Your diet is the food you eat. Diets vary based on the needs of the individual or the goals the individual wishes to accomplish through a controlled diet. Because food is the fuel your body uses for all of its biological functions, your diet is a vital component of your health and vitality. Understanding basic facts about diet helps to ensure that regardless of the diet you choose to follow, or the goal you wish to achieve, the food you consume will meet your needs.
Standard Diet
A standard diet is appropriate for people who do not need to lose weight, adhere to a special diet as part of treating a medical condition or meet nutritional needs specific to groups such as pregnant women or the elderly. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Dietary Guidelines for Americans, intended for individuals over 2 years of age, recommends a diet low in sodium, unhealthy fats and added sugars. The guidelines also recommend eating lots of fruits, whole grains, vegetables and reduced or fat-free milk products.
Nutrients
Your diet provides the nutrients your body needs for healthy functioning. The seven groups of nutrients found in the foods you eat include carbohydrates, microminerals, macrominerals, proteins, vitamins, fats and water, according to the USDA. Each of the nutrients performs important work in your body. For instance, carbs provide energy, and proteins build and repair your body's tissues. Vitamins help with bone health, cell formation, metabolism and growth and development. Minerals such as magnesium are important in the development and maintenance of your nervous system. Deficiencies in any of these important nutrients can cause serious illness or medical conditions.
Balanced Diet
The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines a balanced diet as one that includes foods from all of the major food groups. The five major food groups used in the USDA's food pyramid are grain products, meat and beans, vegetables, milk products and fruit. Eating a balanced diet provides the best chance of getting all of the nutrients your body needs for healthy functioning. Milk products provide calcium, which is important for your bones and teeth. Green leafy vegetables provide iron and fruits provide vitamin C.
Caloric Intake
The foods that make up your diet contain calories. A calorie is a measurement term that defines the amount of energy in specific foods. Calories help determine how much of a food you should consume because the amount of calories you consume daily combined with the amount of calories, or energy, you burn is the primary determinant for how much you weigh. USDA recommendations for daily caloric intake totals are based on age, gender and level of physical activity.
Special Diets
People adopt special diets for specific purposes, including weight loss, weight gain, treatment for a medical condition such as high blood pressure or diabetes, dietary preferences such as vegetarianism or enhancing athletic performance. Restrictive diets require you to avoid or remove certain foods or nutrients from your diet. Some diets require you to eat lots of carbs or fats. Other diets provide rigid instructions for when and how to eat. Diets also function to prevent conditions related to health and aging.
Unhealthy Diets
The American Dietetic Association recommends avoiding fad diets that make unreasonable promises or that can lead to unhealthy consequences. Fad diets are often restrictive, difficult to follow, unhealthy and impossible to maintain over a long period of time. Fad diets often promise weight loss without exercise or promise an unproven cure for a medical condition. Some diets can cause loss of nutrients, vitamin deficiencies and other medical conditions caused by dangerous dietary practices. Some diet plans require you to pay out large sums of money or buy products. Regardless of your goal, choosing a healthy diet requires paying attention to your nutritional needs.
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