We are learning more and more about the ways we can live our lives to the fullest, which includes living a healthy lifestyle.
It is essential to make sure that we get plenty of exercise every day, at least a half an hour, and a healthy diet is also important.
Often, we do not always get the foods we need, for many different reasons.
We are too busy to cook.
We are too busy to sit down to a healthy meal.
It's easier to grab take-out on the way home.
Sure, it is alright to have a greasy, unhealthy treat now and again, but having a normally healthy diet is the best way to make sure that you are not going to be a high risk for many health conditions, including heart disease and diabetes.
A Good Diet Is the Key to Good Health It is important that we all follow a healthy diet, one that is well-balanced and provides us with all of the vitamins and nutrients that we need.
There are three macronutrients that play an essential role in our survival, carbohydrates, fats and proteins.
There are many health organizations, including the American Diabetes Association and the American Heart Association, that recommend that typical adults follow a diet that is made up of 50% carbohydrates, 15% fats, and 35% proteins, or numbers that are similar.
There are obviously cases where these numbers need to be significantly different, such as in the case of those with certain medical conditions, children, and women who are pregnant or nursing.
Carbohydrates - We need carbohydrates, because they are the main source of energy for our bodies.
There are two types of carbohydrates, simple and complex and it important that we get the complex carbs in our diets rather than the simple ones, which come from white sugar and flour.
Simple carbs are the carbohydrates that can cause spikes in blood sugar levels, which can lead to many health complications.
Simple carbs are stored as fat rather than burned as energy, so they are often responsible for weight gain.
Complex carbohydrates, on the other hand do not cause these blood sugar spikes, because they are broken down more slowly by the liver and they work with our bodies and not against them.
Some of the complex carbohydrate foods that are great for diets and great tasting include whole grains.
You can also use dietary supplements to get all of the good carbohydrates you need in your diet.
Fats - Believe it or not, even though it is supposed to be a leading cause of obesity, we do need fat in our daily diets.
It just needs to be good fat, which is either monounsaturated or polyunsaturated.
Bad fats, or hydrogenated/saturated fats, are fats that become solid at room temperature, while good fats have omega 3 fatty acids, which aid in good heart health.
Some excellent dietary sources of good fats are oils, nuts, and avocados, just to name a few.
Protein - Protein is another source of energy and plays a role in just about every function of the body.
Our hair and even our fingernails are made from protein.
Protein is necessary for the health and maintenance of our muscles and other soft tissues.
And protein plays a vital role in every function of our bodies.
There are two sources of protein, plants and animals.
Animal proteins contain all of the essential amino acids, while plant proteins do not, with the exception of soy.
But, it is also important to make sure that you are not getting too much protein in your diet.
Too much protein can actually do more harm than good and can lead to such health conditions as kidney and gall stones.
There are many great dietary sources of protein and it can be also found in supplements, including those that have whey, which is a complete protein, having all of the essential and non-essential amino acids that make up protein.
Essential Amino Acids - These are amino acids that the body needs to have, but is unable to create on its own.
Therefore, they must come from healthy dietary sources, or supplements, including ones that contain whey.
The eight essential amino acids are leucine, isoleucine, lysine, threonine, tryptophan, valine, methionine, and phenylalanine.
Non-Essential Amino Acids - There are 14 non-essential amino acids that we need to have for good health and the body is able to produce them, so it is not necessary to obtain them from dietary sources.
The 14 non-essential amino acids are: alanine, arginine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, cystine, proline, serine, taurine, glutamine, tyrosine, ornathine, glutamic acid, and glycene.
Using Protein Supplements If you are not getting the proper amount of protein in your diet, you may benefit from using protein supplements.
There are many types available, from liquids to powders to snacks to protein shots and they all do the same thing.
What you use just depends on your own personal preference and needs.
Protein powders are the most versatile form of protein supplement and there are all kinds that are made with whey.
Protein powders can be purchased in unflavored varieties, which are excellent for adding to all of your favorite recipes.
This gives you added protein and other nutrients, without changing the flavor or texture of your foods.
Or, you can use flavored protein powders to make delicious shakes and smoothies that make excellent meal replacements.
Remember, before beginning any diet, or taking any supplements, it should be first discussed with your physician, to make sure that you will be getting all of the nutrients you need.
After all, you are eating a healthy diet to be healthy and you certainly don't want to be eating foods that are going to be bad for your health.
