Elements of a Good Diet

A healthful diet contains the following elements:  Fat, Carbohydrates, Protein, Vitamins, Minerals, and Water.  So here's the scoop on what you eat.

Fat: Fat is the primary source of stored energy.  It is used during low-level activities such as eating, sleeping, and reading.  Most Americans eat too much fat.  Total fat intake should be at most 25% to 30% of your total calories.  The average American child gets 38% of his or her calories from fat. 

            Not all fat is created equal.  Animal fats, found in butter, meat, and milk, are primarily saturated.  Tropical oils and hydrogenated fats are also saturated.  Studies show that if you consume too much fat in your diet, especially saturated fat, you will increase your risk of heart disease and cancer...at any age!  Vegetable fats, found in vegetable and bean oils, are usually poly unsaturated.  This type of fat isn't so bad for you.

            Your first choice of fats should be mono-unsaturated fats, found in olive and canola oil.  They have been found to be less harmful than poly unsaturated fats and saturated fats.  In some cases, they can actually be beneficial. 

Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are also an important fuel source, especially during exercise.  If you are like most Americans, you're not eating enough carbohydrates.  Between 60% to 65% of your total calories should come from carbohydrates such as fruits, vegetables, breads, and grains.

            Dietary fiber is basically a type of complex carbohydrate made up of plant material that cannot be digested by the human body.  Refining and processing foods remove almost all of the natural fiber.  The main sources of dietary fiber are whole grain cereals and breads, fruits, and vegetables. Optimal amounts of fiber in the diet promote regular bowel movements, lower blood cholesterol, and therefore, may reduce the incidence of diverticulitis, colon and rectum cancer, and heart disease.

Protein: While protein can be used for fuel, its primary purpose is to build or repair muscles, hair, and other tissues, and for synthesizing hormones. Most Americans consume too much protein.  About 12% to 15% of your total calories should come from protein, which is found in meat, fish, and dried beans.

            You probably get most of your protein from red meat. Most Americans do.  This source of protein, however, contains too much saturated fat to be eaten regularly.  Did you know that the average hot dog is almost 80% fat? 

            Center your meals around fish, beans, or pasta dishes, instead of meat.  Use only lean cuts of red meat, trim visible fat, and limit serving sizes to four ounces (that's about the size of a deck of cards). Remove skin from chicken before cooking.  Most kids who brown bag-it to school bring cold cuts.  Choose thinly sliced chicken- or turkey-based meats.  Avoid meets where you can see the fat, like in salami.

            The Adkins Diet has made eating protein cooler than eating carbs.  Actually, there isn't a lot of data to support the Adkins Diet, especially for athletes.  Many people are losing weight on this diet because it’s low in calories, not because its low in carbs.

Vitamins: Vitamins work as catalysts to regulate the chemical reactions within your body. They are not a source of energy.  While you need to consume all vitamins regularly, some vitamins seem to go beyond their biochemical function.  Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant, protecting your body from substances and chemical reactions that damage tissue.  In the future, research may suggest that vitamin C reduces the risk of colds and cancers.  Vitamins E, and beta carotene also seem to act as antioxidants.  Foods rich in these vitamins include:  citrus fruits, peppers, broccoli, tomatoes, strawberries, potatoes, apricots, peaches, cantaloupes, carrots, winter squashes, spinach, vegetable oils, whole grains, and wheat germ.

Did you Know?  Dark, colorful vegetables usually contain more nutrients than paler ones.  Colorful broccoli, spinach, green peppers, tomatoes and carrots have more nutritional value than celery, mushrooms, zucchini, cucumbers, and iceberg lettuce.

Minerals: Minerals, like vitamins, do not supply energy.  But they help you develop structures in the body, like bones, and regulate body processes, like transporting oxygen.  Important minerals include calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, and zinc.

            Topping the list of nutrients needed during childhood and adolescence is iron.  Iron-deficiency anemia is the most common nutritional deficiency in the U.S.  Iron is necessary to make red blood cells, among other functions.  Iron is especially important for adolescent girls because of the onset of menstruation with its monthly blood losses.

            Calcium is vital for building strong bones and teeth during childhood.  Some experts believe the RDA for calcium should be increased, especially for girls because women are more prone to osteoporosis, an irreversible disease characterized by bone-thinning later in life.  Osteoporosis develops in people who consume too little calcium or do too little weight bearing exercise in childhood.  The best sources of calcium are milk products; but beware, dairy foods can be rich in fat so choose low-fat varieties.  Non-dairy sources of calcium include bony fish such as sardines and salmons, tofu, and spinach.

            The Recommended Dietary Allowances of vitamins and minerals are the minimum amounts you need to prevent disease.  Researchers do not know how much of these nutrients are necessary to improve your health. 

