Here is one of the most misunderstood Joys of Healthy Living: eating healthy, balanced meals. Eating a balanced meal is important. That’s why we need to look at eating a proper mix of nutrients.
When we looked at the The 4 Horseman of the Foodocolypse, we saw that sugar was one of the key things to avoid. Besides the fact that sugar in these forms spikes your blood sugar, it surges your energy followed by an energy crash.
Instead of having a diet high in carbs – whether sugars or other – we need the right types of carbs.
A lot of food in poor diets boils down to two categories: fats and carbs. And these are good types of nutrients, but they must come from a good source and in the right amounts. Fats from fatty meats are bad and cause dietary issues. Fats from healthy sources however, such as nuts, avocados, and seeds can be part of a healthy diet.
Likewise, carbs can be good coming from many food sources, particularly vegetables and fruits. This does not include fruit juice as fruit juice has all the sugar of fruit but none of the fiber of the fruit to delay the absorption of the sugar. So, just like other sugars, it gives a rise in blood sugar followed by an energy drop.
Proteins are great coming from all types of food sources including, nuts, whole grains, and even seeds. And when it comes to how much to have of each in your diet, it’s good to know there is wiggle room. The numbers can fluctuate by about 5%, but it’s good to get around 45% of your calories from carbs, 30% from protein, and 25% from fats.
Next week will will uncover the final Joy of Healthy Living and it’s something we’ve been talking about quite a bit. Be sure to check it out.