Your physician will know exactly what you need, based on your health and medical history.
It is essential to make sure that we get plenty of exercise every day, at least a half an hour, and a healthy diet is also important.
Often, we do not always get the foods we need, for many different reasons.
We are too busy to cook.
We are too busy to sit down to a healthy meal.
It's easier to grab take-out on the way home.
Sure, it is alright to have a greasy, unhealthy treat now and again, but having a normally healthy diet is the best way to make sure that you are not going to be a high risk for many health conditions, including heart disease and diabetes.
A Good Diet Is the Key to Good Health It is important that we all follow a healthy diet, one that is well-balanced and provides us with all of the vitamins and nutrients that we need.
There are three macronutrients that play an essential role in our survival, carbohydrates, fats and proteins.
There are many health organizations, including the American Diabetes Association and the American Heart Association, that recommend that typical adults follow a diet that is made up of 50% carbohydrates, 15% fats, and 35% proteins, or numbers that are similar.
There are obviously cases where these numbers need to be significantly different, such as in the case of those with certain medical conditions, children, and women who are pregnant or nursing.
Carbohydrates - We need carbohydrates, because they are the main source of energy for our bodies.
There are two types of carbohydrates, simple and complex and it important that we get the complex carbs in our diets rather than the simple ones, which come from white sugar and flour.
Simple carbs are the carbohydrates that can cause spikes in blood sugar levels, which can lead to many health complications.
Simple carbs are stored as fat rather than burned as energy, so they are often responsible for weight gain.
Complex carbohydrates, on the other hand do not cause these blood sugar spikes, because they are broken down more slowly by the liver and they work with our bodies and not against them.
Some of the complex carbohydrate foods that are great for diets and great tasting include whole grains.
You can also use dietary supplements to get all of the good carbohydrates you need in your diet.
Fats - Believe it or not, even though it is supposed to be a leading cause of obesity, we do need fat in our daily diets.
It just needs to be good fat, which is either monounsaturated or polyunsaturated.
Bad fats, or hydrogenated/saturated fats, are fats that become solid at room temperature, while good fats have omega 3 fatty acids, which aid in good heart health.
Some excellent dietary sources of good fats are oils, nuts, and avocados, just to name a few.
Protein - Protein is another source of energy and plays a role in just about every function of the body.
Our hair and even our fingernails are made from protein.
Protein is necessary for the health and maintenance of our muscles and other soft tissues.
And protein plays a vital role in every function of our bodies.
There are two sources of protein, plants and animals.
Animal proteins contain all of the essential amino acids, while plant proteins do not, with the exception of soy.
But, it is also important to make sure that you are not getting too much protein in your diet.
Too much protein can actually do more harm than good and can lead to such health conditions as kidney and gall stones.
There are many great dietary sources of protein and it can be also found in supplements, including those that have whey, which is a complete protein, having all of the essential and non-essential amino acids that make up protein.
Essential Amino Acids - These are amino acids that the body needs to have, but is unable to create on its own.
Therefore, they must come from healthy dietary sources, or supplements, including ones that contain whey.
The eight essential amino acids are leucine, isoleucine, lysine, threonine, tryptophan, valine, methionine, and phenylalanine.
Non-Essential Amino Acids - There are 14 non-essential amino acids that we need to have for good health and the body is able to produce them, so it is not necessary to obtain them from dietary sources.
The 14 non-essential amino acids are: alanine, arginine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, cystine, proline, serine, taurine, glutamine, tyrosine, ornathine, glutamic acid, and glycene.
Using Protein Supplements If you are not getting the proper amount of protein in your diet, you may benefit from using protein supplements.
There are many types available, from liquids to powders to snacks to protein shots and they all do the same thing.
What you use just depends on your own personal preference and needs.
Protein powders are the most versatile form of protein supplement and there are all kinds that are made with whey.
Protein powders can be purchased in unflavored varieties, which are excellent for adding to all of your favorite recipes.
This gives you added protein and other nutrients, without changing the flavor or texture of your foods.
Or, you can use flavored protein powders to make delicious shakes and smoothies that make excellent meal replacements.
Remember, before beginning any diet, or taking any supplements, it should be first discussed with your physician, to make sure that you will be getting all of the nutrients you need.
After all, you are eating a healthy diet to be healthy and you certainly don't want to be eating foods that are going to be bad for your health.
Your physician will know exactly what you need, based on your health and medical history.
SHARE
