Having good nutritional habits seems simple enough, but actually putting into your body exactly what it needs all the time is hard without understanding what it needs, why it needs it, and how to get it. A healthful diet is one that gives your body everything it needs in order to function at its best.
Drink More Water
While water does not contain any nutrients, it is vital to your body's health. Without it, you will become dehydrated, which can lead to serious health problems. Some water we get simply through the foods we eat, but it is important to drink whenever you are thirsty, and frequently throughout the day. Also, substituting water for juice and soda gives you what you need without added sugar and calories.
Calories
Calories are essential to our survival, giving us the energy that we need to function. However, it is important to be aware of your caloric intake. Eating more calories than our bodies need for energy can lead to weight gain; when we take in too many, our bodies store the extra calories in the form of fat.
Protein
Protein is key to a body's ability to maintain and repair tissues. Proteins contain eight essential amino acids that our bodies cannot produce on their own. Animal sources of protein, such as meat and eggs, contain all eight of these amino acids. Plant sources contain some, but not all; thus, vegetarians need to be especially aware of how they are getting all eight to maintain health. To get the right amount of protein daily, you should eat two to three servings from the Food Pyramid group of Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs, and Nuts.
Fiber
Fiber is important for proper bowel function. In order to keep those systems running properly, 30 grams of fiber a day should be consumed.
Fat
Our bodies need fat and cholesterol, but in controlled and limited amounts. No more than 30-percent of your daily calories should come from fat, and saturated fat (found in butter, eggs, and meat) should account for less than 10-percent of that. By limiting your fat intake, you can maintain a healthy weight, or lose excess weight, and also reduce the risk of heart disease. Additionally, cholesterol (a fat-like animal product) should be very limited in your diet. Trans-fat, formed by turning liquid oil into solid fat, should always be avoided.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are an excellent source of energy. They also help to balance bodily fluids. Six to eleven servings should be eaten daily. Carbohydrates such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes provide nutrients; others, mainly sugar, are "empty," providing only carbohydrates without the added benefits of nutrients.
Vitamins and Minerals
The best way to supply your body with the vitamins and minerals it needs is to eat a wide variety of healthful foods. However, many people have a hard time getting everything in, and benefit from taking vitamins and mineral supplements. While Vitamin C and all of the B vitamins are water-soluble (meaning excess amounts will be flushed out of the body), excessive amounts of vitamins A, D, E, and K are stored in the body and can be toxic. Simply being aware of how much you are getting should keep that from being a problem.
All-Around Health
By being aware of nutrition, and combining healthful eating with good eating habits, your body can function at its best. It is important to not only be aware of what your body needs, but how much. Be aware of portion size, and remember that balance is important. An occasional treat or day without all of the food groups is okay, as long as your body is getting what it needs (and not more) the rest of the time.
Nutrition News:
DC pushes female condoms to fight HIV epidemic - Charlene Cotton will talk to anyone about sex. Several days a week she stands behind a table decorated with a bowl of flavored condoms and safer sex pamphlets, calling to women passing on the street, "Come check out my table. Don't be scared."
Hire scheme aims to get Londoners on bikes - A fleet of 6,000 bicycles for hire will hit the streets of central London on Friday when the city's mayor Boris Johnson launches a scheme intended to fuel a cycling revolution in the congested capital.
Stemcells coaxed to rebuild bone, cartilage - Scientists have shown for the first time that it may be possible to replace a human hip or knee with a joint grown naturally inside the body using the patient's stem cells.
Can secondhand smoke hurt kids' grades? - Children and teenagers exposed to secondhand smoke at home may get poorer grades than their peers from smoke-free homes, a study of Hong Kong students suggests.
New York to spend big to kill bloodsucking guests - In the city that never sleeps there is one increasingly busy nocturnal resident who New York wants to evict -- the bedbug.
Damp house linked to kids' risk of nasal allergies - Children who live in damp, water-damaged homes may be more likely than other kids to develop nasal allergies, a new study suggests.
Hands-only CPR, pushy dispatchers are lifesavers - More bystanders are willing to attempt CPR if an emergency dispatcher gives them firm and direct instructions — especially if they can just press on the chest and skip the mouth-to-mouth, according to new research.
New TB test must reach more people: expert - A new diagnostic tool that reduces to two hours the time needed to detect drug-resistant tuberculosis must be made available to populations vulnerable to the disease, a World Health Organization expert said.
Pregnancy-related diabetes likely to recur: study - Pregnant women with a history of pregnancy-related diabetes, also called gestational diabetes, have a good chance of developing the condition again, suggests a large new study.
Meth use in pregnancy endangers mom and baby - New research shows that babies born to methamphetamine-using moms face much higher risks of serious complications, compared to babies not exposed in the womb to this illegal street drug.
Increased Risk of Violence Among Unsupervised Teen Groups - THURSDAY, July 29 (HealthDay News) -- Even in so-called "good"
neighborhoods, there's a significantly increased risk of violence if teens
gather with nothing to do and no adult supervision, a new study
suggests.
Black Teens May Need Higher Vitamin D Supplementation - THURSDAY, July 29 (HealthDay News) -- Among black teens, vitamin
D deficiency is associated with arterial stiffness -- a risk factor for
heart disease and stroke -- but adequate supplementation may resolve the
problem, a new study has found.
Knee, Hip Replacements May Aid Weight Loss: Study - THURSDAY, July 29 (HealthDay News) -- Weight loss has been noted
among patients who've had a knee or hip replacement, a new study says.
Calcium supplements linked to heart attacks: study - Ordinary calcium supplements taken by the elderly to strengthen bones may boost the risk of heart attacks, according to a study released Friday.
FDA finds problems at Sanofi vaccine plant - Sanofi-Aventis failed to follow proper manufacturing procedures at a vaccine plant in France, U.S. regulators said in a letter released on Thursday.
EMS systems catch cardiac arrests, and a lot more - San Francisco sends out seven ambulances in response to people thought to be in cardiac or respiratory arrest for every one person that is actually in cardiac arrest, according to a new study of the city's Emergency Medical Dispatch system.
Obese patients lose weight on new Orexigen drug - Overweight volunteers who took Orexigen's experimental drug Contrave, designed to reduce cravings, lost about 13 pounds (6 kg) over a year, U.S. researchers reported on Thursday.
US Army failing troubled troops at home: general - The US Army on Thursday said leadership and discipline have deteriorated at bases in the United States, with officers missing warning signs of soldiers on the verge of suicide.
Health Tip: Is Your Blood Sugar High? - (HealthDay News) -- Hyperglycemia, the medical term for high
blood sugar, is a prime cause of complications among people with
diabetes.
Cuvposa Approved for Chronic Drooling in Children - THURSDAY, July 29 (HealthDay News) -- Cuvposa (glycopyrrolate)
Oral Solution has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
to treat chronic drooling in children aged 3 to 16.
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