DIET

Diet which contains 80% to a good health is the amount of food we consume and the word diet often implies the use of specific intake of nutrition for health or weight-management reasons. Dietary habits are the habitual decisions an individual or culture makes when choosing what foods to eat. This may be due to personal tastes or ethical reasons. Individual dietary choices may be more or less healthy.

Proper nutrition requires ingestion and absorption of vitamins, minerals, and food energy in the form of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Balanced Diet plays a significant role in the quality of life, health and longevity. It can be define as consumption of all the classes of food in the right proportion.

When we remove the “T” at end of the word “DIET” it means DIE which implies that most people actually eat to die and not live, that’s why it is very necessary we balance our diet always

WHAT MAKES A BALANCED DIET?

A balanced diet means getting the right types and amounts of foods and drinks to supply nutrition and energy for maintaining body cells, tissues, and organs, and for supporting normal growth and development.

World Health Organization (WHO) uses an illustration called the CHAIN OF LIFE to represent this

Among these six nutrients, which one do we eat more?

The answer: Carbohydrates and protein. Our diet lacks the other four nutrients.

Among the six nutrients, which one is more important? LIPIDS and STEROLS

Lipids and Sterols feed our cells and make it more permeable for nutrients.

Example of healthy cell with lipid and sterols

Nutrients gets in and waste gets out easily

Example of unhealthy cell without lipid and sterols

Nutrients can't get in and waste can't get out either 

There are certain things a healthy cell contain that actually makes it healthy while there certain things unhealthy cells also contains that makes it unhealthy

Percentage as to how we should take these nutrients

Fat and Carbohydrate (Sugar)        -           5%

Proteins                                              -           15%

Fruits & Vegetables                          -           30%

Whole Grains                                     -           50%

Below is a healthy food pyramid

Fats and Carbohydrate

Eat little because it is dangerous to health. The end product of carbohydrate is Sugar

Many people believe that weight gain is mainly due to eating too many carbohydrates.  In fact, people gain weight because they eat too many calories, which is not the same thing: calories come from carbohydrates (4 calories per gram), proteins (4 calories per gram) and fats (9 calories per gram). Most people consume too many refined carbohydrates such as white bread. We tend to eat more of this because of the fact that its more cheaper and easier to get.

Eating simple carbohydrates such as cake, candy and chocolate causes the body to experience rapidly fluctuating glucose levels. Studies have shown that these sudden changes in glucose can make you feel hungrier faster than normal. The increase in appetite can also cause overeating at the next meal; studies suggest calorie intake increases by 150 to 500 calories after glucose fluctuations. Eating too many carbohydrates can contribute to weight gain. In a normal diet, carbohydrates are broken down in the body and used as energy. Any excess carbohydrates are stored as blood glucose. Your body can only hold so much glucose, so once your glucose store is maximized, the excess glucose is converted to fat, and unwanted weight begins to appear.

Beyond the issues of weight gain, appetite control, and energy levels lie serious health concerns associated with eating too many. Insulin is the hormone in the body that is used to control glucose levels after eating carbohydrates. Insulin resistance occurs when the body is so flooded with insulin that the body becomes immune to insulin levels. This causes the body to think that it needs more insulin. As the body continues to produce excess insulin, the excess is stored in the blood, which can lead to Type 2 Diabetes. Other effects of insulin resistance can include high cholesterol and high blood pressure. There are no outward symptoms of insulin resistance, but a blood glucose test can be used to determine if someone is insulin resistant.

Although eating carbohydrates in excess can be damaging to your health, it's important to keep in mind that healthy sources of carbohydrates, such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables are an important part of a balanced diet.

In addition, while there may be good reason to prevent rapid rises in blood sugar, especially for people with diabetes, simpler advice includes avoiding refined carbohydrates and empty calorie foods, and consuming plenty of fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains.  Simpler advice also includes limiting calories and portion sizes if weight control is your goal.  In short, you can eat a healthy diet without ever having to consult a nutritionist.

