Creating A Healthy Eating Plan

A healthy eating plan is just as important as regular exercise when it comes to getting fit and healthy.

Proper nutrition helps you manage your weight, gives you more energy, reduces your risk of developing heart disease, diabetes and some types of cancer, and helps keep your bones and muscles strong. Proper nutrition also provides you with the fuel you need for your workouts.

But what's the right way to eat? Even though there are countless diet and nutrition programs on the market that claim their way of eating is the right way to eat, the reality is that no single eating plan works for everyone. What types of food you should eat, how much food you should eat, and how often you should eat depends on factors such as your body type, your metabolism, how much exercise you do, what types of exercise you do, your daily schedule, and your likes and dislikes.

The key to creating a healthy eating plan is to make sure that it's personalized so it can meet your individual needs and goals. The more personalized your healthy eating plan is, the more likely you'll be to stick with it.

Here's some basic nutitional information that will help you create a healthy eating plan.

Calorie Control

If you eat more calories than your body needs, regardless of if the calories come from carbohydrates, fats or protein, you're going to gain weight. If you're trying to lose weight, you need to eat less calories and increase your physical activity. But you need to make sure that you don't drop your calorie intake too low. If you drastically cut calories, your body will think it's being starved and it will lower your metabolism and store body fat.

Here are some simple tips on how to control calories:

• Don't skip meals. Numerous studies show that people who skip breakfast and eat fewer times during the day tend to be heavier than people who eat breakfast and eat more frequently during the day. Eating small, healthy meals throughout the day will keep your energy level and metabolism up and provide your body with a steady flow of nutrients.

• Don't assume low-fat or fat-free means low calories. A gram of fat contains 9 calories while a gram of protein or carbohydrate contains 4 calories. But don't assume all low-fat and fat-free foods are low in calories. Many low-fat and fat-free foods are actually high in calories because sugar and refined starches have been added to them to make up for the lost fat.

• Eat slower. It takes between 10 and 20 minutes for your brain to receive the signal that you're actually full. Eat slower and give your body a chance to feel full.

• Drink water before a meal. Drinking water before a meal will give you a fuller feeling.

• Limit diet sodas. The artificial sweeteners in diet sodas can increase appetite.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the main source of fuel for the body. When carbohydrates are consumed, they are broken down by the body into glucose (blood sugar). The hormone insulin moves the glucose from the bloodstream into the cells of the body, where it's used for energy. The glycemic index measures how quickly carbohydrates are broken down by the body into glucose. There are two different types of carbohydrates - complex carbohydrates and simple carbohydrates - and you need to be aware of how they differ.

Complex carbohydrates are found in foods that have not been overly processed. Foods such as beans, vegetables, and whole-grain breads, pastas, cereals and rice are high in complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates are usually low in calories, low in fat, high in fiber and high in vitamins and minerals. Most complex carbohydrates are broken down into glucose relatively slowly, resulting in steady blood sugar and energy levels and a feeling of fullness.

Simple carbohydrates are found in foods that have been highly processed. Foods such as donuts, pastries, white bread, juice and soda are high in simple carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates are usually low in fiber and often contain high amounts of refined sugar. Most simple carbohydrates are broken down into glucose quickly, which causes a rapid rise in blood sugar followed by a rapid drop in blood sugar. Low blood sugar causes hunger, cravings and decreased energy.

A healthy eating plan needs to include carbohydrates, but they should primarily be complex carbohydrates. Some people are more "carbohydrate sensitive" than others, and they would need to limit their intake of carbohydrates if they're trying to lose weight.

The Carbohydrate Calculator will give you an accurate estimate of how much carbohydrate you should consume daily.

Fats

A healthy eating plan needs to include fat because the body needs fat to function properly. But you need to make sure that you eat the right type of fat.

