A diet of healthy food can help keep your weight under control, promote heart health, avoid obesity-related diseases and aid digestion. To do that, you need to limit fat, provide protein and get plenty of whole-grain carbohydrates. Keep those three diet ingredients in the right ratio and keep an eye on total calorie intake to keep your weight under control and aim toward a healthy lifestyle.
Control Calories to Avoid Obesity-related Diseases
Avoid obesity-related diseases like diabetes and heart disease by keeping your calorie intake under control. The University of Maryland Medical Center states that you should only take in about 10 calories per pound as a woman and 13 calories per pound of body weight as a man in order to not gain weight. You can add a couple of calories per pound to those numbers by exercising at least a half-hour daily with cycling or brisk walking. Check food labels for calorie and nutrition content to help track your daily calorie intake. Avoid processed foods with added sodium, sugar, preservatives and the resulting empty calories.
Carbs Supply Both Quick and Lasting Energy
You should eat about half your daily calories in carbohydrates, both simple and complex. Fresh fruits and veggies supply simple carbs for quick energy along with dietary fiber and water-soluble vitamins C and B-complex. MyPyramid.gov states that whole-grain foods such as whole-grain breads, cereals and pastas deliver both dietary fiber and complex carbs that take a while to process in the body for lasting energy. Check food labels to make sure you are getting whole grains and not just hearty or enriched grains which may lack nutrition value and fiber. Try to eat about 3 cups of veggies, 2 cups of fruit and three slices of whole-grain bread daily.
Lower Your Fat-to-protein Intake for Heart Health
You need protein to build strong muscles, but avoid too much cholesterol-causing fat that could result in heart disease. The Harvard School of Public Health states that you can increase your protein intake while keeping fat low by focusing more on fish and poultry rather than red meat. Nuts, seeds and legumes also supply protein along with heart-healthy oils. Eat about 6 oz. of fish, poultry or beans daily, along with about 3 cups of milk products. When choosing dairy products, pick low-fat or even no-fat dairy items. Some fat is needed to process fat-soluble vitamins E, K, D and A.
Healthy Ratios for a Healthy Lifestyle
The right ratio between carbs, protein and fat is in a ratio of about 2-to-1-to-1 in total calories eaten. MayoClinic.com states that those ratios add up to about 200g to 300g of carbs, 45g to 135g of protein and 50g to 70g of fat eaten daily for a 1,800-calorie daily diet. That number of calories should be about right for teen girls, active women who weigh about 150 lbs. and inactive men who weigh about 140 lbs. You should also take in about 26g of fiber for digestive-tract health and 1,300mg of calcium daily for strong bones.
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