Should You Take Vitamin Supplements? 

            This is one of the most common questions nutritionists receive...and often it's the hardest to answer.  While it is probable that you are getting enough vitamins and minerals to avoid disease, it is not clear whether you are getting enough to promote good health.  Research is not clear what and how much is needed in this area.  We do know, however, that nutrients are more readily absorbed if you get them from food, and not a pill.

            With this in mind, it surely won't hurt if you take a daily multi-vitamin.  Adolescent girls may do well with vitamins fortified with iron and calcium.  Some researchers recommend you take supplemental vitamin E since consuming enough to get an antioxidant protection would be quite fattening.  However, vitamin C and beta carotene levels can be obtained through a carbohydrate-rich diet.

Did You Know?  Caffeine reduces your body's ability to absorb iron.  Children get caffeine in many soft drinks and chocolate.

Water

            Too many people forget the importance of water, which makes up a three quarters of yours body (adults are about two thirds water).  While water does not provide energy, it stabilizes body temperature, carries nutrients to and waste away from cells, and is needed for cells to function.  Drink six to eight glasses of water a day.  If you ever get thirsty, it means you've waited too long.  Thirst is not a good indicator of need.  Instead, urine should be nearly clear.  If their urine is yellowish, you need to drink more water.

Learn Food Cues

            It is way too boring and time consuming to count your calories or measure the nutrients you get in every meal.  Instead, use these guidelines to develop a good general diet.

1.  Eat a variety!  No one food supplies everything you need.  Not even a small group of foods do the trick. Have a variety of foods on hand to choose from.    Try to sit down to a meal that has representatives from four food groups.

2.  Nothing in excess.  Most problems arise when you eat too much, even of a good thing.

3.  Homemade is best.  While processed foods are certainly easier to prepare, they are not only more expensive than homemade meals, they also contain more fat, sodium, and sugars than home cooked meals.  And, unless they are fortified, they probably contain fewer nutrients than fresh foods too.  Learn to prepare nutritious snacks such as popcorn, celery and peanut butter, French bread pizza, or pretzels and cheese dip.  Eat leftovers.  They are healthier than frozen foods.

Breakfast Is the Most Important Meal of the Day!

            You've heard it before, and the research supports it!  You will do better, feel better, and look better if you eat breakfast.  Breakfast gives you the energy to stay awake in school, as well as fight off the urge for an unhealthy snack later on.  Ideally, your first meal should be your largest, and eat feeding thereafter should be proportionately smaller.  Your last meal of the day should be about two hours before bedtime. 

            America's #1 choice for breakfast-cereal-can also be one of your healthiest meals as well.  Cereal can be quick, easy, rich in carbohydrates, calcium, fiber, and iron, and also low in fat.  Make the most out of this meal by choosing the best cereals.  Look for ones that are iron-enriched, and made from high-fiber bran.  Avoid cereal with sugar added.  Instead, put a sugar bowl on the table and let taste buds regulate the sugar.  Also avoid cereals that have lots of sodium or fat.  If you prefer sweetened cereals, jazz up a healthy one with fresh or dried fruit, nuts, raisons, or flavored yogurt and see if it turns your head.

Did You Know?  Lucky Charms, Frosted Flakes, Honey Smacks, and Apple Jacks cereals on an average contain more than six to eight teaspoons of sugar per bowl!

Snacking is a Fact of Life

            As long as the sun shines and the rivers run, we will be snackers.  In fact, snacks contribute to 30% or more of the calories in a teenager's diet.  Depending on your activity level, a snack may be necessary to keep your metabolism high and brain in gear.  Unfortunately most foods consumed as snacks are high in fat, sodium, and simple sugars.  But snacking can be healthy.  Plan ahead for snacks so they fit into your nutritional scheme.  Have a snack before you get too ravenous and eat the wrong thing.  Snacking and TV go hand in hand.  Set yourself rules about snacking and TV, such as never together or only with nutritious foods such as apples and carrots. 

            Tasty snacks that are rich in carbohydrates fuel muscles.  Here are goods foods to choose from.

Apples                         Apricots                       Bagels                          Bananas

Breads                         Cereals                         Crackers                      Fig bars

Frozen fruit bars           Frozen yogurt               Gingersnaps                  Grapes

Melons                         Oranges                       Peaches                        Pears

Potatoes (baked)          Pretzels                        Raisins                          Raw veggies

Rice cakes                    Vanilla wafers               Yogurt

Did you know?  To burn off one McDonald's Big Mac, large fries, and milk shake you would need to do a little over two hours of swimming, close to three hours of running, about three and a half hours of aerobics, or almost eleven hours of golf!