So, many people struggle with what is the right thing to eat on a "diet" and what not to eat. Well, let me first address the fact eating the proper foods all the time before all the junk cam around(chips, pizza fast food) would make what we consider a "diet" today not exactly a diet. When looking at the nutrition portion of any type of program it is very important to watch what you eat. Athletes have a different nutrition plan from the average American, as well as, those with medical conditions that determines what the individual eats.
First, let's start with basic healthy eating. Everyone's diet should consist of carbs, proteins, fats, minerals, vitamins, and water. You main nutrients come from carbs, fats and proteins. Many people think that I eat all these things, but do you eat them in moderation? Many good carbs, proteins and fats come from the right foods we can eat everyday. But the other stuff just taste so good right! In the past couple weeks my mom has struggled a little bit with her eating. She sometimes has Honey Nut Cheerios for breakfast, and she always complains of starving later so she snacks a lot. She is on the Weight Watchers program and of course as most of you know it is a lot about calorie count, even though the program has changed. She was unsure about whether to eat food with more protein in it, even though it had more calories, or to just stick with fewer calories. Well, if some of you are wondering about the same question, the answer is to go with the food that is higher in protein. The food that is higher in protein will keep you fuller longer and therefore you won't snack as much. It is okay to have snacks but make sure they are fruits, vegetables, whole grains, etc. Suprisingly enough food high in fiber and protein will keep you fuller longer. Yes, getting away from the fast food and junk is hard, but take it a few steps at a time. Start my substituting one meal/snack at a time for something healthy.
Another topic to touch base on are those people who have to modify their diet because of medical conditions. I personally have two conditions that have caused me to change my diet. The first is high cholesterol, which is inherited from my father's side of the family. High cholesterol limits your intake on fried food, shell fish, eggs, red meat, and other foods. It promotes more fruits and vegetables, foods higher in fiber, white meats(pork, turkey, chicken) and limited alcohol intake. Changing my diet was hard at first for the simple fact that I used to be really picky.
The second condition I have is called mitral valve prolapse which is a heart condition where the mitral valve in the heart closes too far and leaves the valve slightly open so blood flows back into the atrium of the heart. Caffiene is one of things that is not allowed with the condition, or lower the intake of this. And what everyone dreads is the NO SUGAR. I love my sweets and I still enjoy them, but I just make sure that foods I do take in are low in sugar and as for the sweets, they are either sugar free or reduced sugar/no sugar added. Believe it or not after a while you can't even tell a difference in tastes. Of course, exercise is highly recommendedI(not a problem on my part) and some other lifestyle changes(no smoking, limiting alcohol intake, etc.).
Another part of nutrition I would like to talk about is portion control, whether it is all at one meal or spread out throughout the day. A lot of Americans overeat. The extra amount of calories taken in that are not expended is what causes the weight gain. In the video posted on Facebook EXER we see that the child is eating healthy foods but he is eating more than he needs. The child has at least 4-5 meals within 2 hours. Portion control is a big part of weight loss. When going out to eat, the typical restaurant gives you enough portion size to split the meal into 2 separate meals. The restarant gives you two full portion meals on a single plate. Many people eat 3 big meals every day. When you reduce the portion size of your meals then that's when the snacks come in handy. Every snack should have protein, and fiber. When using snacks you should eat a total of 3 meals and 2-3 snacks.
http://www.discovergoodnutrition.com/index.php/2011/12/making-healthy-changes-for-good/http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=17GrPDnYt6E
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