Talks about healthy eating

Here about healthy food pyramid eating.

The food pyramid outlines various food groups and food pyramid choices that are the foundation of a healthy food pyramid diet. This is true when the correct size is used. Food pyramid places in the categories of foods such as dairy products or meat and beans, to guide you through food choices. According to the food pyramid that you should try to eat the number of people from five food pyramid group in the food pyramid.   The food pyramid is a way for people to understand how to eat healthy. The food pyramid is based on guidelines published by USDA. A healthy food pyramid diet is a little easier if the base of your choice in the food pyramid. The basic principle of the food pyramid is to eat plenty of fruits, vegetables and wholegrain cereals.   The food pyramid invited to eat a variety of foods for nutrients they need and the amount of calories to maintain a normal weight. It helps people to see how much food from each group should eat to maintain your health. It easy to follow for many people. The key to healthy food pyramid eating is to enjoy a wide range of high quality foods, including fruit and vegetables.   This pyramid is designed to provide good nutrition advice is the latest scientific research. According to federal regulations, the group that wrote the dietary guidelines must include nutrition experts who are leaders in pediatrics, obesity, cardiovascular disease and public health.   Typically, food pyramid guides have translated into nutritional recommendations for levels of daily intake of food in an attempt to meet the standard de nutrition. In addition to using the pyramid as a way to remember people to eat well and exercise, the government has created a website, called My Pyramid guidelines for specific products and food pyramid for each year. Through the website of the USDA My Pyramid. com, people can get personal advice on the combination of foods you should eat and appropriate portion sizes. Evaluation My Pyramid. com Diet online provides information on food pyramid quality and provides links to more information about nutrition. Once the user enters information about food, receive a complete evaluation to compare the quantity of food consumed, with guidelines on nutrition.   The USDA food pyramid has been around for a long period of time, but the guidelines have evolved to include more information. The food pyramid offer a guide to healthy eating for many years. This is not a recipe per, but a valuable reference to help you eat healthily and improve their quality of life. If you want more closely the food pyramid for a wealth of information on nutrition.

The food groups

Above about food groups.

Eating properly can help keep you healthy and fit. As long as you eat nutritionally your overall life will be more rewarding. Learning to eat nutritionally will keep you fit and usually you will be able to keep the proper weight for your size.
There are six food groups that you should add to your diet. These six food groups form the food pyramid as some people refer to it.
The base of the pyramid is the Bread, Grain, Cereal and Pasta food group. These foods provide complex carbohydrates, which are an important source of energy. You should have 6 to 11 servings of these foods in a day. Examples for one serving include 1 slice of bread, 1/2 cup of rice, or pasta, and 1 flat tortilla.
The next food groups going up the pyramid include the Fruits group and Vegetables group. In both groups, these foods will provide you with important nutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin C, folate or potassium. They are also low in fat and sodium and high in fiber. You should have 3 to 5 servings of vegetables or fruits each day. Examples of one serving of fruit include one medium size apple, orange or banana, ? cup of canned fruit, and ? cup of fruit juice or about 4 ounces. Only count 100 percent real fruit juice. Examples of one serving of vegetables include 1 cup of raw leafy vegetables, ? cup of other vegetables either cooked or raw, and about 4 ounces of vegetable juice.
The next food group above the Fruits and Vegetables are the Dairy Items and the Protein Items. Dairy items provide your body with protein and vitamins and minerals, especially calcium. You should have 2 to 3 servings of dairy products in your diet each day. Examples of one serving of a dairy item include 1 cup of cottage cheese or ? cup of whole milk. Protein items provide your body with much needed protein, iron and zinc. You should include 2 to 3 servings of protein daily in your diet and each serving should be between 2 and 3 ounces. Examples of one serving of protein would include 2 to 3 ounces of any type of meat, 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, 1/2 cup cooked dry beans, and 1/3 cup of nuts.
At the top of the food pyramid are the Fats and Sweets. The foods in this group do not provide much in the way of nutrition. They do provide calories, which is one culprit for weight gain. Examples of this food group include salad dressings, oils, cream, butter, margarine, sugars, soft drinks, candies and sweet desserts.

Make family dinners work

Here about tips to make family dinner work.

