Good nutrition is a crucial part of optimal health. The same principles of good nutrition apply to people of all backgrounds and ages, including athletes, models, teens, children, adults and the elderly. Those principles include balance, moderation, proper calorie intake and consuming foods from each food group. It can be easy to slip into poor eating habits. Consider your own diet and make necessary adjustments, in addition to adequate sleep and exercise, in order to reap the many health benefits of a good diet.
Diets that Restrict Entire Food Groups
Many fad diets advertise that eliminating certain food groups from your diet, such as dairy or protein, is healthful and can result in rapid weight loss. Weight loss can in fact be evident from these types of diets, but this is due to a reduced consumption of calories, irrespective of the absence of a particular food group. Each food group contains its own unique nutritious value and benefits for proper body function and development. If you take away any of the main food groups, you risk the development of vitamin and nutrient deficiency.
Processed and Convenience Food Diets
Processed, frozen and pre-packaged foods contain significant amounts of sodium, preservatives and trans fats to increase shelf-life, make foods look more appealing. The American Heart Association suggests that you eat less than 1500 mg of sodium daily. Many snack foods contain high amounts of added sugar and calories, but have little or no nutritional value. If you have a busy schedule and feel that eating healthy is too time consuming, consider making larger portions of healthful dishes or casseroles that you and enjoy, then dividing the dish into small storage containers that you can store in the freezer and thawing out the meal when it is time to eat. Wash, peel and prepare fruits and vegetables ahead of time that are easy to grab when you are on the go.
Diets High in Saturated and Trans Fat and Cholesterol
Diets that contain foods that are fried or prepared with vegetable and partially hydrogenated oils, or contain big portions of red meat are high in cholesterol and trans fats. Having a high-fat diet poses a dangerous threat to your heart and arteries as it can raise your cholesterol levels and harden your arteries. The American Heart Association says that "cutting back on these foods can reduce your risk for cardiovascular disease by lowering 'bad' LDL cholesterol in your body."
Extremely Low-Calorie Diets
The concept that eating more calories than you expend causes weight gain is commonly accepted. However, many people may not realize that severely restricting calories can be equally dangerous. In a study published March 2007 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Dr. Luigi Fontana and Dr. Samuel Klein explain that a severe restriction of calories can cause anemia, weakness, fatigue, nausea, bowel disturbance, gallstones and irritability. Elisa Zied, R.D., writing or MSNBC.com, suggests that if you are looking to lose weight to do it slowly. If you want to maintain a healthy weight, do not shy away from food. Fill your diet with wholesome, nutrient-dense foods like fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean meats.
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