We have all heard the claims, seen the advertisements and probably tried one, two or them. What are they? Diets. Approximately 61% of U. S. citizens are overweight and about 26% of those are obese, which is defined as 30 pounds or more over a healthy weight (Willet, 2001, p.
4). I believe the largest fallacies of dieting relate to reducing fat content and counting calories. If people had a better understanding of how their bodies functioned then they could make wiser decisions about eating habits and maintaining a healthy body. Although I have never really been over weight, I have tried my fair share of diets. I just always wanted to lose that extra 5 or 10 pounds.
At the age of 18, my weight was at its highest ever I was 5′ 8″ at 165 pounds. My weight gain was due to a drastic change in eating habits and lack of exercise. Of course, at that age, I just stepped up my exercise routine and cut back on calories and fat content, and 15 pounds were gone in a month. Through all my dieting experiences, it seemed like I was destined to weigh 145 pounds. I have read many books on diet and exercise, and have even reached my goal weight, only to put the extra back on. Today a new dieting fad is the Atkins Diet.
I have read Dr. Atkins’ book, and I believe in the principles it presents. Controlled carbohydrates are the basis of his diet. The standard American diet being refined sugars / carbohydrates makes the Atkins approach is a viable solution to losing weight and maintaining a healthy body.
However, I also believe that a well-rounded diet is of the utmost importance. I believe that for any diet to be successful, one needs to know how all the elements in food, such as water, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals, work with the human body. Water, the most basic nutrient the body needs, is readily accessible for all Americans, yet we usually don’t drink enough. The intake of water should be balanced with the output. The daily-recommended intake is 6 – 8 glasses, and can increase to up to ten times more during strenuous physical activities. It is the most abundant element in the human body and carries out three primary functions essential to life (Jordon, 1997, p.
227): o Contributes to the structure and form of the body. o Supplies the vital environment for cell processes. o Supports body temperature regulation. Proteins make up the basic structure of all living cells. Proteins are classified as complete or incomplete, depending on the amount of amino acids they contain. Complete proteins that come from animal origins, contain all nine essential amino acids.
Incomplete proteins that are derived from plant sources (grains, legumes, seeds, and nuts), only represent the full nine amino acids when combined. Proteins are vital for tissue growth, repair and maintenance (Jordon, 1997, p. 226). The most talked about nutrient today is the carbohydrate. Carbohydrates fuel the body by depositing simple sugars straight into the blood stream that can be rapidly absorbed for energy through the action of insulin, a hormone secreted by the pancreas. Carbohydrates are found in plant foods such as legumes, nuts, grains, vegetables and fruits.
There are three forms of carbohydrate (Jordon, 1997, p. 227): o Monosaccharide – simple sugars (glucose, fructose, and galactose). o Disaccharides – comprised of two monosaccharide (e. g. , table sugar (sucrose), combined glucose and fructose. ) o Polysaccharides – comprised of many monosaccharide chains.
The one nutrient that is misunderstood and plagues many diets in the United States is fat. Fats are essential to forming important structural compounds and aid in regulating body temperature. All fatty acids are made-up of hydrogen atoms and carbons atoms, which are bonded together. Natural fats are divided in to three categories (Jordon, 1997, pg. 228), and there is an additional manufactured Trans fat (Atkins, 1999, pg. 353): H H | | -C – C- | | H H o Saturated fats – Chemical compound containing the maximum amount of hydrogen, all connected with a single bond.
Primarily found in animal fats. H H | | -C = C- o Unsaturated fats – Chemical compound that has fewer hydrogen bonds and contains a double carbon bond. Contained in foods of plant origin and some seafood. o Poly saturated fats – Similar to unsaturated fats, may contain triple bonds between the carbon atoms. Found in plants and some seafood. H | -C = C- | H o Tran fats – A manufactured fat that has added hydrogen atoms to a vegetable oil compound to increase shelf life and flavor stability to food products.
Trans fats are found in products such as margarine, cookies, fried foods, salad dressings etc. The word vitamin is derived from the root word “vita,” meaning essential to life. Vitamins are essential for specific bodily functions such as growth, maintenance, reproduction and repair. They are absorbed into the bloodstream through the food that we eat. Although they may be obtained through tablet form, the best possible way to get vitamins is to eat plenty of fresh vegetables, fruits, and have a well-rounded diet (Jordon, 1997, p. 229).
Minerals carry out bodybuilding functions and act as and maintenance agents. They are absorbed through the small intestine and are categorized in two main groups (Jordon, 1997, p. 229): o Major minerals present in large amounts. o Trace minerals utilized in lesser amounts. The majority of Americans should have no problem getting all six elements needed for a healthy diet.
The problem our “growing” nation faces is the consumption of too many calories from the wrong sources and the relationship of that consumption to our level of physical activity (Willet, 2001, p. 15). I have always been a big eater, but luckily for me I never acquired the taste for wrong caloric choices such as “fast food,” soda or many of the other foods that are making our nation fat. We are a society constantly on the go. Frequenting such places as Mc Donald’s and super-sizing our meals, which not only loads on the calories but also supplements our fat intake with the worst kind of fat; Trans fat.