As SPF numbers give way to arithmetic and time spent building sand castles is now dedicated to proper sentence construction, school has surely started again. Despite the fact that family life tends to be busier, there is still hope for parents looking to spend a little quality time with the kids. It's called dinnertime and families everywhere can make it work for them.
Dinnertime? No, not the few minutes stuck waiting in the drive through or warming up yesterday's leftovers. The one where everyone sits down for 30 minutes, passes food from left to right, eats and talks to one another without the TV turned on. Sometimes this interlude even pays some homage to the food pyramid.
Research shows that small children who eat family dinners more frequently have healthier eating habits. Columbia University research also shows teens who have fewer than three family dinners in a typical week are more than twice as likely to do poorly in school and 20 percent of teens who have infrequent family dinners report receiving mostly C's or below in school. However, 64 percent of teens eating with their family five more times per week receive mostly A's and B's.
Beyond boosting brain power and nutrition awareness, dinnertime is an easy way for families to catch up on the day's activities and actually talk to each other. Here are a few good ways to kick the excuse habit and get your tribe around the same table at the same time at least a few times a week:
Excuse 1: "There's too much going on to get together."
There's so much to do because all those outside activities were prioritized on the calendar. Plan early, make some dinner dates and add them to your priority list before something else gets scheduled. It doesn't matter if you use up restaurant gift cards or stay in and empty out the cupboards. Just pick some days, write them on the calendar and do it.
Excuse 2: "I'm a horrible cook."
So you've found a way to burn water. It happens. Rome wasn't built in a day, so keep trying, and don't be afraid to call in some reinforcements -- like your family. Try cooking together or perhaps divvying a few of the week's meals. It doesn't just have to be mom or dad's job. Remember, the idea is to spend some time together, whether that's making, burning or eating dinner.
Excuse 3: "Nobody eats the same thing."
Men are from the butcher's counter, women are from the produce aisle. Kids, well, no one has really figured that out. In the meantime, don't be afraid to eat out now and again. It doesn't have to break the bank and there are solid options. Take, for instance, Noodles & Company. Everything on the menu is customizable to please even the pickiest eaters. So you can add or drop vegetables, proteins or change the type of noodles. And with standards like spaghetti and meatballs to Pad Thai, plus soups and salads, nobody will leave hungry.
Excuse 4: "I have no idea what my kids are talking about."
Remember, your parents didn't understand the Beatles or MTV. Getting old immediately prevents you from being cool; it's just part of the job. What's also part of that job is talking with your kids. If that means figuring out what Facebook and Twitter are all about, there are online groups to help. (Better yet, discuss it at dinner and ask your kids to teach you).
Days are busy and nights are crunched, but everyone has to eat. So carve out some time in the house or at a restaurant and spend it together. Don't let the school year go by without giving family dinners a try.

Diabetic calorie diets

Above about diabetic calorie diets with the food pyramid help.

Diabetic calorie diets can be planned with the help of food pyramid

Diabetic calorie diet is an effective way of managing blood glucose. This diet is nothing but healthy eating with calorie restrictions. If you follow this diet, it will also help you to lose weight; weight loss reduces the risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Diabetics always need to take care about what they eat. All food contains carbohydrates, proteins and fats which are converted to glucose in the body. This glucose raises blood sugar level if it is not used properly. With the help of insulin glucose is converted into energy. In case of diabetes a person cannot use insulin properly and this results in high glucose level in the blood. So if you take balanced amount of calories (balanced food), it helps you to manage sugar level in the blood which is the main goal of any diabetes treatment.

Before moving on to medications many doctors suggest that a diabetic patient should control their diabetes with diet and exercise. A calorie diet is a healthy diet for diabetes. 1200-1800 is a typical healthy caloric intake range. Each person's calorie need is different; it depends on your body size, your age, weight and energy expenditure on physical activities. The nutritional need also depends on the type of diabetes. According to individual nutritional (calorie) needs a doctor plans the diet. For example, in type 1 diabetes the doctor focuses more on matching of calorie intake with insulin doses. While in the case of type 2 diabetes, diet is planned for weight loss in order to improve the ability of the body to utilize the insulin produced. However, in all type of diabetes whether it is type 1, type 2 or gestational diabetes the goal of diets is similar, which is to keep the blood glucose level within normal range.

