A healthy diet is the basic prerequisite for physical and mental well-being and for the performance of our organism. Although most people are aware of the importance of a healthy diet, the reality in our affluent society is often different. The modern diet and lifestyle has not only given us a diverse range of foods and beverages, but also flawed nutritional behaviors. Unfortunately, these play a decisive role in the development of civilization diseases such as high blood pressure, elevated blood lipid levels, diabetes, obesity, stroke and heart attack.
What does healthy eating mean?
Healthy eating means a low-fat, high-carbohydrate, balanced mixed diet with adequate hydration. It ensures an optimal supply of the nutrients carbohydrates, protein and fat, the micronutrients vitamins, minerals and trace elements, and fiber and water. Our body needs these nutrients as fuel to maintain vital functions, growth and activity.
The three main nutrients
Protein, carbohydrates and fats are the three main components of our diet. Of these, fat contains the highest energy content at 9.3 kilocalories (39 kJ) per gram. Carbohydrates and protein have an equivalent energy content of 4.1 kilocalories per gram. In a healthy, balanced diet should
- 50-60 percent of the daily calorie amount from carbohydrates.
- 15-20 percent from protein and
- 25-30 percent come from fat.
As proven by numerous studies, the average citizen of the industrialized world consumes far more fat calories. Depending on the country, fat makes up 40 to 50 percent, sometimes even more of the daily diet. As a result, the development of obesity in particular is pre-programmed. Their daily calorie requirement depends primarily on their gender, age and level of physical activity. In the case of light physical work, it is a maximum of 2000 kilocalories for women and 2300 kilocalories for men . For heavy physical activity, it is higher; however, a maximum of 3100 kilocalories for women and 3500 kilocalories for men.
Proteins (proteins)
Proteins are the most important building materials of our body. They are made up of small units called amino acids. Protein molecules not only make up all cells, organs and nerves, but also hormones, enzymes and messenger substances. Eight of the 20 amino acids cannot be produced by the organism itself; they are essential, i.e. necessary for life, and must be ingested with food. In addition, protein is also an energy carrier. Proteins are of animal or vegetable origin. They are found in meat, sausage, poultry, fish, seafood, eggs, cheese, milk and dairy products. In plant foods, they are found primarily in legumes, soy products, whole grains, nuts and collard greens. In general, a daily intake of 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight is recommended. The mistake is often made to equate animal protein with meat. In addition to eggs, milk and dairy products provide high-quality protein. Animal protein sources are also often high in fat. Therefore, vegetable sources of protein are also recommended, as this usually means that much less fat is absorbed.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are the main sources of energy for humans. A distinction is made between simple, dual and complex carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates (monosaccharides) consist of a single sugar component: like the glucose in honey or the fructose in fruit. Dual sugars (disaccharides) are made up of two such building blocks. These include sucrose in sugar cubes, powdered or crystallized sugar, or lactose from milk. Complex carbohydrates (polysaccharides) are made up of a large number of sugar components that the body first has to break down. These carbohydrates are found, for example, in cereals, whole grain products, bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, legumes and also in fruits and vegetables.
- The carbohydrate portion of our diet should consist primarily of complex carbohydrates. Since they must first be broken down in the small intestine, they enter the blood more slowly but continuously. This results in a constant blood glucose level over a longer period of time. This enables a constant supply of energy over a longer period of time.In addition, these carbohydrates provide important vitamins, minerals and fiber. The body must also, similar to protein, expend energy to make long-chain carbohydrates usable.
- The simple sugars, (mono- and disaccharides) are more rapidly converted by the body into glucose and enter the blood more quickly. They cause blood sugar levels to rise rapidly and increase insulin secretion. More insulin means increased breakdown of glucose, a decrease in blood glucose levels and renewed feelings of hunger.
You should therefore consume few simple carbohydrates and better at complex ones. Excess carbohydrates are not simply excreted again, but are stored as endogenous starch in the liver and muscles as quickly usable energy. In addition, under certain circumstances excess glucose can be converted into fat. As a result, if the diet is very high in carbohydrates (over 500 grams of sugar a day), even if it is low in fat, the well-known fat deposits can develop.
Fats
Today, fats are largely considered fatteners, since they have twice as many calories as carbohydrates or protein. But our bodies can’t get along entirely without fats. That’s because fats serve as energy sources, flavor carriers and are essential for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K from the intestines and bloodstream. The smallest components of fats are divided into unsaturated and saturated fatty acids according to their structure.
