Smart eating habits = Diet Therapy

What you eat can keep you healthy, or make you sick.

Wise choices in our eating habits provide real diet therapy. Food is a very potent drug that most people take orally at least three times every day. The food we eat supplies calories, vitamins and minerals to our body which are converted to energy, hormones, muscle building protein, fat, and bone.

A therapeutic effect is a consequence of a medical treatment of any kind, the results of which are judged to be desirable and beneficial. Eating properly balanced nutrition fits the definition of diet therapy; it is a desirable and beneficial treatment with medicinal effects.

Food is a very potent drug. We eat food for sustenance and pleasure and seldom think any more about it than that, but we should. The principal components of all food are carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. The ratios of these components, and their properties, determine how rapidly the food will digest and the resulting effects on the body's blood sugar, energy levels, fat storage, hormone regulation, and mental alertness among other things. These effects can provide diet therapy or they can cause unwanted side effects such as diabetes, obesity, poor concentration, hyper-activity followed by low energy, acne, etc.

A good diet should be delicious, nutritious, and satisfying. Fortunately there are a number healthy diets to chose from that are fairly easy to follow, effective at weight loss and control, and can make you feel great! New diet software and online diet plans, recipes, and menus have greatly simplified the process. The Body Mass Index Table is a good reference guide to determine your target weight range for your height.

Losing weight has many very positive effects. Weight loss has anti aging benefits and can reduce blood pressure, lower cholesterol levels, reduce lower back pain and fatigue, and eliminate or reduce many diabetic complications. Every 10 pounds you lose will take 40 pounds of weight stress off your hips, knees, and ankle joints. It also makes you look younger and sexier, feel better, and improves self-esteem and confidence! What is there not to like about those benefits? The one downside is that you will want a new wardrobe to show off your slimmer and sexier body.

We want the beneficial effects from our food in order to live longer and healthier. Proper diet therapy and nutrition can prevent, reverse, or mitigate obesity (over weight conditions), diabetes, hypo-glycemia (low blood sugar), and other unhealthful conditions. A Calorie Restriction Diet , (also known as the 1200 Calorie Diet, Longevity Diet, or Anti Aging Diet), can add many healthy years to your lifespan. Diet research and theory continue to evolve and new discoveries are frequent.

Diets can be grouped into three general categories. Each type of diet has proven effective, but not all are appropriate for every individual due to medical and/or personal temperament. When you analyze a diet consider which category it falls into, and think about your eating habits. A diet therapy that is effective for one person may be ineffective for another. Eating habits are a highly individual matter and studies show adherence to diets is poor and attrition is high. If are seeking a long term change in your weight this requires a diet you can live with over time. The best diets train you to eat in a healthy way that suits your eating habits and your body's needs.

Calorie restriction diets restrict caloric intake but not food types. Weight Watchers Flex plan is an excellent example.

Category restrictive diets restrict one or more categories of food intake such as fats and/or carbohydrates, but not calories; i.e., low fat or low carb diets. The Atkins Diet Plan which restricts carbohydrates and trans fats but not calories from saturated fats and protein is a prime example.

Combined diets restrict calorie intake and restrict one or more categories of food. The Zone Diet Plan which restricts carbohydrates, saturated fats, and caloric intake is a good example of a combined diet. The DASH diet plan, a diet for hypertension which restricts salt and emphasizes certain food types, vitamins, and portion control is another example of a combined diet.

My doctor recommended the Zone Diet Plan to me several years ago as effective diet therapy for athletic individuals that offered a balanced ratio of low carbs, protein, and fats and a structured timeframe to eat meals and snacks to keep blood sugar in balance. Like all effective diets, it assesses an individuals height, weight, activity level, and age to determine portion sizes. I discovered that I had been eating much more food than my body needed to function at peak performance.

My doctor also recommends Weight Watchers diet plan as a more structured approach for both men and women to lose weight and keep it off. Weight Watchers is proven system that has been very effective for over forty five years. As he observed, "a plan that has been around that long must be effective." I personally tried it, lost 12 pounds, and have kept the weight off. The plan was easy to understand and follow, the home cooked meals are satisfying and provide healthy diet therapy.

The Atkins Diet Plan has become very popular during the last ten years. It restricts refined carbohydrates with a high gycemic index and trans fats, but allows generous amounts of protein and other types of fats. Many people have reported good success with this diet therapy.

The Mediterranean Diet on the other hand contains a lot of pasta and olive oil along with fresh vegetables, fruits and protein from cheese, yogurt, and fish. This diet is higher in carbs and fat than the other diets, but the high fiber pasta and healthful fats found in olive oil apparently provide a therapeutic diet, judging by the lower obesity and heart attack rates of Mediterranean people. The food is delicious and makes for fun meals to linger over. A glass or two wine is recommended with meals. This is also a very popular diet.

For a fast food meal, Subway sandwiches are a good choice. They offer lower fat and healthier ingredients than other fast food restaurants. The menu choices allow a meal to be tailored to your diet preferences. The chain actually focuses its menu choices around a healthy diet, the food is tasty and the prices are quite reasonable.

Please note. This article on diet is in no way intended as medical advice. It is recommended that you check with your doctor or other medical professional before making major changes in your diet. Some diet plans may not be appropriate for certain individuals.

Live long and prosper!

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