What is a diet? Simply put, diet is the total amount of food ingested by an organism or individual. It also involves the amount of energy that is required to digest and absorb food, the quality of the food that was eaten, and the individual’s dietary patterns. Basically, a diet is a plan where all the major components of an organism’s diet are adhered to in the right proportion. Usually, it’s a well-balanced diet that contains all the nutrients an organism needs. The key to healthy dieting is regular physical activity, including regular exercise, lots of liquids, and reducing stress levels.
The dictionary defines diet as “an arrangement under which food is taken mainly for health, preservation, and the avoidance of disease.” In simple terms, eating less means living a healthier life. Dieting has been proven to aid in weight control, especially when it is practiced regularly and in its mildest forms. This principle applies not just to humans but animals as well. In fact, animal welfare groups have made drastic recommendations to their members not to eat too sparingly.
A good diet should be one that meets nutritional needs and is balanced. Regular dieting helps in weight control because it reduces the intake of calories by a certain percentage. For instance, if an individual eats five servings of fruits and vegetables per day, then he/she would be consuming an estimated 2021 calories in a day. In dieting, the word “diet” should not be mistaken for “eating” in the strictest sense of the term, because there are certain recommended limits to the amount of calories that an individual may take in.
Although there are many types of diet, the four main types include the PN (prevention, nutrition, and weight loss), WF (weight gain, prevention), and SL (skinny on the outside, but loaded with nutrients) type of diet. There are some general principles that can be followed in all four types of dieting. Generally, it’s suggested that people should eat at least two servings of fruits and/or vegetables per day. Fruits and vegetables are very important in a diet, since they provide essential vitamins and minerals, and fibers that aid in regular bowel movement.
On the other hand, fruits and vegetables should comprise the major part of a person’s diet. They are the best source of vitamins and minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. Moreover, fruits and vegetables are very filling and do not make people feel hungry quickly unlike fad diets that emphasize on protein and carbohydrates. The latter types of diet, such as low-carb and low-fat dieting, are highly advised against, since they do not contain enough nutrients and do not satisfy hunger easily.
Aside from fruits and vegetables, whole grains and legumes are also recommended in order to obtain fiber. These foods can be classified into the three main categories: grain foods, legume foods, and vegetable foods. Each category has its own purpose, which is different from one another, which makes it important to pay attention to how and what they’re used for. For example, grain foods are best served as snacks, while vegetable and legume foods are better for helping to meet one’s daily quota of fiber.