Trans fat is actually worse for your arteries than lard. Trans fat not only increases levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol in the bloodstream, but it also decreases levels of ‘good’ cholesterol (Atkins, 1999, p. 354). Many Americans have realized the harmful effects of the “fast food” trend and have opted for the low fat diet promoted by the USDA. For many years, I followed this same principal, steaming my veggies, using non-stick pans so I could avoid cooking with oil. What I did not realize was that by cutting all fats I was also eliminating monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats that are required in any diet.
Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are found in foods such as nuts, avocados, fish, olives, and most oils, and help lower ‘bad’ cholesterol levels without affecting ‘good’ cholesterol levels (Atkins, 1999, p. 14). Not only did I jump on the fat reducing bandwagon, I also followed the non-fat, low-fat trend of replacing high fat content food with lower fat substitutes which are usually high in sugar or refined carbohydrates. I thought that a bagel or toast with jam and a nonfat yogurt was a healthier option in the morning for breakfast, when actually, it is one of the unhealthiest combinations I could eat. I would have been better off with scrambled eggs cooked in olive oil and a piece of sprouted multi grain bread, which is what I now eat the majority of the time. Carbohydrates are rated based on their glycemic index.
The glycemic index is a numeric scale that assigns a number from 1 to 100 to a carbohydrate to show how fast it enters the blood stream as a sugar. A high number in this case is bad. After eating a high glycemic index meal, such as the bagel and yogurt combination, the body releases a surge of insulin, which quickly stores the sugar in muscle and fat cells. This high sugar also inhibits another hormone, glucagon, which ordinarily tells the body to burn its stored fuel. So much is stored so fast that within two or three hours blood sugar levels drop and the body needs more fuel.
However, because glucagon is still in short supply, the body does not tap into its fat supply for energy (Atkins, 1999, p. 78). The inevitable result? Hunger. I suffered from those hunger pangs for many years until I read nutrition books such as Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution and Eat, Drink and be Healthy by Dr.
Willet. My diet changed from a low fat, high starch content to a high protein, low carbohydrate, abundant in vegetables, and moderate unsaturated fat content. This consists of eggs for breakfast, chicken and veggies for lunch and a square meal for dinner. Now I rarely get the 10: 00 am and 3: 00 pm cravings for sugary sweets or other high carbohydrate treats, and find it much easier to maintain my body weight. I believe that the other key component to maintaining a healthy body is exercise. There are many benefits to exercise.
Exercise increases the Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), which is the measurement of energy that is required to keep the body functioning while at rest. The food we consume is metabolized in to energy that is measured in kilocalories (calories). In respects to food energy, each gram of protein is worth 4 calories, each gram of carbohydrate 4 calories, and each gram of fat 9 calories (Jordon, 1997, p. 66). To maintain the ideal body weight one must consume the amount that is used. I have been able to maintain the same body weight through exercise and being conscientious of my food choices, eating a well rounded diet and minimal intake of refined carbohydrates.
Not only that, due to my exercise regime, I have lots of energy, sleep well, maintain a good mood and have always had excellent results on my physicals. I believe that exercise is the most important thing a person can do for himself or herself and there is no good excuse for not exercising. I have been physically active since I was a child and plan to continue being active the remainder of my life. I realize that my approach to health is a blend of many philosophies but it mostly resembles that of Dr.
Walter C. Willet’s New Food Pyramid (2001). I concur with Dr. Willet that the U. S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Guide Pyramid, introduced in 1992, is out dated and needs to reflect today’s latest food research.
The proposal of the new food pyramid encourages the consumption of healthy fats and whole grain foods but recommends avoiding refined carbohydrates, butter and red meat. It also includes the addition of exercise as an important part of any diet, which I believe to be the most essential part of a healthy lifestyle. Reproduced from Eat, Drink and be Healthy, Dr. Walter C. Willet: New York: Simon and Schuster 2001. With all the knowledge I have gained over the years I believe that a healthy diet must be one of quality.
I focus on the types of foods I put in to my body, and do not worry about calories, relying on my body to let me know what it needs. To avoid false messages, I stay away from white bread, white rice, pasta, starchy vegetables such as potatoes, and sugary foods. I refrain from using animal fats or buying those products that contain Trans fat (e. g.
margarine, packaged baked goods, chips, crackers, breakfast bars, not to mention the famous Oreos). I once read that one should shop around the perimeter of the supermarket for a healthy diet, as that is where produce and other quality foods are located. I find this to be true and avoid the inner aisles whenever possible. The body is an amazing creation. We are only given one, and it cannot be traded or exchanged, so we need to treat it right.
The old adage says, “garbage in, garbage out.” Too many of us abuse our bodies and take them for granted. We must treat them right if they are to sustain us through a long and healthy life. I am heading out for my afternoon run with my dog, wishing you a happy and healthy life style. See you at the gym.
Cited Works Atkins, Robert, C. , Dr. (1999) Dr. Atkins’ Diet Revolution. New York: Avon Books. Gardiner-Kozak, Diane, ed.
(2001) Women’s Health Today 2001. United States of America: Rodale. Jordon, Peg, ed. (1997) Fitness Theory and Practice. 2 nd ed. California: Aerobics and Fitness Association of America.
The Associated Press (September 2 nd 2003) Dietary Experts Debate Carbohydrates. Retrieved Oct 5 th 2003, from web 7228/368856. html? d = dmtICNNews Willet, Walter, C. , Dr. (2001).
Eat, Drink and be Healthy. New York: Simon and Schuster.