A healthy diet can help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke in the following ways:
Improve cholesterol level
bring down the blood pressure
Help you control your weight
control the blood sugar
A healthy diet includes:
1. Eat more vegetables and fruits.
This is one of the most important eating habits. Vegetables and fruits are rich in nutrients (antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fiber), which can help you maintain a healthy weight for a longer period of time. Fill half a plate with vegetables and fruits for every meal and snack.
Choose whole grain foods.
Whole wheat foods include whole wheat bread and biscuits, brown rice or wild rice, quinoa, oatmeal and hulled barley. They are made of whole grains. Whole grain foods contain fiber, protein and B vitamins, which can help you stay healthy and feel full for a long time.
Choose whole grains instead of processed or refined grains, such as white bread and pasta. Fill a quarter of the plate with whole grain food.
Eat protein food.
Protein food includes beans, nuts, seeds, tofu, fortified soybean drinks, fish, shellfish, eggs, poultry, lean meat (including game), low-fat milk, low-fat yogurt, low-fat kefir and low-fat and low-sodium cheese. Protein helps build and maintain bones, muscles and skin. Eat protein every day. Try to eat at least two servings of fish a week and choose plant foods more frequently. Dairy products are an important source of protein. Choose foods that are low in fat and tasteless. Fill a quarter of the plate with protein food.
4. Limit highly processed foods
Highly processed food (usually called super-processed food) refers to food that has been changed from the original food source and added with many ingredients. In the process of processing, important nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and fibers are usually removed and salt and sugar are added. Examples of processed foods include fast food, hot dogs, French fries, biscuits, frozen pizza, cooked meat, white rice and white bread. Learn more about super-processed food here. You can process some food in small quantities. There are some changes in these foods, but they contain almost no industrial additives. The least processed food retains almost all the necessary nutrients. Some examples are bagged salads, frozen vegetables and fruits, eggs, milk, cheese, flour, brown rice, oil and dried herbs. When we advise you not to eat processed foods, we don't mean these minimally processed foods.
5. Make water your first choice.
Water will not only increase calories, but also keep healthy and promote hydration. Sugary drinks (including energy drinks, fruit juice, 100% fruit juice, soft drinks and flavored coffee) contain a lot of sugar and have little or no nutritional value. It is easy to drink empty calories unconsciously, which will lead to weight gain. Avoid using fruit juice, even 100% fruit juice. Although fruit juice has some benefits (vitamins and minerals), it has more sugar and less fiber than fruit. You shouldn't drink juice instead of fruit. Canadians should eat fruit instead of drinking it. If there is no safe drinking water, please drink coffee, tea, unsweetened low-fat milk and boiled water to quench your thirst.
5 secrets
At home, most foods should use whole or minimally processed foods. Choose from many different protein to keep it interesting. Using catchy names every day can help you plan. Try to use the meatless diet "meatless Monday".
Choose recipes that contain a lot of vegetables and fruits. Your goal is to fill the plate with half of vegetables and fruits every meal. Choose brightly colored fruits and vegetables every day, especially orange and dark green vegetables (click here for more information). Frozen or canned sugar-free fruits and vegetables are ideal substitutes for fresh agricultural products.
Avoid sugary drinks and drink water instead. Low-fat unsweetened milk is also a good way to keep moisture. Keep a reusable water bottle in your wallet or car so that you can carry water with you.
Eat more snacks. Eat at least three meals a day with snacks in between. When you wait too long to eat, you are more likely to make unhealthy food choices.
These eight practical skills cover the basic knowledge of healthy eating and can help you make healthier choices.
The key to a healthy diet is to consume an appropriate amount of calories according to your activity level, so as to keep the energy intake and energy consumption in balance. If you eat or drink more than your body needs, you will gain weight because unused energy will be stored in the form of fat. If you eat and drink too little, you will lose weight.
You should also eat a variety of foods to ensure a balanced diet and ensure that your body absorbs all the nutrients you need.
Men are advised to consume about 2500 calories per day (10500 kilojoules). Women should consume about 2000 calories (8400 kilojoules) every day.
1. Feed on high fiber starch carbohydrates.
Starch carbohydrates should account for more than one-third of the food you eat. They include potatoes, bread, rice, pasta and cereals. Choose varieties with high fiber content or whole grains, such as whole wheat pasta, brown rice or potato skins. Compared with white or refined starch carbohydrates, they contain more fiber and can help you stay full for a long time. Try to include at least 1 starch in each main meal. Some people think that starchy foods will get fat, but each gram of sugary carbohydrates provides less than half of the calories. When cooking or serving these types of food, please pay attention to the added fat, because it will increase the calorie content, for example, oil on bread crumbs, butter on bread and cream sauce on pasta.
