Food provides many functions within the human body. It gives us energy, provides us with essential nutrients, helps to maintain a healthy weight and enhances our concentration. Everyone has different preferences when it comes to food and these might change as you get older and have different influences in your life.
It is customary to class foods as either 'good' or 'bad' but this has led to the concept of 'junk food'. The healthy eating pyramid classifies food into three groups: eat most, eat moderately and use in small amounts. This is a useful guide to help manage your weight by eating the appropriate amounts of food from each group.
Japanese style California rolls
If you decide not to eat a certain food, you will generally crave it more. It is best to satisfy these cravings and enjoy all food in moderation.
Should I be taking vitamin supplements?
If you follow the guidelines for healthy eating, it is not necessary to take any supplements. If you feel your diet is inadequate (eg if you are a vegan) then consult your doctor.
What is metabolism?
Metabolism is the process in your body which controls how much energy you burn off during the day. If you have a high metabolism rate, you will burn up more energy than someone with a lower rate. The best way to start this process in your body is to eat an adequate breakfast in the morning, which will also improve your concentration for the rest of the day.
One way to increase your metabolism is to be active in the morning before you eat breakfast. After sleeping all night, your metabolism rate is low. It will only take a short period of time eg 10 minutes to increase your metabolism rate for the day. If you were to exercise later in the day, you will have eaten and it will take longer to burn off the fat. This way you will continue to burn up more energy/fat throughout the day and this effect can also curb your appetite.
Fad diets
These are diets that come in and out of fashion, depending on how the media is portraying it at the time. None of these diets are nutritionally balanced. They all claim to have rapid weight loss, while insisting that you avoid certain foods that are necessary to consume as part of a normal, well balanced eating plan.
These diets do not promote healthy eating habits and should be avoided. You should never even consider avoiding foods such as carbohydrates, which supply energy to your muscles, or protein, which plays an important function in the body's organs.
Vegetarian eating
Vegetarians do not consume certain types of animal protein in their diet. It is very important that they still receive the full range of nutrients, particularly iron and calcium. Therefore it would be wise to contact their GP for further advice or even a referral to a dietitian.
Water
The average person needs to drink 8 cups of water a day. This obviously needs to be increased if playing sport or in hot weather to prevent dehydration. Caffeine based drinks, such as cola, tea and coffee do not count as they are diuretics and force the kidneys to excrete more fluid than is consumed, thus causing dehydration.
How to lose weight and stay healthy
If you are trying to lose weight, you should be aiming to lose no more than 0.5-1kg per week. If you lose any more weight than this, you are not losing fat. What you are losing is fluid and lean body mass. You will not have as much energy to get you through the day and you will feel very lethargic and listless.
You can lose weight easily by following the healthy eating guidelines and being physically active for 30 minutes a day, 4-5 times a week. The type of physical activity includes walking, swimming, team sports or even walking your dog! You don't have to complete the activity all at once, you can break it up into three parts and do 10 minutes in the morning, at lunch time and then again around dinner time.
Remember, this can be a slow process for some people but gaining weight is just as slow - you don't notice the time going past because you enjoy eating.
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