Why Exercise Is Nothing Compared to a Good Diet

What is a healthy diet? Everyone thinks it's all about reducing calories or fat to lose weight, but there is much more than that to eating healthy. You could eat a low fat diet, but not get enough milk or calcium rich foods which could put you at risk for osteoporosis or other health problems. If you cut back on calories you might not get enough protein, minerals, or vitamins for your body to function well. A healthy diet is not about being high in protein, fat, or carbohydrates. A healthy diet is about hormonal balance, by keeping the hormone insulin not too high and not too low. If the levels get too high then there will be an accumulation of excess stored body fat and if they are too low then your cells will starve to death.

With this said, food can either be your best friend or worst enemy. This is why we need to be educated about how to use food to benefit us. Most Americans really don't know how to interpret the signals our body is sending us. We have been taught to believe that ignoring those signals is being strong in character. The solution to keeping that balance is to divide your plate into three sections with one third of the plate "clean" low-fat protein, and supersize the rest of the plate with fruits and vegetables, then add a dash of heart-healthy fat like, olive oil, avocado, or slivered almonds.

Clean proteins are those from wild, cold water fish and seafood, from organic, range-fed animals that have not been filled with steroids and antibiotics, and from free-range eggs, organic cottage cheese, soy, and other beans that have been grown organically. It is not difficult to combine vegetarian sources of protein that do not contain gluten, dairy, or soy, which may cause allergic reactions in some people, in order to create a complete protein source of all the essential amino acids.

Non-gluten carbohydrates are essential along with the "good" fats. Non-gluten carbohydrates are fruits and vegetables and grains that do not contain gluten protein found in rye, wheat and wheat products, barley, spelt, oats, and kamut. Gluten sensitivity can cause problems ranging from digestive disorders to allergies, asthma, arthritis and weight problems. Therefore, it is important to limit your consumption of gluten as much as you can. "Good" fats are the monounsaturated fats and essential fatty acids that help you to mobilize body fat rather than store it. These essential fatty acids are found in blue algae and seaweeds, wild fish that have fed on sea plankton, and from meat that comes from animals raised on grass and not grain.

Americans get about 25% of their daily calories from excess fat. These fats are what they add while they are cooking, or at the table, and fats that come in foods that have lower-fat options. It is very important to learn recommended serving sizes for each food group and match your portions to serving sizes recommended on the pyramid.