With the help of your doctor; first, select the suitable calorie amount for you. Then plan your diet in such a way that total number of calories in your diet is not more than the suggested amount of calories. Diabetic people can eat the same food that everyone else eats the only difference is that diabetics should take care about the amount of food and calories in that food. The diabetes food pyramid and exchange food list helps to plan your calorie diabetes diet. The exchange system provides six groups of foods and in each group there is a list of food items having same number of calories. This is helpful when exchanging the foods in your diet plan. The food pyramid gives you a rough plan of a diet. From that information you can plan your exclusive diet. Grains and starches contain more carbohydrates. Foods in this group include breads, pasta, rice and starchy vegetables; choose 6-11 servings per day of these foods. Leafy vegetables like spinach, cabbage, lettuce, cauliflower etc are rich in vitamins and good for diabetes; eat 3-5 servings of these vegetables per day. Two to four servings of fruit per day is an acceptable amount. Milk products contain more fat than other foods so choose only 2-3 servings of milk products (yogurt, cheese etc) per day. You can include 4-6 ounces of meat and meat substitute per day. Packaged snacks like potato chips, crackers, and candy, cookies contain large amounts of sugar so include only small amount of such foods in your calorie diet.

The food that we must eat

Here about the food that we must eat.

The government gives us the food pyramid as their representation of a good diet. They also come up with the "thrifty food plan" (the "healthy" diet that a person on food stamps should be able to afford), the WIC food packages given to pregnant and breastfeeding mothers and kids under 5 who are below 185% of the poverty line, and the school lunch program. I think there's little disagreement that the quality of food in school lunches is, on average, crap.

But the government isn't the only entity that tells us how to eat well. There are all of the various food companies and food industry organizations who each claim to produce healthy food. There are diet books galore that tell you to eat right for your blood type, drink tons of fresh squeezed juices, fast, limit how many carbs you eat, eat only raw food, go vegetarian, go vegan, and on and on. And there are people who follow each of these ideas. A certain percent of people are looking for a miracle food to save them, and marketers capitalize on that by selling pomegranate, acai, goji, mangosteen, hemp, etc, etc EVERYTHING.

I think that eating well comes down to a few pieces of advice I've heard from trusted sources. For babies, breastfeed! That one's easy. For the rest of us, we should go for a diet of a variety of whole foods, mostly plants. That means that if you can't identify a plant, animal, or fungi that a food came from, don't eat it. Salt and water are exceptions. It is really hard to go wrong when you are eating a variety of whole grains, nuts, beans, seeds, fruits, and vegetables. Animal products should be from animals raised on pasture. Organic food is preferable but not necessary. It's better to eat conventional fruits and vegetables than no fruits and veg at all.

My friend Hank Herrera coined the phrase "MESS:"

Food
Food is an edible plant or animal that grows, walks or swims on the earth and its waters with no genetic engineering, no hormone-driven growth, and no synthetic chemical substances to mimic natural qualities. Over millennia human metabolism and cultures have adapted to the foods growing in every ecological niche.

Anything else is a MESS (Manufactured Edible Substitute Substance)
Any edible substance other than real food is a MESS. A MESS has genetic engineering, hormone and antibiotic residue from concentrated production, and synthetic additives. Emerging research demonstrates that human metabolism cannot handle MESSes. MESSes subvert food cultures and food sovereignty. MESSes and the processes used in their manufacture and packaging contribute to the alarming toxic load that every human being now carries.

There you go. Our health care costs are going to be a mess until we stop eating MESSes. Yet right now, we - and the government - are guilty of what Michael Pollan calls "nutritionism." That means we focus on specific nutrients and ignore what the actual food is. Diet Coke has no calories and water has no calories. If you are only comparing foods by calories, then you'd assume they are equally healthy. Obviously, they aren't.

One reason we do this is because it's non-offensive to food companies. No media outlet (TV, magazines, etc) wants to lose the lucrative ad dollars of the food companies. And for the most part, whole foods aren't advertised. I've seen an occasional billboard for avocados, oranges, and milk, but most of the ad dollars come from MESSes. If you're a news show, instead of calling out specific foods, you can call out fat, calories, carbs, and salt as the evils that are wrecking our health and avoid offending your advertisers.

