Eating Healthy Foods: WTE To Achieve a Healthy Balanced Diet

WTE on a Healthy Balanced Diet?

There are so many different popular nutrition philosophies, they create confusion causing many people to ask, "What are healthy foods to eat"? I thought it would be nice to also shed some light on WTE (what to eat) on a healthy balanced diet. This may help answer some questions regarding which diet is really "perfect" for you.

The United State's Department of Agriculture's, "My Plate".

Take a look above at the pictures reflecting healthy food choices. Different food suggestions, different ideas of healthy foods. Yet, they have one big similarity. None of them mention chips, cookies or ice cream. Sure it is ok to dabble a little bit once in a while, but junkie convenience foods have crept their way into daily eating. And, eating junk daily is never good.

Moreover, for some of us, desserts are a staple after each meal.

The three diets (shown above) are examples of the anti-inflammatory diet, the low carb diet and the calorie controlled diet. Just a few of the hundreds of thousands of different ways to feed yourself. With so many diets out there, which is best? What food plans work and how are you supposed to know WTE?

What Healthy Foods Should I Eat?

A balanced diet, or healthy food plan, is not the same for everyone. By definition, balanced eating would apply solely to consuming a balanced ratio of nutrients from carbs, protein, and fat (1:1:1). In a balanced diet, calories are distributed evenly across the board at about 33% of total calories for each macronutrient. You should understand that most "healthy" plans don't emphasize this balanced equation. Also, personal situations may dictate and override a general balanced diet formula.

A healthy diet will have different healthy foods for everyone based on their own special circumstance. For example:

Being athletic can change the nutritional playing field. Athletes may benefit from eating a balanced ratio of nutrients. But the formula may need a little tweaking to account for their goals to fuel, recover and repair from the stress of long bouts of physical activity and the additional specialized needs for any particular sport. Their health plan will contain more healthy foods like proteins such as chicken, meat or eggs.

Hippocrates, 460 BC- 377 BC, is noted for his famous quote “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”. This means that if you have a medical condition, such as diabetes, high triglycerides, high blood pressure, polycystic ovarian syndrome etc... a "balanced" diet may require tipping the scales more towards healthy foods. Choose certain nutrients like healthy fats and keep away from others, like carbohydrates. This will assist the body in equalizing the medical imbalance of that particular health condition.

If you are healthy, do exercise and within your goal weight, eating an equal amount of calories from protein, fats, and carbs might be a goal and would be considered healthy foods for you.

WTE on a Healthy Balanced Diet Wrap Up

There is a lot of information out there on WTE. My best advice is to understand what your personal needs are and use healthy foods that will work for you. Nutrients can act in your favor or against you. It's your choice. If you need to use these general plans to jump-start healthy eating use them but long term, strive to "balance" and personalize your eating, tailored just for you.

Have more questions about nutrition and healthy foods? Check out The Stubborn Fat Fix to make the change towards a healthy lifestyle.