Calcium
in non-animal products,
r. T
des enough nutrients for
Eat a variety of foods. No one food can give
lways 2.
eds, ical
minerals do not generate energy and do not contribute to our calorie intake. The body cannot produce vitamins and minerals. We have to consume them. Health problems can happen if the body does not get enough vitamins and minerals. Certain vitamins are harmful in large amounts. Talk to your health care provider before you add vitamin or mineral supplements to your diet.
The most recognized mineral is salt. It is also known
sodium can cause high blood pressure. Your health care provider may recommend a reduced sodium diet. Talk with your health care provider about how much sodium is right for you.
Another important mineral i
is a mineral that helps build strong bones and prevents osteoporosis. Dairy products are rich in calcium.
Fiber is mainly found
such as vegetables and fruits. Fiber is needed for the digestive system to work normally.
Fiber also may protect against colon cance is not counted as consumed calories.
A Healthy Diet
he human body does not absorb fiber. It
A healthy diet is a diet that provi
your body. The following tips can help you eat a healthy diet.
1.
you all the nutrients you need. A healthy diet a includes food from different food groups.
Eat the amount of food your body needs.
When you eat more food than your body ne the extra calories are stored as fat. Find your healthy weight range and desired level of phys
activity. Aim to reach and maintain your weight within this range.
Eat a lot of grain products, vegetables a
3. nd fruits. Dietitians recommend foods
,
4. ou
5. tain foods and drinks. Sweets, salt and alcohol should
My Plate
a guide for healthy eating. It suggests te has 5
eal grains.
Examples of grain foods include:
Grains are divided into 2 subgroups: whole grains and refined grains. Whole grains
ur.
eat.
that come from plant sources because they are low in calories and high in fiber vitamins and minerals. They also have no cholesterol and they are low in fat.
Eat a diet that is low in fat and cholesterol. No more than 30% of the calories y eat should come from fat.
Choose moderation for cer be consumed in moderation.
My Plate is
eating a variety of foods while eating the appropria amount from each group of food. My Plate
colors. Each color represents a food group. The larger the area of the color category, the more servings you need from this food group.
Orange represents grains. Grain products are made from:
• Cornmeal.
• Oats.
• Rice.
• Wheat.
• Other cer
• Bread.
• Cereal.
• Crackers.
• Pasta.
• Rice.
contain the entire grain kernel. They are healthier than refined grains. Examples of whole grains include:
• Whole-wheat flo
• Bulgur, or cracked wh
• Oatmeal.
• Whole cornmeal.
Green represents the vegetables. Eat a variety of vegetables to get different vitamins
Red represents fruits. Ea ety of fruit.
Avoid
w-fat or fat-free m ,
y and seeds.
The amount of food eaten is measured in a
• Brown rice.
and nutrients. Make sure that half of what you eat is fruits and vegetables.
Vegetables are organized into 5 subgroups, based on their nutritional content:
• Dark green vegetables.
• Orange vegetables.
• Dry beans and peas.
• Starchy vegetables.
• Other vegetables.
t a vari
Choose fresh, frozen, canned or dried fruit.
fruit juices that are high in sugar. Fruits and vegetables should make up half of the total amount of food that you eat.
Blue represents dairy. Pick lo ilk products. If you can’t consume milk choose lactose-free products or other calcium sources like calcium-fortified soy milk.
Purple is the last category. It represents protein. Choose low-fat or lean meat and poultry. Bake it, boil it or grill it. Healthy sources of protein include:
• Fish.
• Beans.
• Peas.
• Eggs.
• Nuts, so
unit called a serving. Depending on the food group, the serving size may be measured in cups, grams, slices or whole fruits.
The number of servings from each food group depends mostly on the person's age, sex, height and level of physical activity. How many servings you need from each group depends on the number of calories you need each day.
The divided areas on My Plate are to remind you to balance your portions. Make sure to make half of your plate fruits and vegetables.
The term serving used in a restaurant is not the same as the term serving used in nutritional guides. Restaurant servings are much larger
than servings used in nutritional guides.
Food Labels
Food labels help show us the nutritional value of the foods that we eat. Food labels are mandated by law and include more accurate information than commercials and
advertisements.
Food labels can show you:
• Calories per serving.
• Calories from fat.
• Total grams of fat.
• Total grams of carbohydrates.
• Total grams of proteins.
Food labels also show percent daily value. Percent
daily value is the percentage per serving of the total recommended daily need for everything listed in a
packaged food.
Summary
A healthy diet plays an important part in helping prevent several serious diseases, such as:
• Coronary artery disease.
• Obesity.
• High blood pressure.
• Diabetes.
• Some forms of cancer.
The body uses energy to keep the body temperature normal and to maintain bodily functions. Energy is measured in calories.
A calorie is a unit of energy that comes from the food we eat.
When people eat more calories than they need, the extra calories are stored in the fatty tissues of the body and can lead to increased weight. A healthy diet is a diet that provides enough calories and nutrients for your body.
Eat a variety of foods. No one food can give you all the nutrients you need. A healthy diet always includes food from different food groups.
Eat the amount of food your body needs. When you eat more food than your body needs, the extra calories are stored as fat. Find your healthy weight range and desired level of physical activity. Aim to reach and maintain your weight within this range.
Eat a lot of grain products, vegetables and fruits. Dietitians recommend plant foods because they include few calories and lots of fiber, vitamins and minerals. In addition, they have no cholesterol and are low in fat.
Eat a diet low in fat and cholesterol. No more than 30% of the calories you eat should come from fat.
Choose moderation for certain foods and drinks.
Sweets, salt “and alcohol should be consumed in moderation.
My Plate is a guide for healthy eating. It suggests eating a variety of food while eating the appropriate amount from each group of food. Food labels help show what we are eating. My Plate and food labels can help you stick to a healthy diet.
