Monday, February 28, 2011

Balanced Diet

What is a balanced diet? A balanced diet is a food preparation which provides complete nutrients as well as supplies carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and fiber in their normal proportions. It is the basis for all diet modifications.


This dietary management is also prescribed to person with Dental Caries, Vomiting, Glomerulonephritis, Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid, Simple goiter, Vitamin A Deficiency.


Some Tips for a Healthy Diet

  • Eat 3 meals a day instead of frequent ones or eating between meals.
  • Establish a regular eating habit.
  • Eat a heavy breakfast, a moderate lunch, and a light supper.
  • Eat food of the right kind, at the right time and interval, in the right amount, and in the right condition of mind (eating in a relaxed atmosphere is ideal).
  • Have at least a 5-hour interval between meals for digestion to be efficient. Last meal of the day should be taken at least 3 hours before sleeping.
  • Eat more fresh fruits instead of rich desserts.
  • Eat at least one serving of green leafy vegetables a day.
  • Eat more unrefined, unprocessed foods.
  • Avoid tea, coffee, alcoholic and carbonated beverages (soft drinks).
  • Include a variety of foods each meal.
  • Take time to enjoy your food. Do not hurry.

Note: For List of Foods which are Allowed and Not Allowed for a Healthy Balanced Diet See Balanced Diet Food Selection Guide


The Food Pyramid

The food pyramid shows five major food groups and the proportions they have to contribute if your diet is to be balanced. Although the number of exchanges recommended varies from group to group, no single food group is more important than any other. There is emphasis on the nutrient differences of fruits and vegetables and the importance of eating foods from each food group.


How to Balance Your Diet

The correct and specific number of daily servings for you depends on how many calories you need to maintain your optimum or ideal body weight. For example, if you are inactive and not quite tall, choose the smaller number of exchanges for each food group. If you are very active or quite tall, choose the large number of exchanges in each group.


Each person’s body is different and consequently body needs for food vary from person to person. However you may need more or less calories (food energy) depending on your age, sex, size, activity level and medical condition.


Only your physician can tell exactly what your medical condition is and what diet you actually need. Consult your nutritionist-dietitian for a dietary plan just for you.


Indeed, good nutrition or good health is always known to be very important in order to avoid various diseases. Thus, it is our responsibility to keep ourselves healthy for our own benefits.



Reference: Healing Wonders of Diet Effective Guide to Diet Therapy p.78 and p.222-223 © 2003 Philippine Publishing House ISBN 971-581-013-6

High-Calorie Diet (Gaining Weight Diet)

A high-calorie diet or up-building or high-carbohydrate diet allows food and drink with an energy value of 50 to 100 percent above the calorie requirement or above the actual food intake. The increase is based on the body’s need of energy reflected in your doctor’s diet prescription.


This dietary management is good for Cancer, Infection, Underweight.


Healthy Tips to Gain Weight

  • Increase total food intake by making bigger servings or adding snacks to make a high-calorie diet.
  • Eat between meals if you are not used to eating much during regular mealtimes.
  • Choose nutritious and wholesome foods or snacks.
  • Choose nutritious drinks like fruit juices, fruit shakes, milk and milk shakes. Avoid coffee, tea, alcoholic beverages, and soft drinks.
  • Make food presentation and table setting more appealing and nice.
  • Consider tips on how to improve appetite.
  • Establish a regular eating habit.
  • Eat a heavy breakfast, moderate lunch, and a lighter supper.
  • Eat food of the right kind, at the right interval, in the right amount, and in the right condition of mind. Eating in a relaxed atmosphere is ideal.
  • Have at least 5-hour interval between meals for digestion to be efficient. Last meal of the day should be taken at least 3 hours before sleeping.
  • Eat more fresh fruits.
  • Eat at least one serving of dark green leafy vegetables a day.
  • Eat more unrefined, unprocessed foods.
  • Include a variety of foods each meal.
  • Take time to enjoy your food. Do not hurry.