Unsaturated fat is healthy fat and should be the primary type of fat consumed. There are two types of unsaturated fat: monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat. Monounsaturated fat lowers LDL ("bad") cholesterol and reduces the risk of heart disease. Good sources of monounsaturated fat are olive oil, canola oil, nuts, avocados and natural peanut butter. Polyunsaturated fat can be broken down into two types - omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids - which are both essential fatty acids (EFAs). EFAs are essential to human health but cannot be produced by the body and must come from food or supplements. Omega-3 fatty acids reduce the risk of heart disease, heart attack and abnormal heart rhythms, decrease blood triglycerides, improve blood vessel functioning, and ease inflammation in joints and other areas of the body. Good sources of omega-3 fatty acids are fatty fish, fish oil and flaxseed oil. Omega-6 fatty acids lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol, raise HDL ("good") cholesterol, and help keep blood sugar in check by improving the body's sensitivity to insulin. Good sources of omega-6 fatty acids are soybean, sunflower, corn and sesame oils.

Saturated fat is found mainly in animal products such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy, but it's also found in some vegetable oils such as coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil. The body needs some saturated fat for growth, hormone production and other processes, but too much saturated fat can increase LDL ("bad") cholesterol and increase the risk of heart disease.

Trans fat is a man-made fat that's produced through the process of hydrogenation. This is the process where liquid vegetable oils are converted into solid fats. Trans fat increases LDL ("bad") cholesterol, decreases HDL ("good") cholesterol, and increases the risk of heart disease. There's also strong evidence that trans fat increases the risk of developing certain types of cancer. Trans fat is found in many fast foods, packaged foods, frozen foods, baked goods, margarine and shortening. You need to be aware that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows food labels to list trans fat as "zero" even if a food contains up to a half a gram of trans fat per serving. If a food contains any hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils, in contains trans fat.

The Fat Calculator will give you an accurate estimate of how much fat you should consume daily.

Protein

Protein is made up of compounds called amino acids. When protein is consumed, it's broken down into its amino acid constituents during the digestive process and the amino acids are used to create various proteins within the body. These proteins play a crucial role in many bodily functions, such as building, repairing and maintaining cells, muscles, skin, blood and organs, creating hormones, and keeping the immune system healthy.

There are 20 amino acids that the body needs to function properly, but it can only produce 12 of them. The other eight, which are called essential amino acids, must come from food or supplements. Protein from animal sources such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy is called complete protein because it contains all eight of the essential amino acids. Protein from most plant-based sources is called incomplete protein because most plant-based foods are deficient in one or more of the essential amino acids.

People who exercise on a regular basis need more protein than people who don't, but the optimal amount depends on factors such as what types of exercise you do, how often you exercise, and what your fitness goals are.

The Protein Calculator will give you an accurate estimate of how much protein you should consume daily.

Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a lipid (fatty substance) that the body needs to function properly. Cholesterol is needed to produce cell membranes, certain hormones, vitamin D and bile acids. Most of the cholesterol found in the body is produced in the liver and only a small part of it comes from dietary cholesterol. As long as you don't have a genetic predisposition for high cholesterol, dietary cholesterol will have minimal effect on your blood cholesterol level.

A low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is a tiny particle that transports cholesterol from the liver to the rest of the body. When there is too much LDL cholesterol in the blood, it can be deposited on the walls of the arteries, which can lead to a heart attack or a stroke. This is why LDL cholesterol is often referred to as the bad cholesterol. A high-density lipoprotein (HDL) is a tiny particle that transports cholesterol from the blood back to the liver, which processes the cholesterol for elimination from the body. High-density lipoproteins make it less likely that excess cholesterol in the blood will be deposited on the walls of the arteries. This is why HDL cholesterol is often referred to as the good cholesterol.

Fiber

Fiber is the parts of fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and legumes that the body can't digest. While fiber has no nutritional value, it can have a profound impact on health, including reducing the risk of certain types of cancer (especially colon and breast cancer), lowering LDL ("bad") cholesterol, and lessening the effects of diabetes. Fiber also aids in appetite control.

Fiber can be classified into two categories: soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber partially dissolves in water. It slows digestion and helps your body absorb vital nutrients from food. It also keeps your cholesterol and blood sugar levels healthy. Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water. It increases stool bulk and keeps your bowel movements regular.

The Fiber Calculator will give you an accurate estimate of how much fiber you should consume daily.

In conclusion, proper nutrition is very important when it comes to getting fit and healthy. So get started on creating your healthy eating plan today.

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