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| 14 Keys to a Healthy Diet | 5. Avoid too much sugar. Besides causing tooth decay, sugar is a source of "empty" calories, and many foods that are high in sugar are also high in fat.
6. Ensure to include green, orange and yellow fruits and vegetables, such as broccoli, carrots, cantaloupe, and citrus fruits, in your daily meal. The antioxidants and other nutrients that are found in these foods are regarded as increasingly important in protecting against certain types of cancer and other diseases. Consume five or more servings a day.
7. Keep up a moderate protein intake. Protein should make up about 12% of your total daily calories. Choose low-fat sources.
8. Eat a wide variety of foods. Don't try to fill your nutrient requirements by eating the same foods day after day. It is possible that not every essential nutrient has been identified, and so eating a wide assortment of foods helps to ensure that you will get all the necessary nutrients. In addition, this will restrain your exposure to any pesticides or toxic substances that may be present in one particular food.
9. Pin down your ingestion of sodium to barely 2,400 mg. per day. This is equivalent to the amount of sodium in a little more than a teaspoon of salt. Limit the use of salt in food preparation and on the table; stay away from salty foods; check food labels for the inclusion of ingredients containing sodium.
10. Uphold a sufficient calcium intake. Calcium is essential for strong bones and teeth. Get your calcium from low-fat sources, for instance skim milk and low-fat yogurt. If you can't get the optimal amount from foods, take supplements.
11. Try to obtain your vitamins and minerals from foods, not from supplements. Supplements cannot use instead healthy diet, which supplies nutrients and other compounds besides vitamins and minerals. Foods also supply the "synergy" that many nutrients require for being proficiently used in the body.
12. Consider taking supplements of the antioxidant vitamins E - 200 to 800 IU daily and C - 250 to 500 milligrams daily. Even though you eat a healthy diet, it's unlikely you will get these amounts of E and C. Also think about taking a basic daily multivitamin/mineral supplement, especially if you are a woman of child-bearing age (who needs extra folic acid, a B vitamin) or over age 60 (because of decreased nutrient absorption by the body).
13. Maintain a desirable weight. Balance energy or calorie intake with energy production. Eating a low-fat diet will help you preserve—or lower—your weight, the same as regular exercise.
14. If you drink alcohol, know when to stop. It means: one drink a day for women and two ones a day for men. A drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer, 4 - of wine and 1.5 - of 80-proof spirits. Excess alcohol consumption leads to a variety of health problems. Moreover, alcoholic beverages can add many calories to your diet without supplying nutrients.
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