Healthy Food

The idea that health food is limited to carrots and celery is too narrow, in fact, healthy foods come from a variety of sources. Starting with the meat group, you can choose from a number of foods: chicken, red meat, and fish.

Why is it important to include meat in your diet?

It is important to include meat because it provides proteins to your body. Some of the essential proteins are not made or stored in the body. Your body requires protein to produce enzymes, hormones and other body chemicals.

The food you eat should contain the right amount of simple and complex carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals. Some examples of healthy foods are, whole grains, unsaturated fats, fruits, vegetables and water.

Are you eating properly? There are several ways to know if you aren't eating properly. The obvious are when you find yourself overweight or underweight with health related problems, feeling fatigue or lack of energy or having symptoms of the lack of nutrition or vitamins and minerals deficiency.

The Healthiest Food

Fruits

Because the body requires vitamin C to burn fat, eating foods that are high in vitamin C is said to help metabolize fat faster and make losing weight less difficult. You might want to try eating more oranges, pineapple, grapefruit, lemons, limes, etc.

Vegetables

Colour is Key to Healthy Food  

For example, red foods like tomatoes and,, contain lycopene, -a compound being studied for its role in fighting prostate cancer and heart disease. Green vegetables, like spinach and kale, contain lutein and zeaxanthin, which may help protect against age-related eye disease. Blue/purple foods like and eggplant contain anthocyanins, and white foods like cauliflower contain sulforaphane, both of which may help protect the body from cancer.

Meats

What you need to realize about preparing meat is that those should be as natural as possible – that is, they don’t need artificial ingredients to make them taste ‘good.’ They naturally taste good. You can add vegetables such as tomatoes, garlic, onion, pepper, potatoes.

Water

Water helps to rid the body of toxins and chemicals that make be slowing down your overall metabolism. By drinking at least six glasses a day, you can make sure that your digestion is running smoothly and that anything that shouldn’t be in your body is eliminated.

Recommendations •Eat slowlyEat slowly and refrain from talking while you are eating. When you gulp your food or drinks, you swallow excessive amounts of air. It may result in gaseous build up. Avoid drinking through a straw for the same reason.

•Include  food  and  vitamins supplementsInclude food supplements or vitamins according to the recommended dosage especially if you are cutting out certain essential food due to allergy or some other reasons.

•Avoid eating before bedtimeAvoid food except fruits and juices before going to bed and have your dinner before 9:00 pm.•Avoid fried foodsEat grilled, broiled, steamed or raw food instead of fried. Eat your chicken with the skin removed.

If you have poor nutrition you may have…

• Hypertension: Abnormally high blood pressure

• High Cholesterol: a leading contributor to heart disease

• Diabetes• Heart disease• Stroke• Gout

• Gout: a painful condition of the joints caused by an accumulation of uric acid, which results in crystals forming in the joints. Associated swelling can result in permanent joint damage.

• Sleep apnea: condition in which a sleeping person stops breathing for periods exceeding 20 seconds. The resulting lack of oxygen can trip off rhythm problems with the heart

• Osteoarthritis is an inflammation of the joints, resulting in calcifications and breakdown of joint flexibility

• Several types of cancer, particularly colon cancer, bladder cancer and breast cancer, may be affected by diet.

• Depression• Eating disorders: distorted body image are

often associated with poor nutritional status.

GOOD NUTRITION!

• What is it?– Good nutrition means getting the calories we

need for energy and the nutrients we need for proper growth.

• Variety, balance, and moderation are keys to good nutrition.

Why eat healthy?

• Decrease health risks• Decrease depression• Increase energy• Ensures growth, healing and maintenance for

the body• Helps fight disease• Ensuring healthy teeth and bones