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- Choosing Food and Drinks Wisely
Choosing Food and Drinks Wisely
- By Tim Riller
- Published 02/23/2010
- Food and Drinks
Tim Riller
View all articles by Tim Riller
Ever wondered why you lacked energy, had difficulty working, or was getting sick all the time? The answer might be in your belly: your choice of food and drinks. To function properly, your entire body needs to absorb all of the essential nutrients that it needs. There is no accurate and easy way of ensuring that you’re taking all of the right nutrients other than eating a wide variety of healthful foods. In fact, health experts recommend that our diet include all the major food groups, but of course, in the recommended amounts.
The “Food Pyramid”
Dieticians and nutritionists point out to the “food pyramid” as our ideal diet model. The “food pyramid” encourages us to take foods from each of the major food groups in order to absorb the most amounts of necessary nutrients that we need to perform well. Below, we will discuss the major food groups and the recommended daily servings of each.
Grains
After water, we should take rice, cereal, oats, and other wheat products most. Grains supply us with the very important carbohydrates, as well as iron, fiber, and other nutrients. Whole grains (those that have the grain sheath intact) are preferred by health experts over refined grains (those which bran and germ are taken off). The reason for this is because the former have more vitamins and fiber. We need to eat at least five and up to 12 servings of grains on a daily basis.
Fruits and Vegetables
There is good reason why most of the supplements you can find being sold around are made from a fruit, a vegetable, an herb, or a combination of these. Whether you eat them in the same form as when they were picke
d or juice them, fruits and vegetables serve a key role in giving us the necessary vitamins, including the antioxidants: vitamins A, C, E, and selenium. Choose brightly-colored fruits and vegetables; these often contain the highest amounts of vitamins. If you want a truly “healthy diet”, consume at least five and up to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables regularly. On times when you’re too busy to drop by the market, taking supplements that contain vitamins, minerals, human growth hormone (HGH), or antioxidants is also advisable.
Meat
That’s right: we should be consuming MORE fruits and vegetables than meat. Fish, poultry, and eggs are included in this food group. Better alternatives include nuts, legumes, and seeds. All of these supply us with protein, so make sure to get two to three servings of them each day.
Dairy products
This food group incorporates milk, cheese, butter, and others. Yogurt is a healthful alternative to these. While intake of these should be limited, they nonetheless furnish us with several vitamins and minerals. Two to four servings of milk would be enough for your daily needs.
Steer Clear of Unwise Choices
While increasing your intake of healthful products that contain essential nutrients, you should lower your intake of less beneficial foods and drinks. These are salt, artificial sugar, sodas, alcohol, trans-fats and saturated fats, and caffeine.
Keep in mind that a “healthy diet” doesn’t require you to shun all your favorite snacks (yes, you can still drink supersized soda along with your burger). You may indulge in these “sinful treats” every once in a while, as long as you choose to eat more of the healthful foods than the less beneficial ones to keep your body and health in tip-top shape.
The “Food Pyramid”
Dieticians and nutritionists point out to the “food pyramid” as our ideal diet model. The “food pyramid” encourages us to take foods from each of the major food groups in order to absorb the most amounts of necessary nutrients that we need to perform well. Below, we will discuss the major food groups and the recommended daily servings of each.
Grains
After water, we should take rice, cereal, oats, and other wheat products most. Grains supply us with the very important carbohydrates, as well as iron, fiber, and other nutrients. Whole grains (those that have the grain sheath intact) are preferred by health experts over refined grains (those which bran and germ are taken off). The reason for this is because the former have more vitamins and fiber. We need to eat at least five and up to 12 servings of grains on a daily basis.
Fruits and Vegetables
There is good reason why most of the supplements you can find being sold around are made from a fruit, a vegetable, an herb, or a combination of these. Whether you eat them in the same form as when they were picke
Meat
That’s right: we should be consuming MORE fruits and vegetables than meat. Fish, poultry, and eggs are included in this food group. Better alternatives include nuts, legumes, and seeds. All of these supply us with protein, so make sure to get two to three servings of them each day.
Dairy products
This food group incorporates milk, cheese, butter, and others. Yogurt is a healthful alternative to these. While intake of these should be limited, they nonetheless furnish us with several vitamins and minerals. Two to four servings of milk would be enough for your daily needs.
Steer Clear of Unwise Choices
While increasing your intake of healthful products that contain essential nutrients, you should lower your intake of less beneficial foods and drinks. These are salt, artificial sugar, sodas, alcohol, trans-fats and saturated fats, and caffeine.
Keep in mind that a “healthy diet” doesn’t require you to shun all your favorite snacks (yes, you can still drink supersized soda along with your burger). You may indulge in these “sinful treats” every once in a while, as long as you choose to eat more of the healthful foods than the less beneficial ones to keep your body and health in tip-top shape.