Note: For List of Foods which are Allowed and Not Allowed for High-Calorie Diet See High-Calorie Diet Food Selection Guide


Helpful Tips for Improving Your Appetite

  1. Understand the reason why you need to eat.
  1. Eat most during times when you feel best.
  1. Use foods that are easy to prepare and eat.
  1. Eat smaller meals.
  1. Don’t drink liquid with meals.
  1. Use nutritious liquids between meals.
  1. Plan for variety.
  1. Try or taste new, unfamiliar foods.


Reference: Healing Wonders of Diet Effective Guide to Diet Therapy p.102 and p.246 © 2003 Philippine Publishing House ISBN 971-581-013-6

Friday, February 25, 2011

Underweight

There are various things that can greatly affect our health. It is believed that a person who is healthy, which means a person have the desirable body weight, lives longer and enjoys the quality of life in older age. On the other hand, a person’s health may be at risk if he or she doesn’t achieve his or her required body weight.  


Underweight is a condition wherein the body weight is more than 10% below the desirable body weight. Underweight or undernutrition predisposes an individual to infectious diseases.


Probable Causes

  • Inadequate food intake
  • Poor quality of food choices
  • Poor absorption of food eaten
  • Poor utilization of food eaten
  • Irregular eating habits
  • Wasting disease such as pulmonary tuberculosis
  • Stress
  • Worry
  • Anorexia nervosa (See Gastritis)
  • Cancer
  • Endocrine disturbance (hyperthyroidism) See Iodine Deficiency
  • Fever


Probable Symptoms

  • Weight is more than 10% below desirable body weight
  • Pallor (Paleness)
  • Lowered resistance to infection


Helpful Dietary Management

  1. Identify and treat the root cause of undereating or weight loss. This is necessary if one has to gain maximum benefits from dietary management.
  1. Eat an up-building diet (high in calories, moderate in fat, providing vitamins and minerals at optimum level). See High-Calorie Diet
  1. Give special attention to B vitamins because they increase appetite and improve digestion.
  1. Increase amount of food to be given gradually to avoid stomach upset and spells of discouragement.
  1. Start with small frequent feedings including concentrated sources of calories then gradually adjust to serving 3 regular meals per day.

Because of the increasing rate of obesity and overweight problems, weight loss has been given more importance than weight gain. Although obesity and overweight are identified as risk factor for chronic problems, underweight must also be given emphasis and must be addressed seriously as it can make a person more susceptible to infectious disease.

Reference: Healing Wonders of Diet Effective Guide to Diet Therapy p.70-71 © 2003 Philippine Publishing House ISBN 971-581-013-6

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Weight Loss Diet and Tips

There are various ways to help you lose weight and to stay healthy. Like any other goals, the key to succeed is to possess the right qualities.


Weight loss or reducing diet follows the principles of eating a variety of foods with essential nutrients but with the goal of effecting weight loss. The diet is low in calories, low in fat but high in complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates are fiber-rich foods such as vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.


Weight loss should be gradual to minimize the tendency to get sick. The extent of acceptable calorie restriction is determined by your physician or nutritionist-dietitian. This dietary management is good for Congestive Heart Failure, Hypertension, Overweight and Obesity.


Weight Loss Tips

  • Consult a licensed nutritionist-dietitian before trying to reduce your weight. He (or she) knows when you need to reduce, how much weight you need to lose, how you should lose extra weight and what your specific nutrients are.
  • Choose low-calorie foods. Avoid sweets, cakes (especially those with icing), ice cream, sweet desserts, candies, pies, and chocolates.
  • Avoid tea, coffee, and alcohol. Alcoholic drinks are high-calorie beverages.
  • Avoid milk shakes, chocolate drinks, soft drinks, sweetened juices.
  • Increase fiber intake. This will make you feel full without gaining too much calories since fiber is bulky. It is also the weight controller’s best friend. Eat more leafy vegetables, whole grains, and fruits. See High-Fiber Diet.
  • Choose legumes, fish, poultry, and veal which contain less fat and cholesterol than pork and beef.
  • Cook foods plainly. Avoid butter or fattening sauces.
  • Eat regularly. Never skip any meal especially breakfast.
  • Avoid in-between meals. Drink water instead.
  • Eat good breakfast and lunch but have a light supper. If you plan to skip meal, choose supper instead of breakfast.
  • Exercise regularly.
  • Keep a record of your weight. Weight loss about 1 to 2 pounds a week is safe and considered reasonable.
  • Determine to lose weight!