An example how this plays out in DC can be found in a hearing held by the Senate Ag Committee earlier this year about child nutrition. A representative of Mars candy company spoke, patting his company on the back for coming up with a special line of candy that was made to be sold in schools to kids. It had: Less than 35% of calories from fat; Less than 10% of calories from saturated fat; and Less than 35% sugar by weight. That ignores the fact that you are still selling kids candy in school as part of their lunches. Here's what Tom Harkin said:

So if I have a bar - more than 1/3 can be sugar? I have a problem with that. When I heard that, that means that if I buy something, 1/3 of that could be sugar! Ms. Neely's heard me say many times, a 20 oz [soda] has equivalent of 15 teaspoons of sugar. I just have a problem. If 1/3 of something a child can purchase at school can be sugar - is that really a good nutritional standard? I have trouble with that. I understand the 35% fat, I understand the 10% saturated fat... I think we need to work on this.

Yet he's not questioning the idea of setting nutritional standards that the junk food companies can duck under, often without making their products healthier in any significant way. And we are teaching kids that candy's not just an occasional treat, it's something you can eat with your lunch every day.

Here's the thing. Our bodies evolved over millions of years, eating ONLY whole foods. Our bodies are VERY good at regulating how much we eat and what we eat. There is a reason we feel hungry and we feel full. There is a reason we enjoy sweets and fat. Listening to the signals our bodies send us is a good thing, a necessary thing. Yet we as a society tend to believe it's a bad thing and instead we must restrict the amount we eat and fight our bodies' natural needs. People feel guilty, even. They think they are failures.

One friend of mine insists over and over that the problem with food and obesity is education. Trust me, a fat person is WELL aware that eating makes you fat and being fat is unhealthy. They aren't stupid. They might not know that MESSes are the problem, but I'd bet you that most thin people don't know that either.

When you try to go on some sort of restrictive diet and you fight your body's needs, your body is going to (usually, at some point) win. It's going to give you signals that, at some point, compel you to meet its needs. In other words, it'll make you eat. If you eat when you're moderately hungry, you're rational enough to make a good food choice. You aren't so hungry that you don't mind taking the time to cook, or head out to a place that serves healthy food.

If you are STARVING, you shove whatever you can get into your mouth ASAP. I do this too. If I'm planning ahead, and I'm a little hungry, I'll stick some carrots in the oven for an hour, or for a quicker meal I'll steam some green beans. If I am starving, the first thing I see goes into my mouth, and if that's ice cream, then ice cream is dinner. (That's why I don't often buy pints of ice cream to keep around... instead I try to keep fruit around for when I'm starving.)

Here's where the whole foods, mostly plants, comes in. They were set up to work with your body's natural system of telling you when to eat and when to stop eating. The MESSes are incompatible with your body's signals. Your body is trying to play by the old rules it evolved to play by, and you're giving it new rules that it can't adapt to. You don't need a scientist to tell you how to eat. If you eat a variety of real foods, your body can tell you what you need.

As far as animal products go, when you get pasture-raised animal products, they are going to cost more. If you still want to eat them, the way to handle the increased cost is to eat less of them (compared to how much you would eat factory farmed products). I spoke to a nutritionist yesterday who told me she thinks meat is an important part of a healthy diet, but she thinks it's only necessary to eat about 3 oz of it every 3-4 days. That's nearly like being a vegetarian.

The truth is, I don't know how much meat is the right amount. I haven't seen any evidence that one needs meat to live and be healthy. If you get your vitamin B12 from somewhere, you can be a healthy vegan too. But if you want to eat meat, I haven't seen a good guideline from a credible source (other than the nutritionist I just spoke to) that gives an idea of how much to eat.

The US government says 4-6 oz per day (or less). My hunch is that's too much, especially when taken together with the USDA's recommendation for dairy consumption. Long story short is that we eat too much meat. By a lot. Historically, we eat much more than we did several decades ago, pre-obesity epidemic.

In 1960, the average American ate 28 lbs of chicken, 60 lbs of pork, and 65 lbs of beef. In 2006, the average person ate 87 lbs of chicken. Chicken consumption surpassed pork consumption around 1985 (per capita pork consumption slightly declined over time). Meanwhile, beef consumption rose from 1960 until the late 1970's, peaking around 95 lbs per person... Beef consumption fell since then until about 1990 and stayed more or less stable since then, around 65 lbs per person in 2006 - same as it was in 1960. Chicken consumption surpassed beef consumption in the first half of the 1990's.

If we just went back to the levels we ate in 1960 by reducing consumption of beef, pork, and chicken, we'd be better off than we are now. Especially if we reduced consumption of beef and pork (according to a study that found higher mortality linked to red meat consumption, including pork).

