Diets & Nutrition For Your Health

Good nutrition plays a huge role in maintaining health and preventing disease. Food influences emotional health, immune system defenses, cardiovascular functioning and impacts how energetic we feel from day to day. While a constant parade of fad diets promises miraculous benefits for weight loss and health, a sensible approach is best. Aim for a varied diet, take a multivitamin, and if weight loss is necessary lose pounds slowly. Ask your physician about the eating plan that is best for you.

Necessary Nutrients

According to "Understanding Nutrition," a textbook by Eleanor Noss Whitney and Sharon Rady Rolfes, six classes of nutrients are necessary for the development, maintenance and repair of the tissues in the human body: water, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals and vitamins. Good nutrition does not lie in eating special foods, as no one food can provide the ideal nutrient balance. The best way to obtain the nutrients you need is by eating a varied diet of lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, low-fat milk products, whole grains, healthy fats, nuts and seeds.

Healthy Weight Loss

Sixty-eight percent of adult Americans are overweight or obese, according to 2007-2008 data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. That statistic evidences the fact that most of us take in more calories than we expend. Obesity is not just a cosmetic problem; it leads to diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels. According to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, the best weight loss strategy entails an increase in physical activity plus a reduction in calories. A drastic transformation is not necessary to start reaping the benefits of weight loss. The Institute states that the initial goal of a weight loss program should be a 10-percent decrease in body weight from baseline. Aim to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week. More rapid weight loss is harder to maintain.

Dietary Supplements

The Harvard School of Public Health recommends that for most people, a multivitamin with minerals plus an extra vitamin D pill daily can provide adequate nutritional insurance. The folic acid in multivitamins can help prevent neural tube defects in infants and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and certain cancers, while vitamin D can help cut cancer risk. Megadoses of vitamins are not helpful. At best, they are expensive and unnecessary; at worst, they carry the risk of toxicity.

The Mediterranean Diet

While just about any cuisine can be adapted so that it is healthy and nutritious, scientists have found that a centuries-old eating pattern enjoyed by people in Italy, Spain and other Mediterranean countries is especially beneficial. The Mediterranean diet is a high-fiber diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and legumes. Fish is more predominant than meat, and olive oil is the main source of fat. Eggs, butter, sweets and red meat are used very sparingly or not at all. According to the National Library of Medicine, a Mediterranean diet may help stabilize blood glucose, reduce cholesterol and lower the risk of cardiovascular disease.