Health Nutrition

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Given the prevalence of obesity and malnutrition that exists even in developed countries, health nutrition is extremely important. Health nutrition covers what exactly a person needs to eat in order to live a healthy life.

A fundamental of health nutrition is to consume only the amount of food needed in order to maintain one's current weight, or less if trying to lose weight. The prevalence of obesity in the United States suggests that many people do not follow this advice. However, according to health nutrition, our base nature is to consume as much food as possible, in case there is no food the next day. Therefore, modern-day humankind has to overcome some deep-rooted desires.

Proper proportion of foods is also stressed by health nutritionists. The Department of Agriculture has issued a food pyramid, which replaces their previous version of the four food groups. According to health nutritionists, the food pyramid is superior because it also takes into account the number of servings a person should have of each group. Grains are at the bottom. The next layer consists of dairy products and fruits and vegetables. Meats are the next layer and junk food is at the top.

Health nutrition also seeks to avoid processed foods. According to one health nutrition study performed in China,some regions had little to no cancer or heart disease, while others had much higher rates, comparable to the United States. This was found to coincide with diets that were more plant-based to diets that were more animal-based. In other words, health nutrition suggests that in order to live a healthier life, a diet heavy on fruits, vegetables and whole grains is needed.

Whole grains are particularly important. When grains like wheat and rice are processed, much of the nutritional value is lost. While most companies realize this and try to enrich their product with sprayed-on nutrients, whole grains still have more nutrients and more fiber than their processed counterparts.

Another staple of health nutrition is to eat fresh fruits and vegetables. Cooked fruits and vegetables can be stripped of much of their nutritious value, so health nutrition discourages it. Steaming, however, is acceptable. Steamed fruits and vegetables should only be cooked until tender, though. Another tip supplied by health nutrition is to eat the fruits and vegetables with the skin still on. Most fruits and vegetables store the vitamins and minerals that make them so prized by health nutritionists in the skin.

Always check with your doctor or physician before starting any nutrition or diet plan.