Index
The benefits of good nutrition
The importance of good nutrition is not new. Four hundred years before Christ, Hippocrates said, “Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food.”
Nowadays, good nutrition is more important than ever. At least 4 of the ten most common causes of death in the United States – heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and stroke – are directly related to what we eat. While the wrong diet can be deadly, good nutrition is one of the pillars of good health. It is clear that good nutrition is not only the key to a long and healthy life; it should be part of a healthy lifestyle as a whole, which also includes regular exercise, not smoking, avoiding excessive alcohol consumption, managing the stress, limiting exposure to harmful media for health, among other factors.
Moreover, there is no doubt that, even if you have a healthy diet, genes have a significant share in the risk of developing specific health problems, but do not underestimate the influence of the form and what you eat. For example, atherosclerosis, the “hardening” of the arteries, can begin early in childhood. Still, the process can be stopped and even reversed if changes are made to a healthy diet and an appropriate lifestyle. The gradual loss of bone tissue that results in osteoporosis can be prevented if calcium intake is good from dairy products and other sources of calcium during life and combined with physical activity is sufficient. We may be genetically predisposed to diabetes, but if we maintain a healthy weight, a healthy diet, and regular exercise,
Los pilares de la buena alimentación son el equilibrio, la variedad y la moderación. Los alimentos grasos son contrarrestados por alimentos magros, y la ingesta de calorías es compensada por el ejercicio físico para mantener un peso ideal. Para mantener la salud de nuestro cuerpo se necesita un equilibrio adecuado entre los hidratos de carbono, grasas y proteínas, los tres componentes principales de la nutrición: 15-20% del total de calorías provienen de proteínas, del 15 a 30% total de calorías de la grasa y el 50-65% de calorías totales de los carbohidratos.
We also need vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients from many different foods. While some foods are better than others, there are food groups that do not have all the nutrients needed for good nutrition, so they eat various foods. Food is essential.
Moderation means not eating less or more of the necessary nutrients.
Overeating can lead to obesity, even if it is only a very particular nutrient, and eating too little can lead to nutritional deficiencies and loss of body mass. The proportion of the food we eat can be exemplified in the food pyramid; the US government has developed a manual of good nutrition, and to facilitate understanding created the well-known Food Pyramid; The basic ideas are the following:
1. The basis of our diet should be bread and pasta, preferably whole grain, brown rice, grains (beans, corn, soybeans, peas, lentils, chickpeas), nuts and nuts, and brown nuts in small quantities due to their high-calorie content, but excellent as a source of vitamins and healthy fats – total 6-11 servings per day.
2. Varied portions of vegetables per day, and vary in all raw and cooked foods such as potatoes, carrots, cassava, beets, lettuce, watercress, arugula, chard, broccoli, spinach, cauliflower, asparagus, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash 3 -5 servings per day.
3. Various fruit juices, sugar, 2 to 4 per day.
4. Milk and dairy products – at least 2 to 3 servings per day.
5. Meat, poultry, pork, and egg, are recommended 2 to 3 servings of the daily amount.
6. Sugar, oils, and fats should be consumed in low quantities.
