You eat food, not merely
because you like it, but in order that your body may obtain some vital
nutrients. This is the basic foundation of a healthy, slimming diet.
For those who are inherently slim, there exists an enviable and
natural balance between what the body requires and the amount and type
of food consumed.
For the rest of us
not-so-fortunate ones, it is better to think of food types than to see
the amount of calories we are consuming. (Calorie is the unit used to
measure the heat and energy value of food.) Food is made up of a
combination of nutrients. Although some food items may contain only
one nutrient, most comprise a mixture. And each of the nutrients
contributes to the overall bodily functions. When you eat, you
introduce requisite doses of protein, fat and carbohydrate in your
body.
The human body manufactures essential material for the growth and
repair of tissues. Proteins augment this process. Children, pregnant
and nursing mothers especially need more protein, because their body
builds up new tissues at a rapid rate. While protein is found both in
animal and vegetable food items, animal proteins are, in general, of a
higher value. Therefore, along with vegetables, it is important to
include meat, fish, cheese, eggs and milk in a slimming diet.
These provide the body with a concentrated source of heat and energy.
When eaten in large quantities, they get stored as body fat. Besides
the known 'fatty' foods like butter, lard, cooking fats and oils,
margarine, cream and the fat of meat, the body tends to manufacture
fat from food items like cheese, olives, nuts, mayonnaise, rich sauces
and cream desserts.
Although not as concentrated a source of calories as fat,
carbohydrates also provide heat and energy to the body. They are found
in food as either starch or sugar. And since the food items containing
carbohydrates are relatively inexpensive, they comprise a large
proportion of a normal diet. Take, for instance, bread, jam, flour,
honey, potatoes, dried and fresh fruit, beans and cereals, to name but
a few.
Absolutely essential to regulate your body fluids, minerals also
ensure that you have strong, healthy bones and teeth. Calcium, iron,
phosphorous and sodium are some of many more equally important
minerals that are found in most foods. So, as long as you include a
good variety of food items in your diet, there is little risk of there
being any alarming deficiency. The only possible exception could be
iron. For that, make sure you eat plenty of green vegetables and
liver.
Present in minute quantities in most food
items, they are required to regulate complex chemical processes that
equip our body to function smoothly. Whereas some vitamins (A, D, E
and K) are found only in fatty substances -- like margarine and meat
fat -- others are present only in water-based foods, such as
vegetables and fruits.
Unfortunately, there is no
"complete" food. Meaning, no single food item that has the
correct balance of nutrients. Therefore, in order to inculcate good
eating habits -- that will check the accumulation of excess fat -- one
has to balance the intake of nutrients. However, never cut out on any
one nutrient completely. This could lead to deficiency of several
others.
There
is this general idea that to stay slim one has to starve. Wrong. Going
by the new age theories one can eat satisfying and tasty meals, and
still lose weight and stay slim. After all one needs food to stay
healthy. And a good health goes a long way to make a success story. So
cutting out on food altogether may not be a wise move after all.
When
we speak about people who are overweight, we are speaking about people
who have an excessive build-up of fat in the body. A condition better
known as obesity. Some people are obese because of water retention or
for specific medical reasons. Those who eat healthy need never worry
about getting obese.
But
careless eating will surely ruin your health. The human body needs a
certain amount of fat to keep warm and layer the body. The aim should
be to have just enough fat and not too much. Our body is able to
convert most of the food we eat into fat. But the problem arises when
we get into the habit of eating more than our body requires. Then the
daily surplus gets converted into fat that is stored beneath the skin
and around the internal organs. This spells trouble and body weight
can increase alarmingly over the years.
The
best solution would be to go on a reduced diet. Meaning, you eat less
of the energy-producing food items. That way, to fuel your activities,
your body will make use of the fat that has already been stored and
check the manufacture of more fat. Say, on the other hand, you stop
eating altogether, what then? Well, for one thing, you will fall sick.
And then there is a possibility that you may lose the urge to continue
with this severe diet routine rather quickly. Worse still, the body's
fat reducing process will be greatly reduced. In short, your effort
goes waste.
However,
eating less does not mean reducing on the amount you eat. All you do
is cut down on those food items that are most easily converted into
fat. A balanced diet enables your body to draw upon its reserves of
fat. This, in turn, helps you to lose weight. But then, once the
desired weight is achieved, one must strive to adhere to the strict
diet in order for it to persist. This, mind you, can be most
difficult.
Best
viewed on 800 x 600 resolution with IE4 , Netscape 4.5 and above
.