Dieting: Good Foods to Eat 


                                
by Federico Andre Orlich 




        Every time we think about dieting, the first things that come to mind are concepts such as “calorie counting,” “nutrient values and percentages,” “carbs,” “proteins,” and so many other things we need to consider, that it could be overwhelming for someone new to dieting. Always the main question is "What foods to eat?" When it comes to dieting, good foods to eat will depend on how you will balance your caloric and nutrient intake. Fortunately, most of these concepts are actually easy to understand, and once you grasp them, planning a diet can become a very simple matter.

        The first thing we need to do in order to plan a proper diet, is to understand the three major nutrient groups: fats, proteins and carbohydrates. Then, we need to know how much of each nutrient we need to ingest and how to calculate that. And finally, we can plan our diet using the foods that we like best, based on the percentages we determined for each nutrient. Even though this may sound complicated, it actually becomes really easy once you understand the basic concepts. 

        Fats: The biggest misconception about weight is to think that all fat is bad. What most people don't know is that, while some types of fat are bad for you, some fats are an essential part of nutrition. Of course, fat comes in many varieties: saturated fats, unsaturated fats (mono-unsaturated and poly-unsaturated) and trans-fats. So, how do you know what's good for you? Here's the break down:

        -Trans-fats are the worst. They are chemically altered fats that have no nutritional value and produce the greatest health risks. Hydrogenated and partially-hydrogenated oils are rich on trans-fats. And beware of "butter" spreads, cooking oils and anything fried (usually trans-fats are produced when you heat oil).

        -Saturated fats are the most common in animal and most vegetable products. They are OK in moderation and as a source of extra energy, but you should always keep them to a minimum.

        -Unsaturated fats (poly-unsaturated and mono-unsaturated) are the ideal fats for the proper functioning of the body (yes: the body NEEDS fat to function, and not just for energy). Within this group you'll find what's called Essential Fatty Acids (or EFAs). More specifically, they are the Omega 3 and Omega 6 acids. Have you heard about fish oil? Well, this is what they were talking about (though you can find these fats in a lot of other vegetable products, too, such as seaweed and raw nuts and seeds). EFAs play a major role in a number of bodily functions which range from joint lubrication to major organ processes, specially for the liver and the brain. Among other things, EFA's are said to help lower bad cholesterol and increase good one, and even to accelerate the burning of the “bad” fats. The catch: the body cannot produce this type of fat on it's own, so you MUST get it from foods.  

        Proteins: The primary function of proteins is to build and maintain muscle tissue, however, they also provide a number of essential amino-acids required for a number of bodily functions. Because of a number of processes in the body, muscle fibers are constantly breaking down, even when you're not exercising. For this reason, protein consumption on a daily basis is essential, even if you don't want to gain any muscle mass. Besides meats, protein can be obtained from a number of vegetable sources and dairy products.

        Carbohydrates (carbs): Carbohydrates are the primary source of energy for the body. Whenever your body needs fuel to burn, it will use the available carbohydrates first, and store the fat "for the tough times." This is the reason why some diets, such as the "Atkins" diet will advocate the total elimination of carbohydrates in order to burn the fat. Even though in principle this could work, it might not always be such a good idea, since carbohydrates (specially the complex ones) will help in other processes, such as insulin release, which is essential to metabolize fats and sugars. And it is never a good idea to completely eliminate carbohydrates from your diet if you are following an exercise program.

        A balanced, healthy diet for a person of “normal” weight would consist of a majority of carbohydrates (around 50% to 60%, or more), a moderate amount of fats (25% to 30%) and a minority of proteins (15% to 20%). If you need to lose weight from fat, then you would decrease your carbohydrates and fat intake, and increase your proteins (30% to 35% carbohydrates , 40% proteins and 25% to 30 % fat). Once you reach your target weight, you should gradually adjust your nutrient intake to more normal levels. And if your goal is to gain weight from muscle mass, a diet consisting of 40% to 45% carbohydrates , 25% to 30% proteins and 30% fats could be a good start. (Note: Even though it might seem that you would be getting more protein to lose weight than to gain it, you most keep in mind that these are only relative percentages of nutrients. In reality, on a weight-loss diet you would be ingesting a lot less food than you would on a weight-gain diet. That's the reason why the percentage of fats is so similar for both diet plans.)

        Very important: The above percentages are based on your daily caloric intake for each nutrient so, when you calculate the percentage of nutrients for your diet, you do NOT base it on total grams. This is because nutrients have different caloric values: 1 gram of carbohydrates = 4 calories, 1 gram of proteins = 4 calories and 1 gram of fats = 9 calories. What you need to do is figure out how many calories of each nutrient you will consume, and then you can figure out exactly how many grams of each nutrient you need in order to get those calories. For example, if you want to lose weight on a 1500 calorie diet, you need:  450 calories from carbohydrates, 600 calories from proteins and 450 calories from fat. That equals 112 grams of carbohydrates (450/4=112), 150 grams of proteins (600/4=150) and 50 grams of fats (450/9=50).

        Now that we understand what nutrients are, and how to calculate how much of each we need in our diet, we need to determine what to eat, and how much of each food. We can get carbohydrates from  vegetables, including grains, starches, legumes and fruits. Proteins are easiest obtained from animal sources, such as meats, eggs and dairy products, and vegetables such as nuts and beans. And for fats, the best sources are fish oil and cold-pressed vegetable oils, such as extra-virgin olive oil, flax-seed oil and other blends, which are all rich in EFAs. (Note: never heat cold-pressed oils, as they lose their good properties and become harmful). Remember than when dieting, good foods to eat will be those that can provide us with the nutrients we need, without hurting our progress, and which we actually like to eat. In this website you can find the exact nutritional value for all kinds of foods, without having to read every single label at the supermarket: http://www.nutritiondata.com/

        Just remember that, if you want to achieve a goal, you MUST do your research on the topic, become familiar with the terminology and truly understand what you're facing. If you are truly serious about a goal you want to achieve, you need to understand every aspect about it and take the time and effort to research every aspect of it before you can achieve it. Even though some methods might work really well, you will still have to make an effort. And you should always consult with a qualified physician before you try a new fitness program. There are no such things as "Magical Solutions" to your problems, but solving them doesn't have to be an impossible task, either. As a matter of fact, it could become a lot easier than you think if you just have the right information.



If you want to know how to create a proper weight-loss or weight-gain program that is right for you, or simply want more information on dieting, exercising, muscle building and general fitness, you can check out the Weight Control sub-category under the Physical Development Category for some great, step-by-step fitness products specifically designed for a wide range of individual needs. Please, take your time reviewing and comparing each product, so you can find the one that best suits your needs.


About the Author

Federico Andre-Orlich is a Self Improvement researcher and author on topics ranging from the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual aspects of Self Improvement. He is the founder and owner of Your Self Improvement Store; a site dedicated to providing a wide variety of materials for Self Improvement, Self Help and Self Development, in a number of different formats, such as PDF e-books, MP3 files and other downloadable and non-downloadable formats, as well as articles and other useful links. His articles are featured on Ezinearticles.com and other ezine publishers.