| Good nutrition is the cornerstone of good health. Not only is eating right crucial for the proper growth and functioning of your body, but there is strong evidence that it can offer protection from many chronic diseases as well. Eating healthfully isn’t as difficult as some people think. You don’t necessarily have to make radical changes in the way you eat or give up your favorite foods. The Nutrition section of New-Fitness focuses on the various components of diet individually, sorting out the benefits and misconceptions and indicating which foods you should try to eat on a daily basis and which ones to limit. |
 |
Healthy DietProtein – Defined, Requirements, Food Sources Much has been said about protein in our diets – that we need it (as of course we do), that athletes should load up on it, that not all proteins are created equal, that we eat too much protein and should therefore cut down our consumption of meat and dairy products and fall back on fruits and vegetables to maintain ourselves. How much protein do we need to be healthy? Facts and Benefits of Fiber Fiber is not a single substance. It is an enormous group of widely different chemical substances with varied physical properties. Fiber is divided into two basic types – soluble and insoluble. Nutritionists have discovered that fiber performs valuable functions precisely because it is not digested. Food Additives Food additives are hardly new: they have been with us for thousands of years, probably starting with the discovery that salted meat lasted longer. And they are not likely to go away, since Americans depend on an ever-wider variety of convenience foods that require additives. Some of these substances offer indisputable health benefits, but most additives are used solely to make foods more attractive and palatable to consumers. Healthy Eating – Fitness tips For many Americans having enough to eat is not a problem, but many people don’t eat a healthy diet. Consuming too many calories from any kind of food source can produce fat. Twelve Steps to a Healthy Diet Developing healthy eating habits isn’t as confusing or as restrictive as many people imagine. The first principle of a healthy diet is to eat a wide variety of foods, rather than emphasize any one category. This is important because different foods make different nutritional contributions. Nutrition and Exercise The dietary needs of athletes and other active individuals are, with a few small adjustments, not very different from those recommended for all healthy people. Active individuals expend more energy than sedentary people, so they do need to consume more calories; the exact number depends on age, body size and composition, activity, and level of training. |