2. Eat more fruits and vegetables
It is recommended that you eat at least five servings of various fruits and vegetables every day. They can be fresh, frozen, canned, dried or juiced. Make your five-day tour easier than it sounds. Why not chop up bananas for breakfast cereal, or replace your usual snack in the morning with a piece of fresh fruit? 80g of some fresh, canned or frozen fruits and vegetables. Dried fruit part (meal time should be reserved) 30g. A cup of 150ml fruit juice, vegetable juice or smoothie is also counted as one serving, but the daily intake should be limited to no more than 1 cup, because these drinks contain sugar, which will damage teeth.
3. Eat more fish, including some oily fish.
Fish is a good source of protein, which contains many vitamins and minerals. The goal is to eat at least 2 servings of fish every week, including at least 1 servings of oily fish. Oily fish are rich in omega-3 fat, which may help prevent heart disease.
Oily fish include:
trout
trout
clupeoid
sardine
sardine
mackerel
Non-oily fish include:
haddock
the Chinese People's Liberation Army
Corey
cod
tuna
skate
hake
You can choose fresh, frozen and canned, but remember that canned and smoked fish have higher salt content. Most people should eat more fish, but it is suggested to limit certain kinds of fish.
Reduce saturated fat and sugar
Saturated Fat You need some fat in your diet, but it's important to pay attention to the amount and type of fat you eat. There are two main types of fat: saturated fat and unsaturated fat. Too much saturated fat will increase the cholesterol content in the blood, thus increasing the risk of heart disease. Men's average daily intake of saturated fat should not exceed 30 grams. On average, women should not consume more than 20 grams of saturated fat every day. Children under 1 1 should have less saturated fat than adults, but a low-fat diet is not suitable for children under 5 years old.
Many foods contain saturated fat, such as:
fat meat
sausage
butter
have bad luck
cream
cake
biscuit
lard
dispatch
Minimize the intake of saturated fat and choose foods containing unsaturated fat, such as vegetable oil and spread food, oily fish and avocado. For a healthier choice, use a small amount of vegetable oil or olive oil or low-fat spread instead of butter, lard or ghee. When eating meat, choose lean meat and cut off any visible fat. All types of fat are high in energy, so they can only be eaten in small amounts.
sugar
Regular consumption of foods and drinks with high sugar content will increase the risk of obesity and tooth decay.
Sugary foods and drinks usually contain a lot of energy (in kilojoules or calories), and eating too much will lead to weight gain. They can also cause tooth decay, especially when eating between meals. Free sugar refers to any sugar added to food or drink, or sugar naturally existing in honey, syrup and unsweetened fruit juice and smoothies. This is the type of sugar you should reduce, not the sugar in fruit and milk. Many packaged foods and drinks contain amazing amounts of free sugar.
Many foods contain free sugar, such as:
Sugary carbonated beverage
Sugary breakfast cereal
cake
biscuit
Pastry and pudding
Candy and chocolate
liquor
Food labels will help. Use them to check the content of sugary foods.
If the total sugar per 100g exceeds 22.5g, it means that the sugar content in food is high; However, the total sugar content per100g is less than 5g or less, indicating that the sugar content in food is low. Get advice on reducing sugar in your diet.
5. Eat less salt: Adults should not exceed 6 grams a day.
Eating too much salt will raise blood pressure. Patients with hypertension are more likely to suffer from heart disease or stroke. Even if you don't add salt, you may still eat too much. About three-quarters of the salt in the food you buy is already in the food, such as breakfast cereal, soup, bread and seasoning. Use food labels to help you lose weight. The salt content per 100g exceeds 1.5g, indicating that the food has a high salt content. 1 1 Adults and children aged 0 and above should not consume more than 6 grams (about one teaspoon) of salt every day. Children should eat less.
6. Exercise actively and keep a healthy weight.
In addition to a healthy diet, regular exercise can also help reduce the risk of serious health problems. This is also important for your overall health and happiness. Being overweight or obese can lead to health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, some cancers, heart disease and stroke. Being underweight can also affect your health. Most adults need to reduce calorie intake to lose weight. If you want to lose weight, please eat less and exercise more. A healthy and balanced diet can help you maintain a healthy weight. If you are underweight, please consult an underweight adult. If you are worried about your weight, please consult your family doctor or dietitian.
