There is no one type of balanced
diet, with a fixed amount of
fat, carbohydrate and protein,
that suits everyone. An elderly
person may need a different
balance of foods to that of a
teenager. Or an obese diabetic
may need a different type of
balanced diet to that of an
underweight athlete, and so on.
Also, tastes and digestive
preferences vary considerably.
Thus a healthy diet may take a
variety of different forms with
differing proportions of fat,
protein and carbohydrate.
Healthy Eating in a Nutshell -
Nutritional Quality Counts
Instead of focusing on
calorie-counting, carb-counting
or fat-counting, focus on the
nutritional quality of the food.
For example, choose
less-processed foods (eg. oats)
rather than highly processed
alternatives (eg. regular
breakfast cereal). Choose whole
grain carbs (eg. wholegrain rye
bread) rather than refined
versions (eg. fluffy white
bread). Choose extra low fat
ground beef/steak, rather than
fattier alternatives. Choose
unrefined or extra virgin
vegetable oils, rather than the
refined brands. Choose foods
that require a little cooking,
rather than instant foods.
Chances are, the more processed
or refined the food is, the less
healthy and nutritious it is
likely to be.
Refined Foods
Cause Us to Overeat
According to a recent study, at
least 58 percent of the calories
in a typical Western diet come
from empty calorie foods,
meaning: white fats, white
(refined) oils, white sugar,
white flour products and
alcohol, most of whose minerals,
vitamins and fiber have been
removed by processing and
refining. These refined empty
calorie foods are likely to
cause us to gain fat, because
they cause us to overeat.
One of the mechanisms that turns
off hunger is a feeling of
fullness. By the time we've
filled up on these
concentrated-calorie, fiber-poor
foods we've eaten more calories
than we need - and the excess
turns to fat. When we obtain
adequate amounts of all
essential nutrients, biological
hunger ceases. If our foods are
nutrient-deficient we may
overeat until we get them which
is one reason why nutrient
enrichment is important for
achieving a healthy weight.
We Absorb More Calories From
Refined Foods
Because they lack fiber and
bulk, high calorie refined foods
also slow down intestinal
activity. They take up to five
times longer to pass through the
intestinal tract than do natural
unrefined high fiber foods (75
hours compared to 15) and the
body absorbs calories during the
entire time of their constipated
passage.
Non-Nutritious Refined Foods
More Likely to be Stored as Fat
Foods cannot be metabolised
properly without minerals and
vitamins. The energy that empty
calorie foods contain becomes
unavailable to our body and is
stored as fat until (or in the
hope that) we get the necessary
minerals and vitamins at some
later time. In the meantime we
feel hungry and eat more. This
too turns into fat unless
minerals and vitamins are also
provided.
Non-Nutritious Refined Foods
Reduce Calorie-Burning
Minerals, vitamins and essential
fatty acids are systematically
removed from foods during
refining. Their absence lowers
our metabolic rate; we feel less
like being active and become
lethargic. Then even if we eat
less we don't burn up the
calories we eat and get fat even
on a low calorie diet.
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Healthy
Balanced Diets Come in Various
Forms
Dr
Richard E. DuBois, M.D.
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