Nutrition 101 from Young Women’s Health
Here is your nutrition 101 basics from Young Women’s Health. But this information is not just for women, it applies to men also. This guide is a great way to understand what types of food you are eating throughout the day and how those foods affect you. Going back to basics, the main food groups are:
- dairy/dairy substitutes
- grains
- fats
- fruits/vegetables
- proteins
Each food group serves a different purpose. Here is what Young Women’s Health says:
- Dairy– builds strong bones. Dairy is essential to young women in order to build strong bones and avoid osteoporosis, but dairy is just as important to men. Make sure to have 3 servings of low-fat dairy a day. Try adding a glass of low fat milk with every meal, snack on cheese or yogurt throughout the day or have pudding for dessert.
- Grains– provide energy for muscles and brains. Most diets fear carbs, but they are an essential part of our diet. Try to include mulit-grain or whole wheat in your diet, instead of the starchy white grain products. Young Women’s Health suggests including grains such as rice, pasta and bread at every meal.
- Fats– you actually need them, but only in moderation. This does not mean to go out and eat a large french fry – instead eat healthy fats such as olive oil, avocados, nuts or seeds.
- Fruits and vegetables– Fruits and vegetables are the most essential part of our daily nutrition. They provide vitamins and minerals for healthy skin, hair, nails and immune system. Be sure to have at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day.
- Proteins– men are not the only one who need these! Proteins maintaining and building muscle. Try fish, beans, eggs, tofu, peanut butter, chicken, beef or other meats at two meals a day.
on May 5th, 2011 at 12:37 am
I have found that protein has really helped in weight loss and not using eating so much starchy carbs has helped to not feel so sluggish. I still enjoy the carbs but sticking to brown rice, whole wheat pasta, quinoa (also great protein source) and whole grain bread as a healthier alternative.
on July 12th, 2011 at 3:29 pm
A balanced diet is so important – stay away from the processed foods and you will be miles ahead of most people. As for protein – you should try to consume protein from real foods such as fish and chicken but it is OK to supplement with a protein shake per day.
on August 1st, 2011 at 10:52 am
This is surely a handy general list of guidelines if you want to keep a healthy diet. However, I woukd not recommend big quantities of dairy products, especially for women in menopause. In fact, recent studies have shown that, contrary to popular belief, dairy products not only do not help against osteoporosis, but in some cases can make things worst.
Steven L.
on August 4th, 2011 at 6:44 am
You know what, nowadays, the way those people processing the food out there, as well as how they handle it, it is inevitable that we do require something more than just the food itself. I believe in drinking tea, it goes all the way in helping your body .. go and find out more on tea especially the oolong tea .. it is amazing..
on August 14th, 2011 at 2:21 pm
A good thing to note: most of the fat is best for breakfast. The body then has a good base to work with throughout the day. This way the heavier food items are working longer.
on August 25th, 2011 at 9:43 am
Thanks for the post! I found this interesting and informative.
on August 29th, 2011 at 9:08 pm
You can try any diet in the world and not succeed
without a proper exercise routine.
Thanks for the informative article.
on November 7th, 2011 at 2:08 pm
These are some great tips!
on December 13th, 2011 at 11:55 pm
Great information here, I also think that unless you dedicate an effective 45 to 60 minutes each day in at least one physical exercise, you won’t lose weight fast.
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