Every day, it seems like we wake up to a new “superfood” that will change our life. But, with the abundance of information available, how do you know what’s good for you? Here are the top foods you should be eating, according to experts.
“My favourite food is peanut butter. It has protein, carbs and sugars. It’s a great recovery food, and my kids love it!”
Healthy eating can be easy. It’s all about balance.
Choose Healthy Foods and Drinks
Healthy eating involves taking control of how much and what types of food you eat and the beverages you drink. Try to replace foods high in sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat protein foods, and fat-free or low-fat dairy foods.
Fruits and Vegetables Make half of your plate fruits and vegetables. Dark green, red, and orange vegetables have high levels of the nutrients you need, like vitamin C, calcium, and fiber. Adding tomato and spinach or any other available greens that you like to your sandwich is an easy way to get more veggies in your meal.
Whole grains like whole-wheat bread, brown rice, oatmeal, and whole-grain cereal, instead of refined-grain cereals, white bread, and white rice.
Choose whole grains, like whole-wheat bread, brown rice, oatmeal, and whole-grain cereal.
Power up with low-fat or lean meats like turkey or chicken and other protein-rich foods, such as seafood, egg whites, beans, nuts, and tofu.
Dairy-strong bones with fat-free or low-fat milk products. If you can’t digest lactose, the sugar in milk that can cause stomach pain or gas choose lactose-free milk or soy milk with added calcium. Fat-free or low-fat yogurt is also a good source of dairy food.
Fat is an important part of your diet. Fat helps your body grow and develop and may keep your skin and hair healthy. But fats have more calories per gram than protein or carbs, and some are unhealthy.
Some fats, such as oils from plants and liquid at room temperature, are better for you than other fats. Foods containing healthy oils include avocados, olives, nuts, seeds, and seafood such as salmon and tuna.
Solid fats, such as butter, stick margarine, and lard, are solid at room temperature. These fats often contain saturated trans fats, which are unhealthy for you. Other foods with saturated fats include fatty meats, cheese, and other dairy products made from whole milk. Take it easy on foods like fried chicken, cheeseburgers, and fries, which often have a lot of saturated and trans fats. Options to consider include a turkey sandwich with mustard or a slice of lean meat, turkey, or veggie burger.
Foods containing healthy oils include avocados, olives, nuts, seeds, and seafood such as salmon and tuna.
Your body needs a small amount of sodium, mostly in salt. But getting too much sodium from your foods and drinks can raise your blood pressure, which is even unhealthy for your heart and your body. Even though you’re a teen, paying attention to your blood pressure and heart health now is important to prevent health problems as you age.
Try to consume less than 2,300 mg, or no more than 1 teaspoon, of sodium daily. This amount includes the salt in prepared food and the salt you add when cooking or eating your food.
Like canned or packaged, processed foods often have more sodium than unprocessed foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables. When you can, choose fresh or frozen fruits and veggies over-processed foods. Add herbs and spices instead of salt to season your food if you make your meals. Remember to rinse canned vegetables with water to remove extra salt. If you use packaged foods, check the amount of sodium listed on the Nutrition Facts label.
Source: niddk.nih.gov
Get active and be a healthy weight.
As well as eating healthily, regular exercise may help reduce your risk of getting serious health conditions. It’s also important for your overall health and well-being.
Read more about the benefits of exercise and physical activity guidelines for adults. Being overweight or obese can lead to type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, heart disease, and stroke. Being underweight could also affect your health.
Most adults need to lose weight by eating fewer calories.
If you’re trying to lose weight, aim to eat less and be more active. Eating a healthy, balanced diet can help you maintain a healthy weight.
Check whether you’re a healthy weight by using the BMI healthy weight calculation; start the NHS weight loss plan, a 12-week weight loss guide that combines healthier eating and physical activity advice.
If you’re underweight, see underweight adults. If you’re worried about your weight, ask your GP or a dietitian for advice.