Protein

Eat little: protein has high cholesterol which is dangerous to health.

Health Benefits

Proteins are the building blocks of any living organism. They are composed of chains of 20 different kinds of amino acids. Proteins constitute life in the form of enzymes, antibodies, hormones, hair, nail, bone, teeth, hemoglobin (blood protein), neurotransmitters, skin or as the basic components of any cell in our body.

Proteins are indispensable for growth and maintenance of every kind of cell in our body. Body development, replenishment of lost blood, healing of wounds and scars, replacement of dead cells, and hair and nail growth need proteins. Proteins in the form of enzymes, hormones and antibodies promote healthy metabolic and physiological processes, and boost our nervous and immunity systems. In situations when fat and carbohydrate food sources are not providing adequate calories, proteins are degraded to generate the calories our body needs.

The 8 essential amino acids that we need to intake through our diet

Tryptophan

Helps with the production of serotonin, promoting health sleeping patterns; combats depression, stabilizes mood, alleviates stress, assists weight control and aids in the control of hyperactivity in children.

Lysine

Essential for bone growth and development (especially in children), maintains the body’s nitrogen balance, assists in absorption of calcium, helps to produce enzymes, hormones and antibodies and aids the recovery of surgical procedures and sporting injuries.

Methionine

A great antioxidant, which aids digestion, muscle strength and helps to prevent brittle hair and fat build up in the liver and arteries.

Valine

Maintains the body’s nitrogen balance and helps with tissue repair and muscle metabolism.

Leucine

Helps to repair damage to the skin, bones and muscles, and therefore a great aid to recovery after undergoing surgery.

Isoleucine

Delivers energy to the muscles.

Threonine

Another amino acid that hinders the build up of fats in the liver; it also helps your body to sustain the correct balance of protein.

Phenylalanine

Synthesizes the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinepthrine, which help us to stay alert; phenylalanine improves mood, memory and learning capacity, helps to alleviate pain and also acts as an appetite suppressant.

Sources of Protein

CHOLESTEROL

We all know that protein is supposed to be good for us, but what does it do exactly? Protein is essential for a balanced diet, because it builds muscle and collagen. According to the director of health promotion & communication at Harvard University, Dr. Lilian Cheung, protein is the building block of enzymes, hormones, immune factors and many other molecules that are critical to the body. Harvard’s online magazine, Nutrition Source, states, “Adults need a minimum of one gram of protein for every kilogram of body weight per day to keep from slowly breaking down their own tissues.

Back in 1983, researchers first discovered that eating more protein increases your "glomerular filtration rate," or GFR. Think of GFR as the amount of blood your kidneys are filtering per minute. From this finding, many scientists made the leap that a higher GFR places your kidneys under greater stress.

This goes to red meat lovers as well as for fish fanatics and egg enthusiasts: because a healthy diet doesn't have to be restricted to chicken breasts and grain burgers. Grilling a lean slab of beef tenderloin without heavy sauce or greasy sides is a good way to get protein. And though eggs have been frowned upon in the past, they can actually be a good addition to a diet, as long as the yolk, which contains the bulk of fat and cholesterol is removed

Here are few examples of what we are talking about 

Your body makes cholesterol, and you get it also when you eat eggs, meats, and dairy products. When you have more than your body needs, cholesterol can cause plaque to build up in your arteries. This thick, hard plaque can clog your arteries like a blocked pipe. Reduced blood flow can lead to a stroke or heart attack.

Cholesterol Hazards to the body

If there is a clog in a coronary artery, your heart gets too little blood and oxygen. Without enough oxygen, your heart becomes weak and damaged. If the plaque breaks open, a blood clot may form on top of the buildup, further blocking blood flow and a blood clot can also break off and flow to an artery in another part of the body. If a clot completely blocks an artery feeding your heart, you have a heart attack.Plaque buildup can also keep your brain from getting enough blood and oxygen. If a clot completely blocks an artery feeding your brain, you have a stroke