Diet & Nutrition

The word "diet" probably brings to mind meals of lettuce and cottage cheese. By definition, "diet" refers to what a person eats or drinks during the course of a day. A diet that limits portions to a very small size or that excludes certain foods entirely to promote weight loss may not be effective over the long term. Rather, you are likely to miss certain foods and find it difficult to follow this type of diet for a long time.

How much you eat and what you eat play a major role in how much you weigh.

Make sure that your diet contains all the essential nutrients for good health. Using the Food Guide Pyramid and the Nutrition Facts Label that is found on most processed food products can help you choose a healthful diet. The pyramid shows you the kinds and amounts of food that you need each day for good health. The Nutrition Facts Label will help you select foods that meet your daily nutritional needs.

Overall, it is important to eat a variety of foods. As we will see in the descriptions of specific categories of food, eating only one type will usually provide limited nutrition and an imbalanced diet. Also, in general, I advocate eating a predominantly natural diet containing fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and beans, with only moderate amounts of the more concentrated proteins such as eggs, milk products, and flesh foods, rather than the opposite-one consisting mainly of meats, dairy products, and refined foods and only occasional fresh foods, a diet that is all too common in our society.