Source: NHS.UK
Dietary Fibers and their importance
Dietary fiber found mainly in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes is probably best known for its ability to prevent or relieve constipation. But foods containing fiber can provide other health benefits, such as helping to maintain a healthy weight and lowering your risk of diabetes, heart disease and some types of cancer. (mayoclinic.org)
Selecting tasty foods that provide fiber isn’t difficult. Find out how much dietary fiber you need, the foods that contain it, and how to add them to meals and snacks. (mayoclinic.org)
Dietary fiber, roughage or bulk, includes the parts of plant foods your body can’t digest or absorb. Unlike other food components, such as fats, proteins or carbohydrates, which your body breaks down and absorbs, fiber isn’t digested by your body. Instead, it passes relatively intact through your stomach, small intestine and colon and out of your body. (mayoclinic.org)
Fiber is commonly classified as soluble, which dissolves in water, or insoluble, which doesn’t dissolve. (mayoclinic.org)
Soluble fiber. This type of fiber dissolves in water to form a gel-like material. It can help lower blood cholesterol and glucose levels. Soluble fiber is found in oats, peas, beans, apples, citrus fruits, carrots, barley and psyllium. (mayoclinic.org)
Insoluble fiber. This type of fiber promotes the movement of material through your digestive system. It increases stool bulk, benefiting those with constipation or irregular stools. Whole-wheat flour, wheat bran, nuts, beans and vegetables, such as cauliflower, green beans and potatoes, are good sources of insoluble fiber. (mayoclinic.org)
An eating plan that helps manage your weight includes a variety of healthy foods. Add an array of colors to your plate, and think of it as eating the rainbow. Dark, leafy greens, oranges, tomatoes even fresh herbs are loaded with vitamins, fiber, and minerals. Adding frozen peppers, broccoli, or onions to stews and omelets gives them a quick and convenient boost of color and nutrients. (cdc.gov)
Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products (cdc.gov)
Includes various protein foods such as seafood, lean meats and poultry, eggs, legumes (beans and peas), soy products, nuts, and seeds. (cdc.gov)
Five major food groups
The five food groups are:
- vegetables and legumes or beans
- fruit
- lean meats and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds, legumes or beans
- grain (cereal) foods, mostly whole grain or high cereal fiber varieties
- milk, yogurt, cheese or alternatives, mostly reduced fat.
Foods are grouped because they provide similar amounts of key nutrients. For example, the key nutrients of the milk, yogurt, cheese and alternatives group include calcium and protein, while the fruit group is a good source of vitamins, especially vitamin C.
Eating a varied, well-balanced diet means eating various foods from each of the five food groups in the recommended amounts daily. Because different foods provide different types and amounts of key nutrients, it is important to choose various foods from within each food group. As a bonus, choosing a variety of foods will help make your meals interesting so that you don’t get bored with your diet.
Source: betterhealth.vic.gov.au
Garlic plays a major role.
Most of us are familiar with garlic, the strong-smelling bulb frequently used in cooking. But you might not know that eating garlic may protect your heart from changes that lead to heart disease. (hopkinsmedicine.org)
As you age, some hardening of the arteries is normal. This is called atherosclerosis and occurs as fatty deposits made up of cholesterol and other substances build up inside your artery walls. Factors such as smoking, high blood pressure and high cholesterol can make it worse. As the build-up increases over time, the arteries narrow.
This can make you susceptible to heart attack strokes. Researchers have linked garlic intake with flexible blood vessels, especially in women. In addition, studies suggest that eating garlic may reduce cholesterol and triglycerides. (hopkinsmedicine.org)
Garlic is a key ingredient in the Mediterranean diet, an eating style that heart doctors often recommend. It can be used in any number of savory dishes. (hopkinsmedicine.org)
Meal tip: Pair fresh or powdered garlic with olive oil and pepper to flavor vegetables or use it with rosemary to make a tasty meat rub. You can sprinkle it in soups and salad dressings, too. (hopkinsmedicine.org)
You need only to view the movie Super Size Me to understand how foods impact the body. In the movie, the director Morgan Spurlock chronicles the adverse health outcomes he experienced from eating only fast food for several weeks. He not only gained weight but also experienced alarming metabolic changes that put him at risk for heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension. (takingcharge.csh.umn.edu)