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Eating a healthy diet has many benefits. It will help you maintain a good weight, ensure you're getting all your essential nutrients, keep you energetic and balanced, and can also prevent many diseases and conditions. Eating a balanced diet means including foods from all the food groups in the right proportions.
Grains should comprise about a third of your diet. However, not all grains are the same. Try to reduce your intake of white grains such as white bread, white rice, or pasta. Instead, eat more whole-grain products such as whole wheat bread and pasta, brown or wild rice, barley, and millet. Get creative. If you don't like most whole grain products, try un-buttered microwave popcorn or oatmeal.
Fruits and vegetables are another staple of a healthy diet. Make sure to include plenty of deep green vegetables such as spinach, along with more colorful peppers and carrots. Fruits generally contain quite a bit of sugar, but unlike processed sugar, this variety is good for you as long as you practice moderation. Try switching things up with exotic fruits like mango or kiwi if you're tired of more garden variety apples and oranges.
Most of your protein should come from beans and soy products, poultry, fatty fish, and organic low-fat dairy products. Bake, broil, or grill meats, rather than frying. Avoid red meats as much as possible, and always opt for leaner options.
Many diets advise cutting down or even eliminating fats. However, fats are essential to the functioning of the human body. Somewhere between twenty and thirty-five percent of your daily caloric intake should be in the form of fats. That said, not all fats are the same. Most of the fat in your diet should come from monounsaturated fats. Olive oil and most raw nuts are good sources of monounsaturated fats. Saturated fats should be eaten in moderation. Saturated fats can be either good or bad, depending on their source. Animal fats are usually saturated, and should be avoided. Most of the toxins in an animal's body are stored in the fat, so eating this fat also means ingesting those toxins. Coconut oil contains medium-chain saturated fats, a good source of easily accessible energy for people who are physically active. Polyunsaturated fats come in two kinds, omega 6 and omega 3. The human body functions best when these two fats are in a ratio of 2:1. Unfortunately, most Americans have a ratio around 20:1. These excess omega 6 fats usually come from products made with vegetable oils and margarine, so reducing your intake of these products is key. In addition, eat more fatty fish, walnuts, and flax seed to increase omega 3 intake. Avoid all trans fats. Trans fats are created when fats are hydrogenated, an industrial process intended to lengthen the shelf-life of certain products. These fats have been directly linked to many dangerous conditions such as heart disease and cancer. The main sources of trans fats are margarine and fried fast foods.
Avoid processed sugar and sodium. The body converts excess sugar into saturated fats, and sodium can raise blood pressure. If you eat a lot of salt, and are having trouble cutting down, make sure to include plenty of potassium since this can counteract some of the deleterious effects of sodium.
Eating healthy isn't just about what you eat, it's also about how you eat. Never skip a meal, this only leads to a sharp drop in blood sugar that will make you hungry and crave sweets. Instead, eat many small meals throughout the day. Eat slowly, and stop eating as soon as you're full. Drink plenty of water, the body often can't tell the difference between thirst and hunger, and water will help you feel full. Learn to listen to your body. If you crave something (unless it's sweet or salty) it's probably your body's way of telling you that you need more of a certain vitamin or nutrient that the food contains. If you're not getting all the vitamins and minerals you need from food, consider taking a multivitamin. Just be sure that it doesn't contain one-hundred percent of the nutrients you need; many foods nowadays are fortified with extra vitamins and minerals, and too much of some essential nutrients can actually be toxic. In the end, the rule of moderation is the most important part of a healthy diet.
Sources: http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines http://www.helpguide.org/life/healthy_diet_fats.htm
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