HEALTHY EATING AND HEALTHY DIET

By now everyone has heard of eating a balanced diet for better health but some believe a healthy diet also means a balanced diet. In fact they are both different.
A balanced diet enables us to obtain all essential nutrients present in a wide range of foods. If the balanced diet plan is consistent it will also provide a regular supply of vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients ensuring optimum health and vitality. Optimum health means less illness and health complications but more importantly increase energy levels for physical activity, this is great news for dieting and rapid weight loss. Its important to be aware that a balanced diet can also provide too many fats, refined sugar and salt. If any diet provides too much saturated fat, cholesterol and refined sugars it may be classed as unhealthy and not much use in any program.
A healthy diet plan is mainly a consumption of natural, fresh and wholesome foods for each meal of the day, foods chosen are usually low in fats, sodium and refined sugars. The difference is a healthy diet plan provides us with some nutrients but the balanced diet plan provides us with all essential nutrients.
The problem starts because we tend to eat very similar food every day especially if its our favourite we'll naturally want to eat it more often. Consuming the same foods or types of food can lead to a deficiency in a certain nutrient only present in another food group, one not chosen in our diet plan.
While on a diet we really need to obtain all nutrients the body requires while at the same time maintain a natural and healthy weight loss. Normally a healthy diet plan can help weight loss but a combination of the healthy diet and a balanced diet plan would be great for permanent weight control. We would consume low fat foods plus gain all nutrients. Providing all nutrients regularly gives us the vitality to exercise effectively. Possessing little vitality can give anyone that "can't be bothered or too tired attitude", I mean ever wondered why sometimes we feel so down and low in energy. Some experts believe deficiencies in some nutrients can reduce our ability to produce enough energy making us feel lethargic, although more research is needed.
The idea of combining both the healthy and balanced diet plan is to:
* provide variety in the diet
* consume more grains, fresh fruits & vegetables which help increase energy levels
* low fat intake - especially saturated fats
* reduce sugar intake
* lower salt intake
* provide optimum health & vitality - it gives us the energy to be more active, this = rapid weight loss!