Soybeans nutrients

Above about soybeans.

Soybeans contain many food nutrients, and they are low in saturated fats and transfats. This makes them a great food product to eat when you are watching your cholesterol, or hoping to prevent heart disease.

Soybeans can meet your complete protein needs for a day, and they are rich in vitamins and minerals (such as folate and potassium).

Soybeans can be found in a number of food sources such as soymilk, soy nuts, and veggie burgers containing soy oil. You can also find many baked goods and cereals that are made from soy protein.

Use the food pyramid to loss weight

Here’s about tips to loss weight base on the food pyramid.

Here are some basic weight loss tips that follow the weight loss food pyramid guidelines:

1. Try to consume around 3 cups of low fat/no fat dairy products per day. Some products to consider include low-fat yogurt and low-fat cottage cheese — two great sources of calcium that aren’t laden with extra fat.
2. Eat around three ounces (using a scale will help) of lean meats per day. Chicken, turkey, and lean hamburger meats are great for a low-fat/low-calorie diet.
3. Three servings of vegetables should be consumed each day. Vegetables that are particularly good for you include cabbage, vegetable juice (make sure to purchase juice that does not include any added sugar or sodium), and lots of leafy salad greens.
4. It is beneficial to consume two servings of fruit per day. Whole fruits and natural fruit smoothies are great options.
5. 4 ounces of grains per day can be included in your weight loss diet. Whole grains (flax, whole wheat, and other whole grains) are best.
6. Around 171 calories per day are left up to your discretion. Try and choose foods that are low in fat and sugar.
7. The trick to following the weight loss food pyramid is to really pay attention to what you’re eating. Avoid foods that include lots of added sugar, watch out for processed foods, and try to stay away from foods that are high in fat.
8. If you stick to a 1200 calorie diet, then you are bound to see results. In addition to the actual weight loss food pyramid (this can be easily found on-line), there are numerous books and other publications that outline the goal of the weight loss food pyramid. 
9. Some people may feel a bit low on energy after following a diet that is low in calories. In this case, a multi-vitamin or vitamin supplement might be a good idea. Also, if you happen to be extremely active, you may want to consider raising the amount of calories that you consume — you can still stick to the diet guidelines even if you add 100-200 more calories per day (important for athletes).

Diet meal plans

Above about diet meal plans.

The food pyramid for diabetics is much more recognizable as the food pyramid with a regular main difference is that it helps diabetics avoid eating too much sugar. Because it is intended for use by people with diabetes is fully supported by the American Dietetic Association and the American Diabetes Association.

Sugar is the enemy of all diabetics. This does not mean we can not eat, because most diabetics can eat sugar from time to time. Their ability to enjoy a bit of sugar depends on the severity of their diabetic condition. Once diagnosed with diabetes a person can no longer enjoy a high level of sugar in the way food used in the diabetes food pyramid and helps them resolve what foods to eat and what to avoid.

The best part about the food pyramid for diabetics is how easy it makes the choice of the appropriate type of food. Simply looking at any diabetic can gain understanding about the types of food are required to eat to maintain your health. It also describes the sizes and the inclusion of diabetic friendly foods in the meal plans.

There are six categories of food groups in food pyramid for diabetics. At the bottom of the pyramid is the largest food group, or that people with diabetes should eat the bulk of which consists of whole grains, starchy vegetables and beans. The second group in the pyramid consists of fruits and vegetables. In the third step are dairy products, meats and other protein sources. At the tip of the pyramid are the foods that all diabetics should be careful and include fats, oils and, of course, sweets and refined sugars.

Power of nutrition

Here’s about the healing power of nutrition is a goverment secret.

Milk protein can turn cancer on and off in lab rats. Milk has been linked to osteoporosis and prostate cancer. Why does the U.S.D.A. food pyramid recommend 3 cups of milk a day for all adults?

Higher animal protein intake has been proven to increase breast and other cancers. Why does the federal government continue to subsidize feed grains for dairy and beef production?

Plant based diets have been proven in peer-reviewed published studies to reverse diabetes, cardiovascular disease, multiple sclerosis and various common ailments, among other diseases. Why has the government failed to subsidize the cost of fruits and vegetables for consumers?