Furthermore, it takes positive thinking, discipline, persistence, and patience if you really want to achieve positive results especially in losing weight. If you have all these qualities, then it is never impossible to lose weight and stay healthy as well!



Reference: Healing Wonders of Diet Effective Guide to Diet Therapy p.137-138 © 2003 Philippine Publishing House ISBN 971-581-013-6

Overweight and Obesity

The cases for being overweight and obese are increasing every year, from kids, teens, young adults, to adults. This can be affected mainly on the kinds of foods and drinks that we intake, and the type of physical activity that we do in our daily routine.


Most of the time, some of us might eat more of “unhealthy foods” or drink “high-calorie drinks”, while having less physical activities, of which could result to being overweight or worst, to being obese.


Overweight refers to overheaviness. It is applied to a person whose weight is 10% to 20% above the desirable body weight. Obesity is a condition in which body weight is more than 20% above the desirable body weight, marked by excess body fat often resulting in a significant impairment of health.


Probable Causes

  • Faulty eating habits such as bedtime snacking
  • Overeating
  • Inactivity (decreased energy expenditure)
  • Endocrinal disorder
  • Drug action effect


Probable Symptoms

  • Overweight. Weight is 10% above the desirable body weight. Body fat percentage is more than 15% for men and more 25% for women.
  • Obesity. Weight is 20% above desirable body weight. Body fat percentage is above 20% for men and above 30% for women.


Helpful Dietary Management

  1. Modify diet if the cause of obesity is a faulty diet. Only a small percentage of all obesity cases is non-dietary in nature.
  1. Manage overweight and obesity using a 3-stemmed program consisting a sound dietary management, exercise or physical activity, and behavior modification.
  1. Have a diet low in calories, low in fat and high in complex carbohydrates if reducing weight. See Reducing Diet (Weight Loss Diet and Tips)
  1. Take a daily food allowances in 3 regular meals with breakfast as the heaviest and supper, the lightest.
  1. Omit supper but not breakfast if ever skipping a meal is desired! Allow a 5-hour interval between meals, and less than 3 hours from the last meal to bedtime.
  1. Never snack just before bedtime. It is a major offense.
  1. Drink from 6 to 8 glasses of pure water everyday. Drink in between meals.See The Importance of Water.
  1. Lose weight gradually but consistently until you reach a desirable weight.

Overweight and obesity are the two common problems in the world that may sometimes be neglected and not taken seriously by some people. It can endanger our health and can result to various health problems. However, when you choose the road to healthy living, it can develop not just your health but your quality of life as you grow older as well.



Reference: Healing Wonders of Diet Effective Guide to Diet Therapy p.68-69 © 2003 Philippine Publishing House ISBN 971-581-013-6

Friday, February 18, 2011

Know What You are Drinking! (The Importance of Water)

Many folks watching their diets in order to lose weight overlook what they are drinking. This is a fairly common oversight because weight loss diets focus primarily on solid food. The by-product of this oversight is a disregard for the considerable calories found in the beverages people drink. 


Soft Drinks give you More Calories!

If one were to consume a typical 12-ounce can of soda or bottle of soft drink (not the sugar-free variety, of course) every single day for a year, it would mean ingesting a total of almost 44,000 calories over the same period. Translation: he or she would have to burn off the equivalent of 12 extra pounds in the course of that year. Thus, you may really want to think twice about supersizing it—because that is exactly what will happen to you—you'll go big!


