Diets Defined For You

Diet is the “kind and amount of food prescribed for a person for a special reason”. In the context of weight loss the term diet would cover all specific requirements in terms of constituents, their quantities and also the manner of their preparation as food for promoting loss of weight.
There are many diet plans proposed/promoted by different people. There is a 5-Factor Diet, South Beach Diet, Bob Greene\'s Best Life Diet, Atkins Diet, Cabbage Soup Diet, Anne Collin’s diet, Carbohydrate Addict\'s Diet, and now you have Size Zero Diet, DASH diet and Fat Smash Diet and …. it goes on!
Some are promoted by parties who as publishers, producers or suppliers of supplements or constituents of the diet and are suspect as being purely a commercial vehicle. Some others are merely fad diets that look upon the concept of weight loss or weight control as a gimmick. Many of these are neither based on proper scientific knowledge or scrutiny.

Three major constituents of a beneficial diet are carbohydrates, protein, and fats. Usually the main energy source for the body is the carbohydrates; proteins are necessary for the growth and repair of body cells, and general maintenance of the body, fats are a rich source of energy. A well balanced diet includes these in appropriate proportions; it will also include water. Water is vitally important to life - metabolic reactions and other functions depend critically on adequate water. Water constitutes almost 80% of the body weight.

There are various items in our everyday food that contain carbohydrates, proteins and fats; but not all the items that we normally consume are really beneficial. There are many that may provide the necessary calories to the body but at the same time they are harmful in some respects. A balanced diet should be made uo of “good” or healthy components and avoid or reduce the use of “bad” or unhealthy components.

A balanced diet will consist of carbohydrates from healthy sources to provide about 40 to 60 percent of the calorie requirement of the body. Vegetables, legumes, fruits and whole grains are good sources of carbohydrates; they provide fiber which is also for various functions of the body.
On the other hand other sources of carbohydrates such as white sugar, deserts, candy, frizzy drinks should be avoided or limited in consumption; they cause hormone imbalance, obesity, chronic inflammation issues.

Just as in case of carbohydrates, there are certain good proteins and certain bad proteins. Good proteins which provide all essential amino acids are contained in organic sources such as meat, fish, eggs, poultry; processed meats et should be avoided. About 10 to 30 percent of the body’s calorie requirement should be met from proteins.

Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty essential acids stimulate immunity system of the body, fight inflammations, and are beneficial to heart and brain functioning. But these are not made by our body. Cold water fish, walnuts, etc can provide these to the body. Avoifd or limit use of unhealthy fats such as from processed foods and hydrogenated oils. Your body should get about 20 t0 30 percent of its calorie requirement from good fats as explained above.

Your diet should also include adequate amount of fiber or roughage. It does not provide nutrients but has an important role in helping bowel movements and also helping to lose weight.

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