The answer, according to T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Nutritional Biochemistry at Columbia University, is complex. Nutrition is given short shrift because it is confusing and poorly understood by the public, and research funding is scarce. In addition, doctors are not trained in nutrition, and he claims, don’t know any more than the general public. He points to the National Institutes of Health which consist of 27 institutes for the study of diseases but none for the study of nutrition, which has been proven to prevent, suspend or reverse over 18 separate chronic degenerative diseases.

Dr. Campbell laments that nutrition is systematically ignored by the medical community and government by creating diversions in the form of dietary fads. These include:

• Vitamins and supplements – Research shows that most are ineffective but, according to Dr. Campbell, are popularized by corporations profiting from the self-help movement.

• Gene risk assessments – Dr. Campbell’s research shows that a plant based diet will trump any genetic predisposition to disease. However, research funds are pouring into gene research rather than nutrition research because it’s driven by pharmaceutical companies hoping to produce customized drugs with side effects which will treat symptoms but not solve the problem.

• Biological individuality – While he admits that each individual is different, Dr. Campbell says that people respond differently by degree but not qualitatively. A whole food, plant based diet will have the same positive effect on everyone.

• High protein, low carb diets – This fad is directly contrary to research.

• Low fat diets – Dr. Campbell was on the government panel in the early 80’s that recommended low fat diet guidelines and he says now that it was a mistake. “You can’t just reduce fat and still consume the wrong kind of food,” i.e., animal protein.

• Grass-fed animal products – His research shows that the nutrient composition of grass fed animals is only slightly better, and although there has been no research, he believes that the health difference would be minimal.

Who is responsible for creating these distractions from nutrition-based treatments of disease? Dr. Campbell points the finger at the food and drug industries that have corrupted national policy and states that it is “alarming how they corrupt thinking and the science.” The system he says is “more about making money for the few, than the health of the many.”

Weight loss diets

Above about vegetarian weight loss diets.

Greetings friends. Today we will be talking about evaluating vegetarian weight loss diets. It is important to make sure that you select the vegetarian weight loss plan that is right for you. There are a few steps involved in evaluating vegetarian diets. These include ensuring that a variety of foods are part of the diet. Determine whether or not the plan is nutritionally balanced. It is important the diet has a strong support group.

The vegetarian weight loss diet that you are considering should offer a varietyt of foods in its meal plans. This is important for optimal health.  In order to enjoy the full range of nutritional benefits that a vegetarian diet offers a wide variety of foods needs to be part of the plan. Additionally the more the variety of foods available the more fresh and vibrant the plan becomes. You certainly don’t want your food plan to become stale and feeling like drudgery do you ? Remember the old saying ‘Variety is the spice of life’.

Is the diet that you are considering sound nutritionally? The company may say that it is but you should verify that on your own. A simple way to do that is to first acquire a sample of their meal plans. Next go to the USDA on compare the meal plans with the USDA food pyramid. Does the diet offer the nutrition that the USDA food pyramid shows is neccessary? Now the protein will be off because the USDA is expecting meat to be in your diet, but as a vegetarian you will have non-meat sources for your protein. Just make sure that there is enough protein on a daily basis. You need at 46 grams of protein for an adult female and at least 55 grams of protein for an adult male. So if the diet looks nutritionally sound you can investigate the diet support infrastructure.

Hopefully the vegetarian diet you are considering has a support group that comes with it. I stringly encourage you to only consider vegetarian weight loss diets that have a support group. By support group I am referring to a members forum. A website that you can login to and share your experience, strength and hope with your fellow dieters. It is very important to have peers that you can share with, people that understand what you are experiencing and feeling. So make sure that the diet has a support group and if it doesn’t then move on to a different plan.

Well we have looked at some things you should consider when evaluating vegetarian weight loss diets: does it have a support group, is the plan nutritionally balanced, and does the diet include a variety of foods? Remember that if you follow good sound nutritional principles you will successfully find a good vegetarian weight loss plan.

Serving size of food pyramid

Here’s about the serving size of food that we take every day.

At the base of the food pyramid are such food items that serve as ready sources of energy. These are rich in starch, low in fat, and include cereals, pasta, bread, and different types of grains. By the specifications of the food pyramid, a normal adult individual needs 6 to 11 servings of these items daily. Whole grains are the best and healthiest food of this group. In a single serving of these foods you can include a slice of bread, a cup of cereal flakes, one flat tortilla, and one ounce of rice or pasta.

