Importance of Having 5 Per Centered Portions of Food in One Quarter
In nutrition, the diet is simply the sum total of the food ingested by an individual or group of organisms. The term ‘diet’ refers to the adjustments made to the diet by the food-intake mechanism of the body to maintain physiological balance. The typical modern diet is known as ‘westernized’ diet, which is characterized by high levels of saturated fats and low levels of carbohydrates (in comparison with the east diet, where fats are less available and carbohydrates are higher). This type of diet has been associated with increased incidence of obesity, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension and osteoporosis. It is also associated with numerous other health disorders.
The aim of this article is to discuss the various types of diets – traditional, oriental, processed food and fruit/vegetable diet – and their respective effects on health. The first step in any discussion of diet is to know what the word ‘diet’ means. In the English language, the meaning of diet is defined by the dictionary as: ‘to make a diet; arrange things so as to meet the requirements of the body’. In technical language, the definition of diet can be expanded to: ‘a periodic regime in which food is eaten in considerable quantities, usually with a purpose to remove or reduce the risk of disease or injury’, ‘a structured method of eating used to enhance nutrition or maintain health’.
So, what are the different types of diets? The traditional diet includes mainly raw or uncooked fruits and vegetables. Processed food comprises mainly packaged, frozen, dried and processed foods that do not contain all the nutrients that they claim to contain, and some also contain a great number of calories. One of the examples of this is a diet soft drink, which is artificially sweetened with as much as 500 calories per serving.
The main advantage of this type of diet is that it promotes weight loss. But, at the same time, it does not contribute to the prevention of other diseases. The main reason is that it has high calorie contents. Therefore, it should be taken only in limited quantities, otherwise the result will be unhealthy.
Diets that promote weight loss include mainly the five portions of fruits and vegetables mentioned above. The most suitable option for losing weight quickly is to include these foods in the daily diet, so as to remove the excess calories, and replace them with fresh fruits and vegetables, which have fewer calories but very good nutrients. It is better to avoid starchy grains like wheat, rice and pasta. This type of grains tend to increase the body’s fat levels. Instead, it is advisable to eat unprocessed grains like oats, barley and corn, which have a lesser influence on the level of obesity. Besides fruits and vegetables, the other types of foods that should be included in the daily diet to include meat, eggs and poultry.
As the need for food is unlimited, so the options available for choosing the food items are many. The main purpose is to have a balanced diet that provides all the essential nutrients. In order to do this, one quarter of the daily calories should come from proteins, whereas one quarter should come from vegetables. Carbohydrates can be consumed in the form of whole grain products, brown rice and whole wheat breads. Dairy products, grains, beans and nuts can also be included in the diet in small quantities.
