Vivian Ayako Mudavuda

A Healthy Diet A healthy diet is important for good health and nutrition. It protects you against chronic non communicable diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Eating a variety of foods and consuming less salt, sugars and saturated, and industrially produced trans-fats, are essential for a healthy diet. Eating a well-balanced diet means eating a variety of foods from each of the 5 food groups daily, in the recommended. It is important to choose a variety of foods from within each food group. In this article, we’ll explore what is a healthy diet, it’s benefits and the drawbacks. An-image-healthy-food. What is a Healthy Diet? It is a diet that maintains or improves overall health. Provides the body with essential nutrition: fluid, micronutrients such as vitamins, and adequate fiber and food energy. Healthy diet helps to protect the body against malnutrition in all its form. And also, noncommunicable disease (NCDs). Healthy dietary practices start early in life-breastfeeding fosters healthy growth and improves cognitive development, and have longer term health benefits. A Healthy Diet for Adults A healthy diet includes the following 1. Fruit, vegetables, legumes (e.g. lentils and beans), nuts and whole grains (e.g. unprocessed maize, millet, oats, wheat and brown rice). 2. 400g of fruit and vegetables per day. 3. Less than 10% of total energy intake from free sugars, which is equivalent to 50g for a person of healthy body weight consuming about 2000 calories per day. Free sugars are all sugars added to foods or drinks by the manufacturer, cook or consumer, as well as sugar naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and juice concentrates. 4. Less than 30% of total energy intake from fats. Unsaturated fats are preferable to saturated fats and trans-fats of all kinds, including both industrially-produced trans-fats and ruminant trans-fats. It is suggested that the intake of saturated fats be reduced to less than 10% of the total energy intake and trans-fats to less than 1% of total energy intake. 5. Less than 5g of salt per day. Salt should be iodized. For Infants and Young Children In the first 2 years of a child’s life, optimal nutrition fosters health growth and improves cognitive development. It reduces the risk of becoming overweight or obese and developing NCDs later in life. Healthy diet for infants and children is similar to that for adults, but the following elements are important: 1. Infants should be breastfed exclusively during the first 6 months of life. 2. Infants should be breastfed continuously until 2 years of age and beyond. 3. From 6 months of age, breast milk should be complemented with a variety of adequate, safe and nutrient-dense foods. Salt and sugar should not be added completely. The Benefits of Healthy Diet 1. A balance vegetarian diet reduces your risk of heart disease and cancer, and reduce joint pain by arthritis. It is important to maintain a balance diet of fruits, vegetables, dairy and vegetarian protein sources. 2. A vegan diet reduces your risk of certain heart diseases and cancers and even reduce pain from arthritis. 3. Paleo deity focuses on lean meat, fruit and vegetables, it is linked to weight loss, improved glucose tolerance, better blood pressure control and lower triglycerides. 4. The ketogenic diet is a low carb, high fat diet originally used to help reduce seizures in children with epilepsy. Ketosis is a metabolic state in which your body uses fat, rather than carbohydrates, for energy. A ketogenic diet forces your body into ketosis by limiting your carbohydrates consumption to 20-50 grams per day. The calories are replaced with healthy fats from meats, fish, eggs, nuts and oil. it aids in weight loss and reduces the risk of heart disease and some cancers. 5. The mediterranean diet has been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and type 2 diabetes. It also leads to better mobility and quality of life as you age. The Drawbacks of Healthy Diet 1. Because the meat is high in iron, vegetarians have a greater risk of iron-deficient anemia. Eating fish instead of meat can help restore iron and provide omega-3 fatty acids. 2. When eating a vegan diet, there is an increased risk of inadequate protein, vitamins and mineral intake, including iron and omega-3 fatty acids found in meat and fish. 3. Paleo diet excludes grains and legumes, which are good sources of fiber, vitamins and nutrients. It also excludes all dairy products, which provides protein and calcium. 4. Low carbohydrates intake leads to flu-like symptoms, lower energy, stress on your kidneys, digestive issues, nutrient deficiencies, dangerously low blood sugar and decreased bone density. 5. Possible iron and calcium deficiencies from eating less red meat and dairy. A healthy diet will help you maintain a healthy body weight, reduce your risk of certain diseases and improve your quality of life. It is important to choose a diet plan that fits your goals and lifestyles and to always consult a doctor or dietician before starting a new diet. Vivian Writes Meta Description: What is a healthy diet? The benefits and drawbacks