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Getting the balance right -A guide to healthy eating

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Written by Graham Foster

Sunday, 25 May 2008

by GrahamFoster

So your looking to eat healthy? Well one of the best ways to get started is to get the balance of carbs,(carbohydrates), proteins and fats right first. The reason is, these are the essential foundations of any diet plan and everything from there is just a question of balance and adjusting to suit your likes and dislikes.

Protein has approximately 4 calories per gram, and can be found in food like eggs, other dairy products made from milk such as cheeses,and yoghurt. In addition protein can be found in red meats such as beef steak and fish.

Moving on to carbohydrates the story is pretty much the same in terms of calories at around 4 calories per gram. But unlike protein which occurs only naturally (unless added as a supplement) carbs can be found both naturally and also in food that is processed or if you prefer man made.

Carbohydrates which are found in nature include rice,some pulses (such as beans),potato's in various different guises, and oatmeal but this is just the tip of the iceberg a wider range of man made carbs are found in cookies, candies, and cakes plus a whole range of other processed foods.

However Fat derives 9 calories from each gram, a full 225% more calories per gram than either protein or carbohydrates.Maybe that suprises you but it shouldn't really but few people understand the significance and even then it's not that simple.

But of course as I am sure you know there is more than one type of fat they are classed as good fats (mono unsaturated fats and poly unsaturated fats) and bad fats (saturated fats) and the less widely know very bad (trans fats or trans fatty acids to give them their full name)

A balance of carbs,protein and fat (ideally mono and poly unsaturated fats with a small proportion of animal fats) will prevent you having problems with being overweight and obese. It is when these food groups get out of balance that serious problems occur.

If you choose to have a diet which has a high level of fat or indeed a high level of carbohydrate (especially man made carbs) you increase your chances dramatically of having problems with your weight. If you continue this way overtime you may end up extremely obese or as doctors use the term morbidly obese.

Since fat has substancially more calories per gram than both protein & carbohydrates, just ensure the bulk of your diet is a balance of the first two food groups with some healthy fats thrown in for good measure.

Let's examine the different types of fat individually.

Mono unsaturated fatty acids (Mono unsaturated fats). Examples of which are seeds,nuts and vegetable oils. They are found in liquid form at room temperature.

Poly unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA's):- Poly unsaturated fats are are most commonly seen in vegetable oils, fish and seafoods. They are liquid or soft at room temperature.Essential fatty acids Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are types of polyunsaturated fats and are considered essential to our diet but our bodies can not make them so they must be obtained through the diet.

Saturated fats (SUFA's):- These are fats which are found predominantly in animal food sources such as meats, dairy products (those made from milk) such as butter and cheese and in some plants the most well know one being coconut and it's derivatives.

Trans fats (Trans fatty acids) are liquid vegetable oils that have been chemically processed to become solid at room temperature through the addition of hydrogen atoms. These hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils are used in some margarines and fried foods as well as to improve the flavor, texture and shelf-life of processed snack foods like cookies and crackers.

A guide is if it comes from a plant it is usually better for you than if it came from animal. Animal fats are found in butter, pastry and shortening as saturated fat. But fats from plants such as olive oil, sun flower oil and some margarines (read the labels) are unsaturated fats. Unsaturated fat is better for you but will still make you put on weight in excess.

Just remember when it comes to eating healthy it's all about keeping the balance right.

About the Author:

Are you looking for help and diet advice you will love the new free report by Graham Foster "82 weight loss tips to lose 22.5 pounds of horrible fat in only 5 short weeks"

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