Healthy Diet Weight Loss Dietary Supplements
Basic Food Serving Definitions
Calorie-free: fewer than 5 calories
Low calorie: 40 calories or fewer
Reduced calorie: at least 25% fewer calories than the regular food item has
Fat free: less than ½ gram of fat
Low fat: 3 grams of fat or fewer
Reduced fat: at least 25% less fat than the regular food item has
Cholesterol free: fewer than 2 milligrams cholesterol and no more than 2 grams of saturated fat
Low cholesterol: 20 milligrams or fewer cholesterol and 2 grams or less saturated fat
Sodium free: fewer than 5 milligrams sodium
Very low sodium: fewer than 35 milligrams sodium
Low sodium: fewer than 140 milligrams sodium
High fiber: 5 grams or more fiber
The following basic guidelines are what you need to know to construct a healthy diet. Add weight loss dietary supplements as needed.
1 Limit your total fat intake. In healthy diet fat should supply less than 30% of your total daily calories. Limit your intake of fat by having a semi-vegetarian diet. Choose lean meats, light-meat poultry without the skin, fish, and low-fat dairy products. In addition, cut back on vegetable oils and butter or foods made with these as well as on mayonnaise, salad dressings, and fried foods.
2 Limit your intake of saturated fat. This is the kind of fat, found mostly in animal products, that boosts blood cholesterol levels and has other adverse health effects. It should supply less than one-third of the calories derived from fat.
3 Keep your cholesterol intake below 300 milligrams per day. Cholesterol is found only in animal products, such as meats, poultry, dairy products, and egg yolks.
4 Eat foods rich in complex carbohydrates. Carbohydrates should contribute at least 55% of your total daily calories. To help meet this requirement, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables and six or more servings of grains (preferably whole grains) or legumes daily. This will help you obtain the 20 to 30 grams of dietary fiber you need each day, as well as provide important vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals (plant chemicals essential to good health).
5 Avoid too much sugar. Besides contributing to tooth decay, sugar is a source of "empty" calories, and many foods that are high in sugar are also high in fat.
6 Make sure to include green, orange, and yellow fruits and vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, cantaloupe, and citrus fruits. The antioxidants and other nutrients in these foods are regarded as increasingly important in helping protect against developing certain types of cancer and other diseases. Eat five or more servings a day.
7 Maintain a moderate protein intake. In healthy diet, protein should make up about 12% of your total daily calories. Choose low-fat sources.