If soft drinks are your first beverage choice and you can't seem to shake the habit, at least switch to diet soft drinks—it can make a difference. Nowadays, they are blended to taste just like the sweetened variety. 


Pre-sweetened Juices and Iced Teas 

The sweetened variety of juices is very common, very popular, and very available. And they are much more calorie-laden than their unsweetened counterparts. Iced teas, on the other hand, is always a favorite all year long. But stay away from the pre-sweetened teas!


Make sure you select 100 percent fruit juice and not "juice" drinks that are artificially sweetened. Try diluting fruit juice with sparkling water for a bubbling and naturally filling effect. 


Sports Drinks

Increasingly popular sports drinks can be split into three major types.  
  • Isotonic sports drinks contain proportions of water and other nutrients similar to the human body's, and typically are six to eight percent sugar.
  • Hypertonic sports drinks contain a lesser proportion of water and greater proportion of sugar than what's found in the body.  
  • Hypotonic sports drinks, on the other hand, contain greater proportion of water and a lesser proportion of sugar than the human body's.
Most sports drinks are moderately hypertonic, having between 13 and 19 grams of sugar per eight-ounce serving. So as much as possible, avoid sports drinks unless anticipating vigorous activity. They contain sugar which, if not dispelled in the form of expended energy, will translate into additional calorie intake. 


The Importance of Water 

For any weight loss program or regimen, it's no-brainer that the beverage of choice is water.  
  • Water is fat-free, sugar-free, and carbohydrate-free and therefore calorie-free
  • It also acts as a natural appetite suppressant (because it is filling), increases our body's fat burning ability and helps our body function at optimal level.
  • Water helps to regulate body temperature, lubricate our joints, and maintain healthy skin.
  • Water is essential for proper digestion, for transporting nutrients, and for removing waste from our body. 

And if one were to drink the recommended 8-12 glasses of water a day, the space in our digestive tracks and stomach—not to mention our over-appetites—would be compromised.


If you aren't natural water drinker and "need" to have flavored fluids, try adding a twist of lime or lemon to your water for extra zing. And keep a pitcher of "water with a twist" in your refrigerator. Cutting up and squeezing fresh fruit into water can add enough flavor to become an incentive to drink more water. 


So, make sure to think before you drink especially when you are on a diet or if you want to lose weight. (For more tips on weight loss, see Weight Loss Diet and Tips.)




Reference: Healthy Lifestyle & Living enrich Volume 2 Issue 9 April 2009. “Think Before You Drink” p. 22-24. Retrieved 18 February 2011.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

The Benefits of Nuts

I really did not know how nutritious these various kinds of nuts are until I read it from “Enrich (Healthy Lifestyle and Living)” magazine way back. So, I am sharing this information to all of you to better understand what “nuts” are as well as, how healthy and nutritious they can be!


Nut is a general term for large, dry, oily seeds, or can be fruits, of certain plants. It is important to point out that not all seeds are nuts but that all nuts are seeds. Plus nuts, as both seed and fruit, cannot be separated.


But, did you know that these “peanuts” are theoretically not nuts? Well, peanuts are legumes, but since they are seeds and very much resemble nuts, they are also considered nuts. But in reality, peanuts are legumes disguised as nuts; they’re actually more akin to peas, beans, and lentils.


Nutritional and Health Values

Studies have shown conclusively that consuming nuts on a regular basis can:


Most Scientists believe this is because nuts are high in their Omega 3 fatty acid profiles. Studies have consistently shown that can contribute to a reduced risk of heart disease due to their favorable influence on blood cholesterol levels. Specifically, the unsaturated fats found in nuts can improve blood cholesterol levels, especially when substituted for foods high in saturated fat such as meat and cheese.


