Getting The Balance Right - A Guide To Healthy Eating

Getting The Balance Right - A Guide To Healthy Eating

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When trying to create a balanced diet you need to look at the building blocks of a healthy diet once that contains all the essential elements the body needs. Even if you are happy with your current wait you will likely maintain it easier with a balance of carbohydrates (often know as carbs),fat and proteins.

With around 4 calories being produced by one gram of protein it is not suprising that we are encouraged to eat plenty of protein rich foods such as eggs and dairy products (which of course also contain fats), red meats fish and steaks.

Carbohydrates also have around 4 calories per GRAM although this is of course rather a less scientific measurement as by chemical nature carbohydrates are wide and variable and are available as both naturally occuring carbohydrates and also man made carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates which are found in nature include rice,some pulses (such as beans),potato's in various different guises, and oatmeal but this is just the tip of the iceberg a wider range of man made carbs are found in cookies, candies, and cakes plus a whole slew of other processed foods.

However Fat derives 9 calories from each GRAM, a full 225% more calories per gram than either protein or carbohydrates.Maybe that suprises you but it shouldn't really but few people uderstand the significance and even then it's not that simple. Nothing ever is ...

But of course as I am sure you know there is more than one type of fat they are classed as good fats (mono unsaturated fats and poly unsaturated fats) and bad fats (saturated fats) and the less widely know very bad (trans fats or trans fatty acids to give then their full name)

A balance of carbs,protein and fat (ideally mono and poly unsaturated fats with a small proportion of animal fats) will prevent you having problems with being over weight and obese. It is when these food groups get out of balance that problems occur.

The balance of carbs, to fat to protein is essential to healthy living and if you choose a diet which is unbalanced you risk health problems. Consume excess of either fat or carbs or a combination of both and you are likely to end up over weight.

As we have seen there are significantly more calories found in a gram of fat than a gram of protein or carbohydrate so to keep a godo diet requires a good balance of protein and carbs with some .

Lets look at each type of fat in turn...

Monounsaturated Fats (Monounsaturated Fatty Acids):- These are found in vegetable oils, nuts, seeds and some plant foods. They are liquid at room temperature. Some times referred to as MUFA's.

Polyunsaturated Fats (Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids):- These are are found mainly in vegetable oils, fish and seafood. They are liquid or soft at room temperature. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are types of Polyunsaturated fats and are considered essential fatty acids because our bodies cannot make them, thus they must be obtained through the diet. Some times referred to as PUFA's.

Saturated Fatty Acids (SUFA's) are usually solid at room temperature and are found mainly in foods from animal sources like meats, dairy products such as milk and butter. SUFA's are also found in coconut, palm kernel and palm oil.

Trans Fatty Acids:- They are sometimes known as trans fats or hydrogenated fats or partially hydrogented fats. This means that they have been chemically altered by th addition of hydrogen to make them solid at room temperature. Trans fats are found in foods such as some margarines, extensively in the fast food industry and in processed snacks.

Just as a quick rule of thumb but by no means an exhaustive or totally fool proof system. If the fat comes from an animal such as the fats found in butter, pastry or shortening, it is saturated fat and if it comes from a plant such as Olive Oil, SunFlower Oil or Nuts it is most likely unsaturated fat. Remember unsaturated fat is good fat.

All fat will make you put on weight, so always keep it in check and maintain a balance.

About the Author:
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