Healthy Diets

Keep it Off with Healthy Diets

A diet comprises of the food and nutrients that you put into your body. Although a diet, in combination with exercise, is the most effect method to losing weight, many people do not diet correctly and end up harming their bodies in the long run. Depriving the body of necessary nutrients by refusing to eat, eating too little or eating in an unbalanced manner can cause the body to display a number of negative effect including, but not limited to – retaining weight, hair loss, dry skin and brittle bones.

A healthy diet is a balanced one and includes enough food intake to sustain the body while at the same time allowing it to burn off excess weight through a slight decrease in calories and overall consumption.

When looking into going on a diet, always consult a physician first to minimize any potentially harmful risk factor stemming from preexisting medical or health related conditions.

Cut it Out

Healthy dieting begins with healthy foods – foods that are low in fat and based on natural products (i.e. No processed or prepackaged foods, as a general rule). Limit salt, caffeine and alcohol and cut back on added sugars such as those found in jams. Snack foods are often a big diet busters and should be eaten in extremely limited quantities. cookies, donuts, pies, cakes, potato chips and other similar snacks are high in salt, sugar, fat, and calories, and low in nutritional value.

Foods with a high fat content, especially those used in cooking, such as butter, oils, fats and even some margarines should be replaced with healthier alternatives such as extra virgin olive oil which contains elements of the kind of fats that the body responds will to. However, this too should be used sparingly, as anything in large quantities can be bad for a healthy diet.

The Approach

Approach a healthy diet as more of a long-term investment rather than a short-term, quickie scheme. A healthy diet will change a body from the inside out and, although it may take longer to see results, the total body will benefit. A healthy diet should be part of a healthy lifestyle. Pills, juices and other radical weight loss solutions are little more than a gimmick and often cause more harm than good.

A healthy diet should be rich in vegetables, fruits and whole grain products. Dark, leafy green vegetables, such as spinach, romaine lettuce, peas and beans are especially high in iron and other important vitamins.

Beware of trendy fad diets – the ones that promise quick and radical results. A healthy diet plan will consist of a relative balance of foods or, if foods seem slightly out of balance, it will only be for a short time before retuning to a balance again. Many diet plans are available online, however be sure to check with a doctor before trusting the nutritional benefits of a online diet. Support groups are also available online for those who may need the additional boost to keep them successfully living life with a healthy diet and a healthier outlook.