“Important Factors of a Diet” An Excerpt.

Posted by lalinpv on January 11, 2011 · 2 Comments 

“A balanced diet will also be a low-cost diet. Grains, beans, and local vegetables in season are the cheapest food items. Exotic fruits and vegetables imported from distant climates will throw us off balance at a high price. There are also specific items to avoid: white sugar, denatured flour, and artificial stimulants. These drain the energy of the body and make the assimilation of nutrients from whole foods more difficult. Thus, the best diet is one that bypasses the recent technological changes in food supply and relies on nature for its health-giving qualities.

A healthful diet is not determined solely by the foods eaten. While many people claim to have a “good diet” simply because they eat natural foods, nonetheless, they may suffer a number of ailments resulting from poor food combinations, inadequate protein levels, and erratic eating habits. Such habits destabilize blood sugar levels and natural body rythms whose regularity are essential to optimum health.

The following schedule has proven very beneficial as a goal for daily health maintenance. In the morning, when the body temperatures are low, eat a warming cooked meal. Because this meal must fuel your body for its most active time, it should contain substantial amounts of proteins, carbohydrates, and other essential nutritional components. At lunch time, when the body and air temperatures are the highest, eat a cooling meal with raw foods, such as a salads. But, be sure to also include an adequate amount of protein to regulate blood sugar and provide mtabolic components for the afternoon. At supper time, when the body and air temperatures are cooling, again eat a cooked meal. This meal should be relatively light, since the night is a time of less vigorous activity and because  the organs of digestion should be allowed to rest during sleep. Yet, the meal should not be so light that you have a desire for a “midnite snack.” Preferably, all eating should be completed at least three hours before bedtime.

For any dietary program to be successful in maintaining health, an adequate level of exercise is essential. Periods of vigorous exercise as well as moderate exercise will ensure natural hunger at mealtimes. A strong appetite for nutritious and balanced meals is a sign of good metabolism. The meals you take should be large enough to prevent any need for between-meal snacks. Cravings for snacks, especially carbohydrates, indicate poor control of blood sugar possibly due to inadequate protein levels in the meals or the use of caffeinated beverages.

A vegetarian diet can be very healthful, but it is difficult to get enough protein for optimum health unless attention is given to carefully combining sources of essential amino acids. A consistently low-protein diet will eventually lead to a number of deficiency conditions such as; emotional instability, low body weight, thinning hair, allergic sensitivity, bronchial congestion, tiredness, and cold extremities. Obesity can still be a problem even with a low protein diet if carbohydrates and fats take the place of protein in satisfying hunger. It is common for a person switching form a standard American diet to a vegetarian diet to feel much better for several months. However, if protein levels are inadequate, the conditions described above will appear after one or two years.

Your body will signal direct warnings of poor eating habits primarily through indigestion and flatulence. Check for potential problems such as:

1. Eating to fast and not chewing adequatley

2. Poor food combining

3. Excess water taken with meals

4. Excessive use of raw foods

5. Overeating

If these activities persist over a long period of time, all the organs of digestion – stomach, intestines, liver, kidneys, pancreas- will be weakened and this will cause imbalances throughout the body.

Concentrated foods such as wheat grass, bee pollen, spirulina, and yeast can be helpful nutritional supplements, but should not be taken as primary foods making up your dietary needs. These foods spare you the effort to plan and prepare wholesome meals, but they do not provide the full range of food components essential to a good diet. Time spent in properly preparing and calmly eating balanced meals is your surest investment in health.”  – Michael Tierra.

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