the characteristics of a healthy diet, and the challenge associated with choosing the right foods

Many people go to extremes to get healthy, or lose weight. Many people see diet as a temporary fix, they will go off on an extreme diet, get to where they want to be, and then go back to the lifestyle they use to live. It is also known as crash dieting, it is extremely harmful to your health, and it doesn’t last! You may get to where you want to be, but unless you stick with healthy habits, you’re going to end up right where you were in the first place, unhealthy and unhappy.

 There are all kinds of diets out there, where you can’t eat carbohydrates, or no eating meats, or you can only drink lemonade mixed with cayenne pepper. All of these diets people do to give them the body or the health that they want. But being healthy isn’t something you can do every now and then. Being healthy is a lifestyle choice that should be done every day, not for short periods of time. Going without carbohydrates could be done for a few weeks or a few months, but not many people would last doing diets like that for the remainder of their lives. Being healthy doesn’t mean you have to be perfect. You can have something salty or sweet, depending on your preference, every now and then. If you eat things in moderation, it wont make you gain 10 lbs in a week if you have one piece of cake at your child’s birthday party! But if you allow that in your diet on a regular basis, you will probably be able to tell from your waist size.

Planning a nutritious diet can be very challenging, due to the majority of foods in the grocery stores are processed mixtures and many contain artificial ingredients. Sticking to as much of a whole foods diet as possible is really important.
What are whole foods?

“Whole foods are milk and milk products; meats and similar foods such fish and poultry; vegetables, including dried beans and peas; fruits; and grains. These foods are generally considered to form the basis of a nutritious diet. They are also called basic foods”. (Sizer & Whitney). Choosing the right foods can be hard, because there are so many other choices that are so much faster, cheaper, and more convenient.

There are many factors that drive us to crave certain foods. It is also hard because get together’s among family and friends often revolve around food, and lots of it. It usually isn’t the most nutritious and American’s really have a problem with portion control. Whether it be holidays, sporting events, birthdays, back yard barbeques, etc, there is probably going to be food there. Also, the convenience of unhealthy foods are everywhere. Fast food restaurants are everywhere, and when you’re on the go, it can really be easy to just swing in and grab some food. Time management is really important to try and avoid these challenges you may face, because these foods often times provide very little nutrition, excess calories, saturated fats, and overly processed foods that are not good for our bodies. 

References 

Sizer, F.S., Whitney, E. (2012). Nutrition: Concepts & Controversies. (12^th Ed.). California:
            Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.