What makes up a healthy diet? Is fat-free the way to go or should a person
avoid those no good carbohydrates so many fad diets say are the culprit to
being overweight? These are good
questions because the average person is bombarded hourly with some sort of
image depicting these claims along with testimonials from famous or not-so-famous
people telling others what worked for them.
So let us look into what makes up a healthy diet, as well as what
obstacles a person might need to overcome to make it a reality.
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A healthy diet is one that includes all
the food groups in balance with one another.
This means that all foods are good and beneficial in the right
amounts. No, a person should not live on
bread alone nor should an individual solely eat fruits and vegetables. Oh yes, we have all heard of those high
protein diets too. Breaking this down
into something that it attainable is how a person can actually implement a
balanced diet.
According to wellness authors Anspaugh,
Hamrick, and Rosato (2011) and Sizer and Whitney (2014), one’s daily dietary
intake, their diet, should include around three to four cups each of fresh
fruits and vegetables or one and a half cups if cooked, pureed, or frozen
because they are more compressed. This
may seem like a lot, but that would be roughly one medium size orange and a
banana, in addition to 20 mini carrots, a few stalks of celery, and a cup of
raw spinach (Lewis, Smith, Taylor, & Coe, 2001). These are all very attainable amounts and one
salad can supply a day’s worth of fresh vegetables. Eat some fruit for breakfast and afternoon
snack and you have your body’s daily need for fruit too.
Picture source: ( http://www.mcdonalds.ca/content/dam/Canada/en/product_pages/Salads/hero/hero_teriyaki-salad.png)
Now onto something a little more filling like
lean meats for your body’s daily protein needs.
An egg for breakfast can supply one ounce of protein and a half of an
exchange of fat and if combined with a piece of whole grain bread with a
tablespoon of peanut butter that adds another ounce each of carbohydrates,
protein, and fat (Lewis et al., 2001).
This well-rounded breakfast enjoyed with a half a cup of fresh orange
juice will provide one’s body with a balance of foods from four of the six main
energy needs. The aforementioned meal of
a nice salad topped with some cut up lean turkey or ham and a cup of yogurt
will make for a great lunch and include a day’s worth of vegetables and one
serving of milk or dairy.
Picture source (http://www.likecool.com/Body/Food/EVE%20egg%20and%20MO%20Peanut%20butter%20sandwich/EVE-egg-and-MO-Peanut-butter-sandwich-1.jpg)
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Depending on a person’s age and weight,
as well as their activity level will determine how much of each of the six food
groups a person should consume. Each
person needs fat, protein, fruits, vegetables, grains, and dairy to get all the
necessary vitamins, minerals, and energy for their body to function at its
peak. Consuming in one category and
ignoring the others will leave the body deficient in some form.
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Obstacles come in many forms for
someone trying to eat a balanced, nutritious diet. Some have years of bad habits and lifestyle
choices to relearn or discard. Others
have family and friends telling him/her it is a waste of time or that it is too
hard. Lastly, some have limited resources,
understanding, and time. Each person has
24 hours in a day. How efficient a
person is with their time is a huge factor in eating healthy. For example, a person can watch a 30-minute
television show in the evening or make a salad they are going to take to work
for lunch the next day. Others might
choose to make a little extra in their evening meal and put the leftovers in small
containers to take to work or school for lunch.
This one simple trick does not have to take any extra time, but it does
take planning. Planning or managing one’s
time is a huge obstacle for people to becoming healthy eaters, but it does not
have to be if one will learn simple methods of how to do two things at one time
like making extra for the next day.
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Another obstacle might be resources
like finances or understanding. There is
an abundance of free information on the Internet or flyers at grocery stores
that if one wants to learn the information is available. Take and use what has been provided rather
than walking by or not utilizing the abundance of information at one’s
fingertips.
A major obstacle is retraining our
minds to want to eat healthier and then choosing healthy foods not by our mind’s
cravings, but rather by what our bodies long for in nutritious foods mentioned
earlier. For parents who prepare the
food they have the capacity to shape their children’s habits, thus if a parent
models for their child they can change their present situation, as well as
theirs’ and their child’s future. That
is a big impact.
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One’s social network has a large
influence and sometimes this can be an obstacle. This affects many things beyond one’s food
choices. In regards to this, it comes
down to doing what is best for oneself and each person makes his/her own
choices. No one shoves food in a person’s
mouth or makes them stop at a fast-food restaurant. Taking responsibility for one’s choices is
the bottom line and I will say it again, again, and again. If a person fails to plan then they plan to
fail. Take healthy snacks in the car
when traveling such a beef jerky, nuts, mini carrots, apples, and so
forth. Plan ahead for each day and be
prepared for what lies ahead. This way a
person can run their life instead of their life running them.
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References
Anspaugh, D. J., Hamrick, M. H., & Rosato, F. D. (2011). Wellness: Concepts and applications (8th
ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Lewis, C., Smith, K., Taylor, N., & Coe, D. (2001). First place: Member’s Guide. Ventura, CA:
Gospel Light.
Sizer, F. &
Whitney, E. (2014). Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies (13th
ed.). Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.
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