Getting The Balance Right -a Guide To Healthy Eating
By Graham Foster
So your looking to eat healthy? Well one of the best ways to get started is to get the balance of carbs,(carbohydrates), proteins and fats right first. The reason is, these are the essential foundations of any plan and everything from there is just a question of balance and adjusting to suit your likes and dislikes.

Protein has approximately 4 calories per gram, and can be found in food like eggs, other dairy products made from milk such as cheeses,and yoghurt. In addition protein can be found in red meats such as beef steak and fish.

Carbohydrates also have around 4 calories per gram although this is of course rather a less scientific measurement as by their chemical nature carbohydrates are wide and variable and are available as both naturally occuring carbohydrates and also man made carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates which are found in nature include rice,some pulses (such as beans),potato's in various different guises, and oatmeal but this is just the tip of the iceberg a wider range of man made carbs are found in cookies, candies, and cakes plus a whole range of other processed foods.

But you probably won't be suprised to learn that from each gram of fat there are a massive 9 calories. That's right a shocking 225% more calories than either carbs or protein.But few people fully understand the implications of this fact.

There are 4 main types of fat which makes things a little more complicated these are Mono unsaturated fat, poly unsaturated fat, saturated fats (mainly derived from animals) and the man made trans fat's or trans fatty acids.

But your body needs a balanced diet, so you have to ensure your are getting adequate amounts of all 3 food groups to live a healthy life. If you maintain this balance correctly you will not become fat or have any problems with obesity.

If you choose to have a which has a high level of fat or indeed a high level of carbohydrate (especially man made carbs) you increase your chances dramatically of having problems with your weight. If you continue this way overtime you may end up extremely obese or as doctors use the term morbidly obese.

Fat is much more calorific than either proteins or carbohydrates so when planning a meal try to keep a good balance of both carbs and protein and a smaller amount of fat.

Lets look at each type of fat in turn.

Mono unsaturated fatty acids (MUFA's). Mono unsaturated fats are found at room temperature normally in the form of vegetable oils,nuts and seeds.

Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (Poly

Unsaturated Fats):- These are are most commonly found in vegetable oils, fish and seafood. They are liquid or soft at room temperature. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are types of poly unsaturated fats and are considered essential fatty acids because our bodies need them but don't make them, thus they must be obtained through the diet. Some times referred to as PUFA's.

Saturated fats (Saturated fatty acids) are usually solid at room temperature and are found mainly in foods from animal sources like meat, dairy products and butter. Some vegetable oils such as coconut, palm kernel and palm oil are also full of saturated fatty acids.

Trans fats (TFA's):- These are manufactured vegetable oils which have been specially processed to become solid at room temperature by the addition of hydrogen. You may have heard them called hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils or fats. They have been used in some margarines,junk foods and processed snacks which the manufacturers claim enhances their flavor and prolongs shelf life.

Think of it this way fat from animals such as butter, shortening, pastry and the like are saturated fats. Where as fats from sunflower oils, some nuts and olive oil are unsaturated fats. Some margarines and spreads are also unsaturated fat but read the label first.Don't forget any fat will make you fat if eaten to excess but unsaturated fats are better for you.

All fat will make you put on weight, so always keep it in check and maintain a healthy balance.

Article Source: http://www.articlemap.com

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