Healthy Eating Tips To Live Longer

When it comes to eating right, so many factors come into play. They include the age of the person, health condition and body weight. The bottom line is to eat the right amount of calories to balance energy consumed and energy use.

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Eating more than what the body needs leaders to obesity. The reverse is the case when the food consumed is less than what the body uses leading to loss of weight. Balance diet is achieved by consuming food from a variety of sources at the right amount. This is because no single food has all nutrients.

Food and health

Food Needed

Carbohydrates Or Starch

All foods are important but some are more important than others. Carbohydrates remain the key type of food we all need at all times. Carbohydrates or starch is converted to glucose in the body. It is this glucose combined with oxygen that provides the cells in the body with energy to do work.

Sources of carbohydrates are many and include potatoes, bread, rice, pasta and cereals. That does not mean that little carbohydrates cannot be found in other food sources. Just that they are more concentrated in some food.

Humans of all ages need at least one third of carbohydrates at any point in time in their diet. But a diabetes patient may need a reduced amount of carbohydrates.

Starchy foods don't cause fat as many people think. But it can lead to obesity.

Vitamin And Minerals

Vitamin and minerals are very vital for day to day activities. They boost the immune system to fight infection and support other life processes. Vitamin and minerals are abundant in vegetables and fruits. It is recommended that each meal should be added with one form of fruit or vegetable even if it is a small or a whole meal a day with mainly fruits or vegetables. A single banana sliced into a bowl of rice during breakfast, lunch and dinner is an example of what that means or a plate of salad during one of the meals.

Even though there are many products branded as a source of vegetable or fruit juice in the market, it is recommended that they should be used with caution because of their sugar content. Very few come without sugar.

Fat And Oil

Without doubt, there are countless warnings on the intake of fat or fatty food. However, very few explain the dangerous fat. There are two types of fats. They are the saturated and unsaturated fat.

Saturated fat is dangerous to health. Daily intake must be limited depending on the age. Too much saturated fat can lead to excess cholesterol in the body. Excess cholesterol can lead to different types of heart disease such as heart attack.

Saturated fats are common in many foods we found around. They include biscuits, pies, butter, sausages, etc.

Unsaturated fat is good for the body. They contain omega 3 which has a lot of benefits like heart health, bone health and eye health. Fish oil is a good source of unsaturated fat. Fish oil which is a good source of protein also provides omega 3 fats. Eat lean meat that has visible oil. Be careful of canned and smoked fish as they may contain high amounts of salt of which a high amount is bad to health.

Other sources of unsaturated fats include vegetable oil, avocado, etc.

Glucose And Sugar

Sugar is good. It has its own role in the body. But excess sugar is dangerous. How to determine when it is too much is not easy. Sugar is found in most food we eat. This means that it is possible to avoid direct consumption of sugar to meet daily needs. The best source of sugar is milk and fruit. Avoid free sugar in canned drinks and other sources. If need be, any product with more than 22.5g of total sugar in 100g is too high and must be avoided. Sugar content of less than 5g in 100g is low and good. Avoiding sugar reduces chances of obesity and diabetes and prevents tooth decay.

Salt

Salt is one common ingredient in food sold out there. Too low will lead to hypotension and too high lead to hypertension. Hypersensitive is the leading cause of many cardiovascular diseases in the world. It is recommended that a daily intake of salt should not exceed 6g (1 teaspoon) of salt. A product with more than 1.5g in 100g of salt is too much. Since many foods contain salt, we should take salt with caution.

Water

This discussion cannot be completed without mentioning water. So many philosophers and wise men all around the world from time past and now have always sung its praises. Water is good for many things including rehydration of humans. Water is the most important vehicle in the body transporting nutrients and drugs from one part of the body to another. Dehydration means that most parts of the body will not get adequate nutrition.

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It is recommended that 6-8 glasses of water should be consumed a day. This includes water from food consumed.

Take Home

Exercise

Exercise is not food. But exercise plays a crucial role in diet. Exercise increases the heart rate enhancing pumping of nutrients in food to various parts of the body. It also reduces obesity which is one of the leading causes of diabetes. Body mass index (BMI) should be monitored. Low BMI does not exclude one from exercise. The type of exercise suitable for a high BMI person will not be the same for one with low BMI.