7. Don't be thirsty
You need to drink a lot of liquid to prevent dehydration. The government recommends drinking six to eight glasses a day. This doesn't include the water you get from food. All non-alcoholic drinks are ok, but water, low-fat milk and low-sugar drinks (including tea and coffee) are healthier choices. Try to avoid sugary soft drinks and carbonated drinks because they are high in calories. They are also bad for your teeth. Even unsweetened fruit juices and smoothies are rich in free sugar. The total amount of drinks in fruit juice, vegetable juice and smoothies shall not exceed 150 ml per day. This is a small cup. Remember to drink plenty of water in hot weather or during exercise.
8. Eat breakfast
Some people don't eat breakfast because they think it helps to lose weight. However, a healthy breakfast rich in fiber, fat, sugar and low salt can be part of a balanced diet and help you get the nutrients you need for good health. Whole wheat low-sugar cereal with semi-skimmed milk and sliced fruit exaggerates the delicious and healthy breakfast. The food you eat has a great influence on your health and quality of life. Although healthy eating is simple, the popular "diet" and the increase of dieting trend have caused confusion. In fact, these trends usually distract the most important basic nutrition principles. This is a detailed guide to healthy eating for beginners based on the latest nutrition knowledge.
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Why should we eat healthily?
Research continues to link serious diseases with poor diet. For example, a healthy diet can greatly reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer, which are the main killers in the world. Good eating habits can improve all aspects of life, from brain function to body function. In fact, food will affect all your cells and organs. If you take part in sports or sports, there is no doubt that a healthy diet will help you perform better.
From disease risk to brain function and physical function, a healthy diet is essential to all aspects of life.
Calorie and energy balance
In recent years, the importance of heat has been put aside. Although calorie counting is not always necessary, total calorie intake still plays a key role in controlling weight and health. If you burn more calories than you burn, it will be stored as new muscle or body fat. If you burn fewer calories than you do every day, you will lose weight. If you want to lose weight, you must create some form of calorie deficiency. On the contrary, if you try to gain weight and increase muscle mass, you need to eat more than your body burns.
Regardless of your diet, the balance between calories and energy is very important.
Know a lot of nutrients
The three main nutrients are carbohydrate, fat and protein. These nutrients need to be relatively large. They provide heat and have many functions in your body. The following are some common foods in each macronutrient group:
Carbohydrate: 4 calories per gram. All starchy foods, such as bread, pasta and potatoes. It also includes fruits, beans, juice, sugar and some dairy products.
Protein: Four calories per gram. The main sources include meat and fish, dairy products, eggs, beans and vegetarian substitutes, such as tofu.
Fat: 9 calories per gram. The main sources include nuts, seeds, oil, butter, cheese, oily fish and fat.
The intake of each macronutrient depends on your lifestyle and goals, as well as your personal preferences.
Macro-nutrients are three main nutrients that are needed in large quantities: carbohydrate, fat and protein.
Understand micronutrients
Micronutrients are important vitamins and minerals that you need in small quantities.
Some of the most common micronutrients you should know include:
Magnesium: It plays a role in more than 600 cellular processes, including energy production, nervous system function and muscle contraction.
Potassium: This mineral is very important for controlling blood pressure, maintaining body fluid balance and muscle and nerve function.
Iron: Iron is mainly because it carries oxygen in the blood, and it has many other benefits, including improving immunity and brain function.
Calcium: an important structural component of bones and teeth, and also an important mineral in the heart, muscles and nervous system.
All vitamins: vitamins from vitamin A to vitamin K play an important role in every organ and cell of the human body.
All vitamins and minerals are "essential" nutrients, which means that you must get them from your diet to survive.
The daily requirement of each micronutrient varies from person to person. If you eat a real food-based diet, including plants and animals, you should get all the micronutrients your body needs without taking supplements.
Micronutrients are important vitamins and minerals and play a key role in cells and organs.
It is important to eat natural food.
You should try to eat whole food at least 80-90% of the time. The term "whole food" usually describes natural unprocessed food containing only one ingredient. If the product looks like it is made in a factory, it may not be a complete food. The whole food is often rich in nutrition and low in energy density. This means that they contain less calories and more nutrients per serving than processed foods. On the contrary, many processed foods have almost no nutritional value and are often called "empty" calories. Eating them in large quantities is related to obesity and other diseases.
Whole food based on diet is an extremely effective but simple strategy to improve health and lose weight.
Food to eat
Try a diet based on these healthy foods:
Vegetables: These should play a basic role in most diets. They are low in calories, but rich in important micronutrients and fibers.
Fruit: A natural sweet food. Fruits provide micronutrients and antioxidants, which help to improve health (19 trusted source).
Meat and fish: Meat and fish have been the main sources of protein throughout the evolution. They are the staple foods in human diet, although vegetarian and vegan foods have also become very popular.
