Tips To Aid A Good Eating Pattern

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Eating the right proportion of food nutrient is one sure way to live a healthy life, most people in Nigeria eat to die, they eat because they feel like eating and not necessary because they need to eat, to feed their cells. Here are a few tips to assist you in a better feeding pattern.

1. Take a week or two to examine everything you eat, just to note down a pattern of unhealthy habits you don’t need.

2. Don’t skip breakfast.

3. Learn to shop more healthy food.

4. Know the difference in fats.

-Polyunsaturated-fatty acid those are usually liquid at room temperature and come from vegetable, nut or seed sources such as olive.

-Saturated ­­_fatty acid that are usually hard at room temperature and come from animal sources (except for coconut oil).

-Monounsaturated Fatty acids that remain liquid at room and body temperature but solidify in the refrigerator. They are in olive, peanut, avocado, and other oils

5. Note down some of your poor eating habit which could include snacking between meals, eating fried foods, too much meat, junk food, not eating fruit and vegetables, or eating salad with lots of salad dressing.

6. Know the difference in carbohydrates.

A. Principal Carbohydrate includes sugar, starches, and cellulose. They are the primary sources of energy and necessary for the digestion and assimilation of other foods.

i. Sugar - simple sugar, as in honey and fruits, are easily digested. Double sugar, such require more digestion.

ii. Starches require prolonged enzymatic action in order to be broken down into simple sugar, (glucose) for digestion.

iii. Cellulose is commonly found in the skins of fruit and vegetable, is largely indigestible by human, contributes very little energy to the diet, and provides the bulk necessary for intestinal action and elimination.

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B. Refined Carbohydrates include foods such as white flour, white sugar and white polished rice. They lack B vitamins and other nutrients. “Excessive consumption of these foods will perpetuate any vitamin B deficiency a person may have. If the B vitamins are absent, carbohydrate combustion cannot take place, and indigestion, symptoms of heartburn, and nausea can result. Research continues as to whether or not such problems as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressures, anemia, kidney disease and cancer can be linked to an overabundance of refined carbohydrates in the diet. However, a total lack of carbohydrates may produce ketosis, loss of energy, depression and breakdown of essential body protein”, state the Nutrition Almanac.

C. Complex carbohydrates include natural or unrefined sugars and starches with cellulose. They are naturally found in honey, fruit, whole grains and vegetables.

7. Eat more fish

8. Snack on fresh fruit and vegetables (raw or lightly steamed vegetables preferably).

9. Eat more non-meat protein than meat protein such as cheese, eggs, legumes and soy products.

10. Drink at least 8 glasses of water.