Food is any material consumed to supply nutrition to an organisms. Food is either of animal, plant or fungi origin, and usually contains essential elements, like proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates, and minerals. The human body needs certain amount of food to survive; however, excessive consumption of food may cause various kinds of diseases, leading to overweight and obesity. It is impossible to control food intake; therefore, the best way to lose weight is to control lifestyle. Food habits and eating habits are usually influenced by family tradition and religion. Generally, in most of the societies, majority of people follows one type of eating habit, so if a person consumes food from all around the world, he/she will definitely gain some weight due to irregular diet.
People should learn how to consume food in a healthy way to lose weight. Food habits are usually influenced by environment, social groups, culture, customs and traditions. It is important to adopt healthy lifestyle to avoid obesity. A healthy lifestyle consists of a balanced combination of diet and exercise, including appropriate amount of sleep, relaxation, and stress management. However, in today’s fast-paced world, skipping meals and irregular diet can lead to health problems and diseases, so people must eat food regularly to maintain good nutrition.
Most people get confused between what is good nutrition and what is bad nutrition. Good nutrition refers to providing sufficient food, which provides all the nutrients to human’s body; whereas bad nutrition refers to over-consumption of calories, which do not provide nutrients. The body uses stored fats, muscles, and other elements for energy production; hence, excess calorie intake can create imbalance. Instead of eating unprocessed food, it is better to consume processed food with right nutrition, which provides complete nutrients and maximum nutritional value.
Processed food consists of vegetable oil, sugar, salt, etc., which have no nutritional value. To see food as good nutrition, it should not have any fat, sugar, salt or any other ingredient that is not required by the body for its proper functioning. Unhealthy food habits often result in obesity, which weakens the heart and increases the risk of various heart diseases, including coronary artery disease. People should eat lean meat such as turkey, chicken, fish, legumes, nuts and vegetables, which provide the essential nutrients and are low in fat.
There are two types of diets according to which food is classified as good or bad. Low-fat, low-sugar and high-fiber diets are examples of low-fat, low-sugar and high-fiber diets. These diets include consumption of mostly raw fruits and vegetables and low-fat dairy products. High-fiber diets include food items such as oats, grains, beans, and nuts; foods that are high in fiber include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts. Therefore, it becomes necessary to choose food items wisely for overall health and nutrition. The same is true for diet supplements.
Food additives, which include salts, sweeteners, flavourings, saccharin and sugar, should be used with discretion. For example, salt is an essential ingredient in many dishes but can cause dehydration, which may result in the loss of water content in the human body. Sweeteners, on the other hand, are added to many foods either to enhance their taste or as a cheap alternative to sugar. Foods that are high in sugar, though used occasionally, should be used in moderation to reduce the risks of high blood pressure and diabetes.