The question, what to eat? Implies an almost unlimited variety of foods which to
choose. But abundance is one thing: adequacy of diet is another one. People
usually decide the matter in one of the two ways: (1) They eat what they please,
or (2) What is the best for them. Judging by appearances, most people eat what
they please.
Those who eat what they please become slaves to their appetites. If they like a
food, they will eat it: if they don’t, they will avoid it. People make their
food choices for all kinds of reasons, including taste, nutrition knowledge, and
availability of different foods. Another factor that seems to play a significant
role in people's choices is cost, with many people believing that a healthful
diet is more expensive than a less healthful one.
Eating wisely depends on avoiding extremes in diet, on partaking of variety of
foods rather than on following dietary fads, and on knowing what to include in
each day's fare so that the body's need will be met.
What impresses from a well nourished person:
Before we get into the details of food selections, we should consider the
question. What we expect of a good diet? A well nourished individual, provided
he exercise regularly and follows a consistent program of healthful living,
possesses the following characteristics:
1: He appears healthy and has abundant vitality. His facial expression radiates
well being, his eyes appear clear and alert, and his hair is smooth and glossy.
2: His bones are well-formed. His sturdy arms ad legs, a straight back, well
shaped head and chest, and well formed teeth.
3: His muscles are well formed and strong. He has good posture when sitting, or
walking. His movements are graceful, and he seems to find pleasure in physical
activity.
4: He has sufficient amount of fats in the tissues beneath his skin to pad the
underlying bones and muscles but not so much which seems to be over weight.
5: His body functions efficiently. He enjoys food and sleeps soundly.
How impressive it sounds to hear about a healthy person. He is the only one who
gets the most advantage of his life. Why we should not be one of it. Here are
some basic nutritional needs explained which will be helpful in becoming a
healthy one.
1: Provide the minimum daily recommended allowances for basic food elements.
Keeping a daily record of these statistics requires careful accounting almost
like bookkeeping.
2: Daily sampling of food groups: this is the second and simpler way to make
sure that you get the kinds of food each day necessary to provide a balanced
diet. Some years ago nutritionists developed what they called "Seven Basic Food
Groups". These include fruit, vegetables, milk, eggs, butter, whole grains and
entrees (protein foods).
Are vitamins necessary?
Experiments in widely spread parts the world had already proved that certain
diseases resulted from the deficiencies of these substances in the diet. A diet
that contains adequate amounts of citrus fruits, vegetable (leafy, green, and
yellow) whole grains, potatoes, legumes (peas, beans and lentils) and milk
provides the necessary nutritional elements including the vitamins.
What about Cholesterol?
There was a time a few years ago when the word "cholesterol” was almost a bad
word but cholesterol is a normal constituent of the blood. It has a proper
function to perform in the body's chemical processes.
Families saved on cost and calories
Many people view fresh fruits and vegetables - the mainstays of a
calorie-controlled diet - as too expensive to serve every day. But the authors
of this study found that when families bought less snack food and more produce,
their overall food bills actually went down. The families also apparently helped
themselves further by not resorting to 'diet' versions of their favorite snack
foods, like baked potato chips and fat-free cookies. The authors point out that
these foods don't offer much of a calorie savings, and they are often more
expensive than their higher fat counterparts.
Is meat necessary?
Evidence has been building up to the effect that meat is not essential to
nutritionally balanced diet. One observation is that individuals and religious
groups in many parts of the world get along well without including meat in their
dietary. These indicate that the degree of health and vitality enjoyed by such
person is at least equal to that of persons who eat meat.
Nutritional studies indicate that humans do very well on diets that are free
from flesh foods but which contain milk, milk products and some eggs.
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