Basics of a Healthy Diet

We are bombarded by advertisements every day promoting all sorts of “healthy” food products but we all ask the question what is a healthy diet?
                    
At E-Gym are aim is not to give out diets which are hard to follow and are not guaranteed to work. Instead we will give you the tools to enjoy an active and healthy lifestyle.

This for you may mean taking part in exercise for the first time and adopting a new way of looking at what you eat.

When you go grocery shopping do you buy the:-

• food you need for a healthy diet
• food you want because it has the quick feel good factor.

It is important to remember that no food is bad as long as it is eaten in moderation.
You should strive to have a balanced diet which includes foods from all the food groups.

Balance.

A balanced diet is about including different types of food in your diet in proportion to each other Providing balance in your diet involves an intentional inclusion of different foods in proportion to each other based on the value that each food has to your total goal. For some, food choices might include a specific macronutrient balance. Most health organizations recommend a diet consisting of a balance from Carbohydrate at 55-65%, Protein at 10-15% and Fats at no higher than 30% of total calories. Lastly, balance refers to choosing healthier foods more often than foods that are less healthy.

Moderation.

You only need to switch on the television or read a paper to know that obesity is growing at epidemic rates. Health experts all over the world are concerned at the problems this will bring especially to our children. One of the major problems is portion control. It’s all to easy to go through the drive thru and size up your meal, this is reflected in our portions at home.

We should be asking ourselves

• Am I really hungry?
• Am I eating for another reason?
• If I am really hungry, How much do I need to satisfy my hunger
• Am I eating more than I need

Moderation is about realizing when we are hungry learning how much food is enough and how much is too much. Many dieting programs are very successful simply because they are very good at helping clients learn to plan food portion sizes appropriately.

Moderation, therefore, also involves learning the distinct difference between hunger satisfaction and fullness.

Variation.

A healthy diet includes several food-types. Including a wide-variety of foods increases your likelihood of obtaining the required amounts of essential nutrients. It is well recognized that vitamin and mineral composition is food-specific. We know Citrus fruits tend to be high in Vitamin C whilst Milk is high in Calcium.

Also, variation helps to avoid food-boredom: trying new foods can be interesting and exciting.