In order to maintain a harmonious existence or equilibrium at all levels, and provide energy for all life processes, growth, repair and maintenance of cells and tissues, the human body requires food. The dietary needs are obviously different for different people and vary in terms of age, sex, occupation and perhaps even nationalities. A balanced diet is thus extremely essential to maintain good health and therefore sustain life and contains different types of foods with adequate quantities of calories, minerals, vitamins and other nutrients. Drinking plenty of water and water based drinks is also necessary for good health as well as for the functioning of the kidneys and bowels. At least 6-8 glasses of plain water should be drunk each day in normal conditions and more in hot climates. It is also important to maintain an ideal weight suited for your body type as being over weight or even under weight can lead to certain chronic conditions that include diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. A good diet is low in fat, cholesterol, sodium and sugars; high in vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts and whole grains. Eating well-balanced meals can make a huge difference in your health and longevity.
We are constantly asking ourselves, 'Which is the best diet?' Not all diets suit all body types. Just because one person loses weight with one type of diet, it does not mean it is good for another. Preferences, lifestyle, level of self control etc all play an important role in your diet. Also, the fact whether a diet works for you depends your discipline and adherence to the diet as well as choosing a diet that is in consonance with your body type. Since people are inherently different, each person needs to work according to a diet regimen that is best for him. Thus instead of searching for the 'best diet', one must ideally ask 'Which diet is best for me?'
While taking into consideration which diet is good for you, there are a few things to keep in mind. While obviously, a diet will require you to alter your food habits, it should not end up in starvation or self deprivation to an extent that you lose interest as well as motivation to continue. Choose a diet that suits you, your lifestyle and restrictions, if any in the food that you eat. For instance, if you are a vegetarian, any diet that requires high protein comprising of meats like the Atkins will be useless. On the other hand, if you are not a person who likes to cook and can afford prepared meals the Jenny Craig Diet would be a preferred option. Most importantly, though, the diet you choose should be in consistence with your lifestyle. In the event that you are constantly on the run, you need to adapt a more flexible program in areas of substitution, portions and choose diets that are non-intrusive to your existing lifestyle.
There are several kinds of diets available today. Choosing a diet that is best for you will allow you to stick to it and avail the benefit of weight loss. Some popular diets are listed below:
The Atkins Diet- advocates eating as much of protein and fat as you want and can take in as long as the carbohydrates are cut down to the minimum. The diet may include chicken, steak, shellfish, pork chops, eggs, duck, turkey, fatty salads, nuts, cheeses etc.
Jenny Craig Diet- is a well balanced approach to a diet regimen with prepared meals, exercise and counselling. It advocates prepared meals and even has vegetarian options.
Weight Watchers- An extremely popular diet, it does not tell you what to eat but provides information, tools and motivation to help you make good eating decisions. Eating wholesome foods from all food groups, satisfaction without calories and an occasional treat is what Weight Watcher is all about.
NutriSystems Nourish- Program is based on the Glycemic Index with the idea of restricting the diet to accurate portions based around the person's required calories count. The food is available directly from NutriSystem and you can choose from a pre-made menu or even individual food items.
The Scarsdale Diet- has been created specially for overweight people by Dr. Scarsdale in the early 1970s and remains a popular diet even today. It is a one-of-a-kind diet with a unique nutrient ratio and contains 43% protein, 22.5% fat, and 34.5% carbohydrate.
William Brister
[http://www.fitnessguidebook.com] A comprehensive site that guides you to being a fit and healthy individual by providing you information on different diets.
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