As the geometry of the food pyramid shows, vegetables and fruits are required in less quantity than carbohydrates. Normally, a grown person would need 3 to 5 servings of vegetables and 2 to 4 servings of fruits daily. The high fiber content of vegetables and fruits make them ideal food items as fiber keeps the bowel movements in order. In addition, they are both rich in vitamins (required for immunity and general health) and minerals, which ensure the proper functioning of various body organs. Among vegetables, go for more dark green vegetables and try to pick fresh fruits instead of fruit juices.

Next upper chamber in the food pyramid is occupied by proteins and dairy products. You need 2 to 3 servings daily of each of these foods. Protein comes from lean meat, eggs, fish, beans, and nuts. It is advisable to remove the visible fat on the meat so as to make it a low fat item. Be moderate in using nuts, since they also hold fats. Among the dairy products, milk is the complete diet with most of the required vitamins and minerals like calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium. Cheese and yogurt are also recommended dairy foods. Try to abstain from high intake of ice cream and cheese that is high in fat.

Lastly, at the top of the food pyramid lie fats, including oils, and sweets. The recommended quantity of these items is limited to sparing use. Butter, cream, oils, candies, margarines etc., are all foods that are not easy to digest and hence should be used in minimal amounts.  However, it is an important part of our diet, just as all the other parts of the food pyramid are important as well.

Balance meal plan

Above about balance meal plan.

Having a plan for how to eat throughout the day is essential, but many people feel lost with knowing the rights foods to choose all day that will provide nutrition, taste, and keep them from being hungry all day. Most people feel if they can place emphasis on one healthy meal a day, they are doing all they can do. However, realistically a person who takes a few simple steps of preparation can eat healthy all day, enjoy his/her food more, and feel satisfied with food choices all day, every day.

Ufortunately, people have a misconception that they shouldn’t eat throughout the day. Many people will only eat one meal a day, and think this will help them lose weight. This is a misconception, because what this actually does is make your body think it will not get enough food or nutrients so it stores up anything it does get. The only storage system the body has is fat. What helps people lose weight is keeping the metabolism going all day long, and that requires about five small meals a day.

Delicious, metabolism boosting plan for the day:
Breakfast: Omelet with fresh vegetables, white cheese, and fresh fruit on the side. If you drink coffee, keep that down to one cup, and be very careful about how much sugar and creamer you are using. For more on the right breakfast read Start Your Day the Right Way.
Mid-morning snack: Smoothie with fresh orange juice, yogurt, frozen fruit, banana or yogurt and a filling fruit like a banana.
Lunch: a delicious salad (read A New Spin on Salad for some delicious salad recipes), or a healthy wrap. With lunch, try turkey or chicken in the wrap instead of greasier meats like ham, roast beef, etc. Avoid mayonnaise. If you want a side with your meal, reach for baked chips or crackers instead of a mayonnaise based slaw or potato salad, or greasy French fries.
Mid-afternoon snack: some baked crackers such as Wheat Thins, a few cubes of cheese, and/or some fruit. When snacking, remember to take out how much you want instead of taking the box to the couch or your desk which leads to overeating usually without even realizing it.
Dinner: baked or grilled chicken, fish, or meat (the objective here is a balanced meal, but be realistic with the portion size you give yourself), a side like baked potato (the potato is healthy, don’t over do it with the toppings) or wheat pasta (pasta is a good carb that your body needs, but making the switch to wheat pastas and wheat breads is a easy and healthy way to give your body the good carbs it needs for energy without adding extra calories and fats), and finish with a healthy vegetable or salad. Use only fresh or frozen vegetables, canned vegetables add too much sugar, preservatives, and sodium to your diet, and take away from essential nutrients. Steamed is the best way to cook vegetables to maintain the necessary nutrients; during the cooking process, many or all nutrients can be cooked out.

Set a goal for yourself to not eat past 7:00pm so your body is not going to bed and doing nothing but sleeping with a full stomach and no way to burn the extra calories. If you need a snack after dinner, try for fruit or 100 calorie snack or ice cream bar. If you must have sugary snacks, buy the miniatures and limit yourself to two, this will satisfy the craving without adding too many calories or too much sugar. Avoid sodas, too much alcohol, and remember to drink enough water (for more info on water read Water Works). This simple plan will keep your metabolism burning all day, which means you burn more calories throughout the day, and provide you with all the essential nutrients and parts of the food pyramid you need daily. The key is don’t deprive yourself of food or meals, just plan a full, healthy serving every day. Remember healthy living is about a lifestyle change, not a short-sited diet.