Nuts and seeds: They are one of the best sources of fat and also contain important micronutrients.
Eggs: Whole eggs are considered to be one of the healthiest foods on earth, rich in protein, beneficial fats and micronutrients (20).
Dairy products: Dairy products, such as natural yogurt and milk, are cheap sources of protein and calcium.
Healthy starch: For those who do not adopt a low-carbohydrate diet, whole-food starchy foods such as potatoes, quinoa and Ezekiel bread are healthy and nutritious.
Beans and beans: These are excellent sources of fiber, protein and micronutrients.
Drinks: Water and drinks (such as coffee and tea) should account for most of your liquid intake.
Herbs and spices: These usually contain highly nutritious and beneficial plant compounds.
Your diet should be based on these healthy whole foods and ingredients. They will provide all the nutrients your body needs.
Food to avoid most of the time.
Follow the advice in this article, and you will naturally reduce your intake of unhealthy food. There is no need to eliminate any food forever, but some foods should be restricted or reserved for special occasions. These include:
Sugar products: foods with high sugar content, especially sugary drinks, are related to obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Trans fat: also known as partially hydrogenated fat, trans fat and heart disease and other serious diseases.
Refined carbohydrates: Foods rich in refined carbohydrates such as white bread are related to overeating, obesity and metabolic diseases.
Vegetable oil: Although many people think they are healthy, vegetable oil will destroy your omega 6: 3 balance, which may cause problems.
Processing low-fat products: Usually disguised as healthy substitutes, low-fat foods usually contain a lot of sugar to make them taste better.
Bottom line:
Although it is strictly forbidden not to eat, excessive consumption of certain foods will increase the risk of illness and lead to weight gain.
Why is partial control important?
Calorie intake is a key factor to control weight and health. By controlling the serving size, you are more likely to avoid burning too many calories. Of course, compared with processed foods, whole foods are more difficult to eat, but they can still be eaten in excess. Monitoring your weight is especially important if you are overweight or trying to lose body fat. There are many simple strategies to control the serving size.
For example, you can eat less food than average with a smaller plate first, and then wait for 20 minutes before coming back.
Another popular method is to measure portions by hand. For example, a meal can limit most people's intake of 1 fist-sized carbohydrates, 1-2 protein and 1-2 healthy fat. High-calorie foods such as cheese, nuts and high-fat meat are healthy, but please be sure to pay attention to the amount when eating.
Please pay attention to portions and your total food or calorie intake, especially if you are overweight or trying to lose weight.
How to adjust your diet according to your own goals
Consider your total calorie intake and adjust your diet according to your needs and goals.
How to make healthy diet sustainable development
This is a good rule of life: if you can't see this diet in a year, two years or three years, then it's not for you. People often live unsustainable extreme eating habits, which means that they have never really developed long-term healthy eating habits. Some terrible weight gain statistics show that most people will soon regain the weight they lost after trying to lose weight on a diet. As always, balance is the key. Don't fast unless you have special diseases or dietary requirements. By completely eliminating certain foods, you may actually increase your cravings and reduce your long-term success rate. 90% of your diet is based on whole foods. You can eat snacks occasionally, but you can still keep healthy. This is much healthier than doing the opposite, just like many people, eating 90% processed food and 10% whole food.
Create a healthy diet that you can enjoy and stick to for a long time. If you want unhealthy food, please plan ahead.
Consider these supplements?
As the name implies, in addition to a healthy diet, you should also use supplements. Including a lot of nutritious food in your diet should help you reverse malnutrition and meet your daily needs. However, some well-researched supplements have proved to be helpful in some cases. One example is vitamin D, which is naturally obtained from sunlight and oily fish. Most people are low-level or lacking. If your diet is deficient in magnesium, zinc and omega-3, they can also provide other benefits. Other supplements can be used to improve sports performance. Creatine, whey protein and β -alanine all have a lot of research to support their use. In an ideal world, your diet should be full of nutritious food without supplementation. However, this is not always possible in the real world. If you have been trying to improve your diet, then additional supplements can help you further improve your health.
It is best to get most nutrients from whole foods. However, some supplements may also be useful.
Combining good nutrition with other health habits is not the only factor to ensure the best health. Following healthy eating habits and exercising can make you healthier. It is also important to have a good sleep. Studies show that sleep is as important as nutrition for disease risk and weight control. Hydration and water intake are also important. Drink when you are thirsty and stay hydrated all day. Finally, try to reduce stress. Chronic stress is related to many health problems.
The best health is not limited to nutrition. It is also important to exercise, have a good sleep and reduce stress.