Nutrition

Supplements

A healthy diet is rich in a variety of different nutrients. Many people do not get the recommended amount of nutrients that doctors require, however. Nutritional supplements can be great to ensure a healthy diet, most especially when targeted toward one’s particular deficiencies. These, of course, are supplements, meaning they should be in addition to an otherwise healthy diet. The following nutritional supplements are great ways to ensure that you are maintaining a healthy diet, particularly if you have any problems consuming the recommended amount. Be careful, however, in only consuming nutritional supplements that your doctor agrees to, since some nutrients can be harmful in high amounts, especially if your diet already includes an adequate amount of said nutrients.

1. Calcium

Calcium is one of the most common nutrients in which people have deficiencies in America. Unfortunately, nutritional supplements cannot contain 100% of one’s daily needed calcium because the human body can only absorb about 40% of the daily requirements for calcium at one time. To have a healthy diet, eat foods high in calcium at intervals throughout the day.

2. Vitamin C

Vitamin C is one of the easiest nutrients to get in a natural way, without nutritional supplements. Nevertheless, plenty of people nowadays do not get enough vitamin C. Luckily, your body can absorb high amounts of vitamin C at one time, so a good glass of natural orange juice or a single vitamin C pill should be all the nutritional supplements you need for a bare minimum healthy diet.

3. Water

Though water is not technically a nutritional supplement, many people in America today do not get enough water for a healthy diet. Though many foods and drinks are water-based, many of these do not allow the water to be as fruitful in your body as possible. Sodas, teas, and coffee are actually diuretics that reduce how hydrated one’s body is. The best way to add water into your healthy diet as a nutritional supplement is just to drink more pure water.

4. Iron

Iron is extremely important to having a healthy diet. As a result, nutritional supplements are readily available to people who are deficient in iron. However, iron nutritional supplements should be used sparingly, because iron poisoning is not uncommon and can be devastating.

Nutritional Food Pyramid

The United States Department of Agriculture has recently published a new version of the famed nutritional food pyramid that supposedly leads to a healthy diet. This nutritional pyramid is similar to how it’s always been, but does have a few changes. According to the USDA, it is important to have a full understanding of this new pyramid as a key to having a healthy diet, and important to teach younger people this new pyramid to teach them good nutritional habits and to encourage a lifelong healthy diet.

The most important difference between this new pyramid and the old nutritional pyramid is the fact that none of the food groups are on top of any others any longer. Instead, all of the food groups are vertical stripes running the length of the pyramid and with a width that suggests the nutritional value of each and the number of servings each group should be allotted. This is to suggest that none of the categories contributes to a healthy diet more than another, and that all should be considered.

1. Grains

In particular for having a healthy diet, the USDA suggests consuming at least 3 ounces of whole grains a day. It is commonly believed now that whole grains are healthier than refined grains and offer better nutritional value. In particular, eating whole grain breads and cereals can be an easy substitute for refined grains to serve your nutritional needs.

2. Vegetables

The USDA recommends getting anywhere from 1-3 cups of vegetables a day, depending on your age and gender. It is important to note that 2 cups of leafy vegetables often counts as 1 cup of vegetable servings. The USDA also suggests that darker greens and orange vegetables are high in nutritional value. They also suggest that a healthy diet requires a variety of vegetables.

3. Fruits

It is especially important to have a healthy diet high in fruits. The USDA recommends only slightly less fruit in one’s diet than vegetables, but still several cups each day, depending on your age and gender to get the best nutritional value from your food.

4. Milk

The USDA now defines the milk category to be any milk-based products such as milk, cheese, yogurt, or milk-based desserts. A healthy diet, they say, should include about 3 cups of milk or milk products a day for everyone above a child’s age.

5. Meat and beans

For a healthy diet, the USDA recommends eating 5-6 ounces for most people above children’s age. They say that most Americans consume enough from this category already, but do not make choices that are lean and healthy enough.

6. Oils and fats

Most of the oils and fats that Americans consume come from, as the USDA says, cooking oils and fish and nuts. For most people, the allowances of oils and fats are 5-7 teaspoons per day, however the difference between this group and the others is that oils and fats have an allowance. This means that these oils and fats do not contribute to a healthy diet; instead, a healthy diet involves limiting this group as much as possible.