- Saturated fatty acids are predominantly found in animal foods, such as butter, cream, mayonnaise, meat, sausage, cheese but also in palm and coconut fat. Saturated fats are mainly involved in the development of civilization diseases and easily stored by the body.
- Unsaturated fatty acids, such as the often-mentioned linoleic acid, are essential substances on which the body depends. They are found mainly in vegetable oil, seeds, avocados, legumes, cereals, as well as in sea fish, such as salmon, herring, mackerel and tuna. They perform many important functions in the organism, for example, as building materials of the cells and nerves and as a starting material for the formation of hormones.
Many people consume too many saturated fats every day. This makes in the long run overweight and sick. It comes to increased blood fat levels, increased cholesterol levels and as a result to the formation of arteriosclerotic coatings on the walls of blood vessels (“arteriosclerosis“). This increases the risk of developing thrombosis or suffering a heart attack, for example. In practice, the following applies: Eat no more than 60 to 70 grams of fat a day and fewer foods that are rich in saturated fatty acids. Instead, include a portion of sea fish and high-quality vegetable oils in your diet twice a week, and watch out for hidden fats in sausage, chocolate and the like. You should also be careful with the combination of fat and quickly utilizable carbohydrates, such as those often found in cakes filled with cream or butter. They lead to an even faster storage of fat in our fat cells.
Water/Liquid
Water is another vital component of our diet, although it contains no energy and only insignificant amounts of minerals and trace elements. Water is a component of our body cells, blood and lymph and is needed as a means of transport for nutrients and metabolites, digestive juices, as a temperature regulator and solvent. The water content of the body depends on age, sex and body fat content. An adult human being consists of about 60 percent water. This shows the importance of water for our body. The minimum fluid requirement is 1.5 to 2.0 liters per day and should be met with water, tea and unsweetened, preferably diluted fruit juices. Because of its effect on the gastrointestinal tract (stimulates the production of gastric juice and bile) and on the nervous system, coffee should be drunk only in moderation. Coffee and black tea also contain waxes and roasting agents that can cause stomach irritation. Excessive consumption of sweet drinks should also be discouraged, as they add to the calorie account.
Dietary fiber
With this designation is wrongly associated rather something negative, just ballast. Yet they fulfill important tasks for humans, especially in the gastrointestinal tract. They are indigestible plant fibers, most of which also belong to the complex carbohydrates.Due to their great water-binding and swelling capacity, they are of great importance for digestion. They bind excess gastric acid and swell in the intestine. Intestinal activity is promoted and constipation is prevented. Dietary fibers are found, for example, as cellulose and pectin in lettuce, vegetables and cereals. However, it is important to drink enough when eating a diet rich in dietary fiber, otherwise hard stools will occur. An intake of at least 30 grams of dietary fiber per day is recommended. For weight reduction, dietary fibers are particularly recommended because they swell up strongly in the stomach, leave the stomach only slowly and thus provide a longer feeling of satiety.
Vital substances (micronutrients)
Micronutrients include vitamins and minerals. Vitamins can not produce the body itself or only in small quantities. Therefore, they must necessarily be ingested with food. They are often components of enzymes, the little helpers that make our metabolism possible. Metabolism means digesting food and generating energy, building or renewing cells in tissues and organs, and eliminating what is no longer needed. If vitamins are lacking, the smooth functioning of important digestive and remodeling processes is disturbed. A large part of the main nutrients can only be made accessible to the body with the help of vitamins. Many areas of action of vitamins are well known. For example, vitamin K takes care of blood clotting, vitamin A is responsible for vision, and vitamin D controls the incorporation of calcium, phosphorus and other minerals into bone tissue. The B vitamins are often components of enzymes and are thus involved in many metabolic functions. Vitamins can be divided into two groups: Into the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K and the water-soluble vitamins of the B group and vitamin C. They are mainly found in fresh foods. They are easily lost during prolonged storage and heat. Therefore, steam or stew fruits and vegetables only briefly. In addition, water-soluble vitamins are stored in the body only in small quantities. The human organism is therefore dependent on a regular supply of this vitamin group. Minerals, like vitamins, are not energy carriers. However, they are indispensable for many bodily functions and cannot be produced by the body. They form bones and tooth substance, support enzymes, ensure nerve conduction, control cell permeability and regulate tissue pressure. Important minerals are, for example: iron for the formation of red blood cells, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus for bone formation and iodine for good thyroid function. Minerals that are only needed in very small amounts are called trace elements. Milk, liver, whole grain products and vegetables are particularly rich in these vital substances and should not be missing from your diet. Mineral water is also a good source of minerals.
