Healthy Diet Food - Making Healthy Food Choices

An excellent weight loss program should include healthy diet food that is: foods low in fat, salt and sugar but they need to be able to safeguard and improve health. Proper food choices are an important part of a successful weight loss program and will not only assist you in losing weight but will also provide your necessary daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. Below are a sample of vitamins and healthy diet food choices which are very important for the maintenance of good health and weight loss.

Vitamin A: This vitamin which is found in nutritionally dense foods such as liver, carrots, sweet potatoes and green leafy vegetables is crucial to the development and maintenance of good skin formation and eye tissue. A diet low in this very necessary vitamin can have negative effects on the skin and limit night vision. Eating healthy diet food rich in vitamin A is important for the maintenance of excellent eyesight and good skin cells.

Vitamin B1: Recently people have become aware of the need for the B vitamins for the production of energy. Vitamin B1 is important for the proper functioning of the nervous system as well. There isn’t much we do that doesn’t involve the nervous system and so this vitamin is really important to good health. Super foods such as lean pork, nuts and whole grains contain more then sufficient supplies of Vitamin B1 and should be included in any sustainable weight loss program.

Niacin (B3): One of the problems a lot of folks have when attempting to lose weight is the training of their metabolism to burn fat. Unfortunately without a supply of niacin in the blood stream the synthesis of fat is impeded. Niacin functions as a co-enzyme in the metabolizing of fat and needs to be provided to the body in sufficient amounts. Niacin is also needed for the production of respiration tissue and the utilization of carbohydrates included in a diet. Healthy diet food like lean chicken, fish, beef and whole grains contain niacin in levels perfect for safeguarding health.

Vitamin B6: Some vitamins are directly involved in the bodily processes to produce energy through the breakdown of food and some regulate the process. Vitamin B6 is a regulating substance. This vitamin helps regulate the use of protein, carbohydrates and fat. Pyridoxine (B6) also assists in the important function of red blood cell regeneration. Super foods rich in vitamin B6 are beef, liver, pork, ham, soybeans, bananas and whole grains. These super foods should be included in a healthy weight loss program.

Vitamin E: Sufficient supplies of vitamin E can be found in these super foods: fresh vegetables, oils, leafy greens, whole grains and eggs. Vitamin E protects the unsaturated fatty acids in the bloodstream from destruction by oxygen. This is what is known as the term anti-oxidant. If vitamin E were not present in the blood stream vitamins like vitamin A would not be able to function properly and the effects of a vitamin A deficiency would manifest. Super foods containing vitamin E should be part of a healthy and nutrient rich weight loss plan.

Making proper food choices is like anything else associated with weight loss, it will require consistency. Perhaps the food choices you are used to making are not the best but you can change that today. Take a good look at the foods that comprise your meals and make an evaluation on whether they support you weight loss goals or not. If they don’t provide the necessary vitamins and minerals you need then choose better foods, and if they do, then continue to include them in your meals. Over time you will get into the habit of not only making better food choices but enjoying them also.

Identifying Nutritionally Dense-Foods Selecting nutritionally dense-foods for your diet is the best food choice you can make in preparing healthy meals. Nutritionally dense-foods are the foods that will give you the highest percentages of vitamins and minerals and at the same time have low calories. Also nutritionally dense-foods have not been processed and contain no chemicals or additives. Including super-foods in your weight loss plan can give you the most nutritious food pound for pound. A reduced calorie diet should include foods with high nutritional value and these are super-foods. Nutritionally dense-foods are widely available for you to purchase and at a reasonable cost so including them is easy. Consider making better food choices by including these nutritionally dense-foods into your well balance meals.

Nutritionally Dense-Fruits

These foods provide high levels of vitamins: Raisins, Raspberries, Strawberries, Watermelon, Apples, Apricots, Bananas, Blueberries, Cantaloupe, and Cranberries

Supercharged Vitamins & Minerals: Foods that are nutrient dense will provide a high degree of the daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. Not all foods can do this but nutritionally dense-foods can. For example oranges provide over 120% of the daily recommended supply vitamin C. They are low in fat and contain vitamins A and B as well. Oranges are nutritionally dense-food. The foods you consume on your weight loss plan should provide you with the highest level of nutrition available. Nutrient dense-foods give you the highest nutritional value compared to other foods.

Nutritionally Dense-Vegetables

Here are some foods with good levels of fiber: Squash, winter, Sweet potatoes Olives, Onions, Potatoes, Romaine lettuce, Spinach, Squash, Swiss chard, Tomatoes, Turnip greens, and Yams

Nutritionally Dense-Foods are Whole Foods: In order for a food to be considered a nutritionally dense-food it must be a whole food. This means it has not been hydrogenated or subjected to an extensive processing. These processes are only designed to extend the shelf life of a product. In processing the nutritional value of these foods are diminished and nutrients are depleted. To cope with the depleted nutritional value synthetic vitamins are introduced as additives back into the food. Nutritionally dense-foods are not processed and their nutritional value remains intact. Vitamins and minerals in nutritionally dense-foods are the same natural substances produced in the growth of the foods and not from some laboratory.

Nutritionally Dense-Beans & Legumes

Great beans and legumes for soups and dishes: Lima beans, Navy beans, Pinto beans, Soybeans, Tofu, Black beans, Peas, Garbanzo beans (chickpeas), Kidney beans, and Lentils

Available and Affordable: The preceding nutritionally dense-foods are widely available making them very easy to include in your weight loss plan. The nutrient content and the low calorie counts will give you the best nutritional value for your money. The next time you are shopping look for these food to include in your meals as they are the healthiest and nutrient dense. Settling for any less then nutritionally dense-foods to include in your diet is simply a waste of your money.

Nutritionally Dense-Seeds & Nuts