Finding a balanced diet whats it all about?
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So your looking to eat healthy? Well one of the best ways to get started is to get the balance of carbs,(carbohydrates), proteins and fats right first. The reason is, these are the essential foundations of any diet plan and everything from there is just a question of balance and adjusting to suit your likes and dislikes.
With around 4 calories being produced by one gram of protein it is not suprising that we are encouraged to eat plenty of protein rich foods such as eggs and dairy products (which of course also contain fats), red meats fish and steaks.
When looking at carbs like protein we find that calorifically around 1g of carbohydrate will produce about 4 calories of energy. However when comparing carbs it is much harder as they are rather more complex and in addition to being food found in nature than can also be found in food that is manufactured by man.
Those natural carbohydrates i.e those found in nature as plants include potato’s,rice, bread products and oatmeal.But we can also find more complex carbs in foods that are manufactured examples of which are cookies,white bread,candy and most forms of cake.
However Fat derives 9 calories from each gram, a full 225% more calories per gram than either protein or carbohydrates.Maybe that suprises you but it shouldn’t really but few people understand the significance and even then it’s not that simple.
Nothing is ever quite as it seems as there are a number of different types of fat there are bad fats trans fatty acids and saturated fats which are generally derived from animals or manufactured by man. Where as good fats are generally from plants.
To maintain a healthy body you need to get a balance of all 3 of these in equal proportion but avoid large amounts or unsaturated fats and avoid when at all possible all tran fats.
It is only when people get their diet out of balance and favor more of the fat containing foods they start to experience problems with their weight. Also getting a little more scientific carbohydrates is broken down by the body in to sugars so these should be only eaten as stated as part of an overall balanced diet.
Since fat has substancially more calories per gram than both protein & carbohydrates, just ensure the bulk of your diet is a balance of the first two food groups with some healthy fats thrown in for good measure.
There are 4 different types of fat lets look at each in turn.
Mono unsaturated fats (mono unsaturated fatty acids):- These are found in vegetable oils, nuts, seeds and some plant foods. They are liquid at room temperature. Some times referred to as MUFA’s.
Poly unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA’s):- Poly unsaturated fats are are most commonly seen in vegetable oils, fish and seafoods. They are liquid or soft at room temperature.Essential fatty acids Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are types of polyunsaturated fats and are considered essential to our diet but our bodies can not make them so they must be obtained through the diet.
Saturated fatty acids (SUFA’s) are usually solid at room temperature and are found mainly in foods from animal sources like meats, dairy products such as milk and butter. SUFA’s are also found in coconut, palm kernel and palm oil.
Trans fatty acids:- They are sometimes known as trans fats or hydrogenated fats or partially hydrogenated fats. This means that they have been chemically altered by the addition of hydrogen to make them solid at room temperature. Trans fats are found in foods such as some margarines, used extensively in the fast food industry and in processed snacks.
A guide is if it comes from a plant it is usually better for you than if it came from animal. Animal fats are found in butter, pastry and shortening as saturated fat. But fats from plants such as olive oil, sun flower oil and some margarines (read the labels) are unsaturated fats. Unsaturated fat is better for you but will still make you put on weight in excess.
Just remember when it comes to eating healthy it’s all about keeping the balance right.
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