A healthy diet is defined as a food system that meets the nutritional requirements for healthy life and meets the reasonable requirements of specific groups (e.g., individuals, children, infants, pregnant women, elderly people, athletes etc.). The exact composition of such a balanced, diverse, and nutritious diet will differ according to different characteristics (e.g., age, sex, culture, and level of physical activity). Generally, a healthy diet consists of at least five main food categories: carbohydrates, proteins, fruits, vegetables, and dairy products.
A healthy diet should consist of at least sixty percent carbohydrates, twenty percent proteins, and the rest of the dietary components in appropriate proportions. Common carbohydrates are mainly glucose, sucrose, dextrose, lactose, and refined sugar. A healthy diet should include a variety of carbohydrates; for example, whole-grain breads, pasta and rice, potatoes, various vegetables, legumes, fruits and some dairy products. However, a healthy diet should not totally exclude any carbohydrate, for example, a relatively late dinner snack.
A healthy diet should avoid or limit all refined sugar (white table sugar), salts, tinned, and packaged foods, salt substitutes (salt-free table salt, sea salt, etc.), foods containing artificial flavors and flavorings, dried fruits, margarine, some prepared foods, tinned preserves, vinegar, and pickled foods. Alcohol is strictly prohibited, even in small amounts, as it encourages excessive consumption of calories and contributes to the accumulation of toxins within the body. Some examples of alcoholic beverages that should be included in a healthy diet are beer, distilled spirits, port, liqueur, champagne, gin, ale, and wine.
The types of food products that should be avoided or reduced in quantity are those high in salt, sugar, sodium, fat, tinned, and packaged foods. Most commercially prepared processed foods are highly salted, sugar and sodium. As a general rule, the amount of sodium you add to your food is the same as the amount of salt you add to the food. Your healthy diet should preferably comprise more fresh vegetables, whole grain breads, cereals, pastas, potatoes, low fat dairy products, and lean meat. If the variety is too great, you might want to consider buying some of the alternative food items such as nuts, dried fruits, cheese, and yogurt.
You should ideally include physical activity in your daily routine. It is a fact that not only does a healthy diet contribute towards good physical health, but the combination of good physical activity with the correct levels of nutritional intake will improve your general well-being. For instance, walking is an excellent exercise, which strengthens both the bones and muscles, aids the immune system and leaves you feeling fit and well-hydrated. Furthermore, walking can help with your memory, your mood and your concentration. You do not need to do strenuous physical activity every day, but incorporating it into your daily routine will help you reduce the risk of osteoporosis. To sum up, if you want to lose weight and keep it off, you should eat a healthy diet. Eat less salt, fat, sugar, and processed foods. Buy food items such as fruit and vegetables, which are high in nutrients and low in calories and fat. Include regular physical activity and eat a mixture of meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, and fresh fruits.