Food pyramid and calories

Here's about food pyramid and calories.

Optimal nutrition is about getting all the nutrients which your body needs, not what you think it needs. So you give your body what it wants and it rewards you by giving you good health. How simple could it be to understand? Well, that is the basic premise only. How you go about getting the nutrients which your body needs is not basic instinct.

So you need guidelines on what to eat, to achieve that. That’s where the food pyramid comes in. The food pyramid is a set of nutritional guidelines that are meant to lay out a healthy diet plan for the majority of the population. Looking at the food pyramid, it underlines food sources of complex carbohydrates as the major source of energy, and the bulk of daily diet. The food pyramid also recommends fruits and vegetables as a major dietary component.

If you eat well, your daily calorie uptake should also veer towards more healthful levels. Actually the amount of calories needed per day for each individual is based on many factors, like age, gender, height, metabolism and others. By keeping your consumption of different kinds of foods at a healthy level, your calorie intake should also be healthier. For instance, the food pyramid recommends eating oily and fatty foods at a minimum. Since foods like these are loaded with calories, by reducing your consumption of them, you also end up taking on less calories. So all in all, the food pyramid also aids people in managing a healthier calorie intake.

Make the food pyramid work

Above about make the food pyramid work.

The food pyramid is a tool designed by nutrition experts that the United States Department of Agriculture promotes to help people make better, more nutritious food choices.

The food pyramid underwent a big change when the U.S. government updated its dietary guidelines in 2005.

In the old pyramid, food groups at the bottom were to be eaten more than the foods at the top. Grains, such as bread, cereal, rice and pasta, should be eaten the most, according to the food pyramid. This is followed by fruits and vegetables. Meat and dairy products come next. Notice that the meat group also contains items such as eggs and nuts.

At the very top were the fats, oils and sweets which should be eaten infrequently. This is because these foods contain high amounts of calories and fats with very few vitamins and minerals, if any.

Instead of using the pyramid as a visual guide to how much of each nutrient to take in (grains were on the bottom, so you were supposed to eat those the most), now they just lump everything next to each other and make individual comments.

Here are some important points about the new food pyramid:

==> Eat at least 3 ounces of whole grains per day (cereal, crackers, rice, pasta, and bread)

==> Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, and prepare them any way you?d like, except frying.

==> Get at least 3 daily servings of low-fat dairy, including skim milk, hard cheese, or non-fat/low-fat yogurt (sorry, ice cream doesn?t count!)

==> Select lean cuts of meat, and prepare them by baking, grilling or broiling.

==> Use healthier oils when cooking, such as canola and safflower oils.

While pregnant avoid six things

Here's 6 things must avoid while pregnant.

1. Unhealthy eating habits - eat a well-balanced diet, paying attention to the recommendations of the food pyramid. Drink more milk, or foods that substitute for milk, and eat a little extra protein. If you don’t eat several servings of fresh fruits and vegetables every day, take a prenatal vitamin that contains folic acid.

2. Substances that may be dangerous for you and your baby, such as cigarettes, alcohol, and street drugs. Do not take any medications, even over-the-counter medications, unless you have discussed them with your health care provider.

3. Inactivity. Keep moving and working out. Just because you are pregnant does not mean that your exercise regime stops. Continue exercise programs that you were doing before you became pregnant according to the recommendations of your health care provider. If you were not exercising before becoming pregnant, consider yoga, pilates, walking or swimming.

4. Overwork. Get plenty of rest. Listen to your body to determine if you need short breaks during the day and to determine how many hours of sleep you need at night.

5. Stress and worry. Try to minimize the stress in your life and practice stress management techniques such as slow, deep breathing and relaxing various muscle groups when you feel under stress. You can learn these techniques and other strategies for relaxation in childbirth education classes.

6. Becoming overly critical of your body. Enjoy this special time in your life! Have confidence in your body’s ability to grow, nourish, and give birth to this baby as women have done for centuries. Learn as much as possible about the wonderful ways that your body is changing and about how your baby is growing. Enjoy this miraculous time in your life and let go of the judgment!