Your body, like a car, is built to last through harsh conditions, for a long period of time, and to maneuver in many ways. Car oil needs to be checked and changed frequently to save the car from internal engine damage. In a similar vein, if you tend to overlook the fuel mixture you are providing for your body, it can experience added strain and internal damage. This is the difference between a balanced diet and an unbalanced diet.
Properties of a Balanced Diet
A balanced diet consists of foods that are high in nutrients but low to moderate in calories. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends consuming "a variety of nutrient-dense foods and beverages within and among the basic food groups while choosing foods that limit the intake of saturated and trans fats, cholesterol, added sugars, salt and alcohol." It is important to know your specific daily calorie needs and how to read and interpret nutrition labels. Additionally, you should strive to add variety in each food group, such as eating two types of fruit that provide different nutrients. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Guide Pyramid can help you achieve your goal in eating balanced meals.
Dangers of an Unbalanced Diet
An unbalanced diet neglects incorporating foods from all of the food groups. Foods that contribute to an unbalanced diet are typically high in calories, low in nutritional value, or simply above or below caloric adequacy. Typically these foods are processed or convenience foods, or prepared in a way that reduces the foods' nutritional value or increases their fat or sodium content. An unbalanced diet may contain some nutrient-dense food, but limiting yourself to a diet of peas and grapes, for example, will prevent you from getting nutrients that other foods provide. A New York Times report suggests that an unbalanced diet can negatively affect body tissue development, brain and nervous system function, growth and development, and bone and muscle systems. Your risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, and obesity or anorexia also increases with an unbalanced diet.
Fad Diets
Many people want quick and obvious results for weight loss. Fad diets achieve this goal by strictly limiting the dieters' calorie intakes and often by focusing on one or two food groups and classifying the others as bad or off-limits. Think "celery diet" or "all-chicken diet." Although the weight-loss results might be immediate, the long-term effects of following these diets can be dangerous to the body. These diets will not help you to make lifestyle changes with permanent results because they tend to lose focus on getting the nutrients you need from numerous sources. Avoid diets, for example, that focus on limiting or excluding carbohydrates or that only allow protein.
Special-Needs Diets
Because of various diseases, food allergies, or intolerances, you may need to avoid certain foods or food groups. However, you can still have a well-balanced diet by replacing those certain foods with foods that have similar properties. For example, a person with a peanut allergy might replace peanut butter with soy butter, or a person with lactose intolerance might consider rice milk in place of cow's milk. The taste may be different, but your body will get many of the micronutrients, vitamins and minerals it needs to sustain life and provide fuel for the muscles, cells and tissues.
A Focus on Moderation
One crucial factor in having a balanced diet is to enjoy foods and beverages in moderation. Eating too much of one food can cause weight gain, affect functional and digestive processes, or cause nutritional deficiency because of the neglect of other food sources. For example, eating too much steak at dinner can cause you to feel sluggish, disturb your digestive system, and even limit room for a serving of fiber-dense broccoli and its abundant supply of nutrients like vitamin C and calcium. Understand portion control and familiarize yourself with appropriate serving sizes to get a sufficient and balanced amount of food and nutrients.
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