The way to stay healthy is to keep your
immune system strong and proper nutrition is the number one way to keep it in
good working order. Food is the best medicine of all, provided you eat the
right balance of nutrients, proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Study after
study links dietary deficiency to disease.
What constitutes a healthy diet? Specific
requirements vary from one person to another, but the following general
guidelines will get you off to a good start.
Eat at least five servings of fruits and
five servings of vegetables a day, the best way to do this is to eat a salad
with five different vegetables in it—the more colorful the salad, the greater
the variety of nutrients you are getting. For fruits, eat a fruit salad or
several fruit snacks during the day, or sprinkle a variety of fruits on your
morning cereal
Eating fruits and vegetables increases the
amount of fiber in your diet and helps you get your required daily quota of
vitamins and minerals. The benefits include a reduced risk of disease, lower
cholesterol and blood pressure, and help in losing weight. More than 200
studies have shown that eating fruits and vegetables helps protect you from
various forms of cancer. Other studies indicate similar protection against
cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke, diverticulosis, and cataracts.
One piece of fruit or 1/2 cup of a vegetable
constitutes a single serving. Because cooking destroys valuable nutrients, try
to eat fruits and vegetables raw, or steam vegetables lightly before eating.
Precooked, frozen, and canned fruits and vegetables are lower in nutrients and
higher in sodium, sugar, and preservatives.
Eat five servings of whole grains a day,
Avoid white bread, white rice, and ocher heavily processed grains. Even if they
are "enriched" or "fortified, they are still lacking essential
nutrients. Instead, look for foods made from 100 percent whole grains, without
added refined sugars (check the ingredients list on labels. A "whole grain"
consists of 1) the bran, which contains fiber, B vitamins, fats, minerals, and
protein; 2) the germ, a source of protein, fats, and vitamins A, Bs and E; and
3) the endosperm, which contains complex carbohydrates. Most of the vitamins
and minerals in grains are found in their outer layers (the bran and germ) and
processing removes both the layers and the nutrients.
A slice of bread or a cup of cooked grain
or pasta constitutes one serving. Eat more complex carbohydrates. In the
same vein, you should increase your intake of complex carbohydrates and reduce
your intake of simple carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates are found in
unprocessed, unrefined vegetables; in dried beans and peas; in whole wheat
products; and in grains including rye, barley, quinoa, millet, brown rice,
buckwheat, corn, kamut, and oats. (Remember that white breads, white rice, and
many pastas and breakfast cereals have been stripped of most of their complex
carbohydrates during processing).
Simple carbohydrates are mainly in sugars:
white and brown sugar, corn syrup, soft drinks, candy, dried fruit, jellies and
jams, canned or frozen fruits, ice cream, and pudding. Simple carbohydrates
contribute nothing to your diet except calories, and they can upset the way in
which the body metabolizes sugar, leading to high blood sugar and adult-onset
diabetes. Instead, use unrefined sweeteners such as 100 percent natural maple
syrup, honey, and fruit juices. Avoid artificial sweeteners, as research shows
they can aggravate diabetes and may cause cancer.
Eat at Least 25 grams of fiber daily.
Dietary fiber comes from plant cell walls, which our bodies cannot digest,
there are two types: insoluble (wheat bran is one example) and soluble, which
can be found in oat bran, apples, cherries, and dandelion root, among other
foods. A combination of both is recommended to help prevent breast cancer and
intestinal diseases such as appendicitis, diverticulosis, and colon cancer.
Eat fish, but curb your intake of other
animal products. Red meat, including beef and pork, is associated with
increased risk of heart attacks, several forms of cancer, prostate disease,
high blood pressure, and a host of other diseases. No more than one serving of
red meat per week is recommended.
Chicken and turkey are better for you than
red meat, but studies show that ocean fish are far preferable and offer
protection against heart disease, multiple sclerosis, cancer, high blood
pressure, inflammatory conditions including rheumatoid arthritis, and other
diseases. Salmon, mackerel, cod, albacore tuna, halibut, anchovies, and herring
are particularly good for you. In general, ocean-caught fish are more healthful
than farm-raised fish.
But are these devices reliable? Can we trust the numbers they give us? How accurate are they when it comes to gauging levels of energy expenditure, sleep cycles or other physiological measurements?