Other beneficial heart-healthy nutrients found in nuts include:

  • B Vitamins;
  • Potassium;
  • Copper;
  • Magnesium;
  • Vitamin E;
  • Fiber;
  • Arginine (an amino acid that helps relax blood vessels); and
  • Sterols (helps lower cholesterol)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows most nuts to carry the “qualified” health claim that 1.5 ounces of nuts a day may help reduce the risk of heart disease. Consuming nuts, particularly almonds, pecans, peanuts, and walnuts, may significantly lower total cholesterol and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol.


For people who don’t eat meat or are looking for meat alternatives, nuts are a good source of plant protein. The USDA counts nuts in the “meat and bean” group of its food pyramid.


However, while nuts may be healthful, don’t go overboard. One small handful (about 1 ounce) can contribute an average of 175 calories to your calorie intake! Nuts can be a great snack—if you keep your portions in line. The fiber, protein, and fat found in nuts can help you feel full until your next meal.


Nuts generally have high in oil content and are high source of energy. Since nuts contain oil, it is important not to overeat them because large portions of these nuts could lead to weight gain. Likewise, and just as importantly, nuts are cholesterol-free and hardly have a trace of Sodium. So, most nuts are healthy for you.


So what are the various kinds of nuts? 


These are: walnuts, pistachios, and almonds—which are edible seeds of dupe fruits; chestnuts, cashews, Brazil nuts, macadamias, peanuts, pecan nuts, and pine nuts; and the unique taste of pili nut, and the biggest and most productive nut of them all—the coconut.


By equal weight comparisons, Macadamia nuts have the most calories (205) and chestnuts have the least (70) per ounce, while walnuts are the richest in alpha-linolenic acid and heart-healthy omega 3 fatty acids.


Coconut—the world’s most wonderful and healthy nut without question.



Thus, let’s not forget them as they are a large part of the healthy lifestyle that we all want to achieve and live.





Reference: Healthy Lifestyle & Living enrich Volume 2 Issue 9 April 2009. “Nuts About Nuts” p. 60-63. Retrieved 17 February 2011.

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Live Healthy. Be Wealthy.

One of the most widespread sayings that has been used over the years is "Health is wealth". It explicates that a person’s good health is greatly important more than anything else.


A good well-being is in fact, one of the most valuable wealth that a person may possess. A true treasure that needs to be well taken cared of. An individual who has good health can also acquire abundance of wealth in the most indispensable way. 


No matter how wealthy a person may be, no amount of money can buy good health. Riches can never be cherished or can turn out to be worthless without good health.


How to Live Healthy?

Protecting and taking care of our health can be the best gift that we can give to ourselves. And having a good and healthy lifestyle takes every person to maximize every opportunity and allows each individual to living life to the fullest.   


In order to live a healthy lifestyle, it doesn’t necessarily require a person to have extreme changes of activities. Making small changes in how you live each day can truly make a difference.


Here are the basic guidelines to help you achieve and maintain good health:


Eat a Healthy and Balanced Diet 


Eating a healthy and balanced diet is one way of attaining healthy lifestyle. It is not only responsible for weight management, but it is also responsible for developing both your health and quality of life as you grow older. A balanced diet must include carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, salts, and fiber. It must have these types of foods in the proper and accurate ratios. Eating more fruits and vegetables than those fatty and junk foods can truly help you maintain good health.   


Exercise Regularly and Keep Moving


Eating healthy foods and doing exercise regularly can help you attain good health. Even just adding a little more activity in your daily routine can help you burn those excess fats. If you spend most of your time sitting, find some time to get yourself moving. By simply adding some changes in your daily activities can help you: reduce stress and enhance self-esteem; reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes; etc. Exercise indeed can give lots of benefits on our body. So, if you want to gain these benefits—keep yourself moving!


Living a healthy lifestyle may be difficult to others, considering the demands of the type of environment that we have—whether at work, home, or society. It takes discipline and action if you want to achieve something—especially good health. Truly, a healthy individual has great potential to accomplish his or her goals and become wealthy in various ways, but a person in poor health may never have the chance to pursue and realize his or her dreams.