Obesity and related health problems, such as diabetes and high cholesterol, are increasing all over the world. Foods once reserved for occasions and treats have now become part of everyday eating. Maintaining a healthy diet is sometimes difficult, especially when fast and easy options are available almost everywhere. A balanced diet with plenty of fresh ingredients, along with a physically active lifestyle, will help maintain health and can contribute to levels of happiness.
A balanced diet doesn’t mean that you can’t indulge at all, but there are always limits to what your body can handle. In Las Vegas recently a diner at ‘The Heart Attack Grill’ actually suffered a heart attack while eating a burger, known as the ‘Triple Bypass Burger’, that contained around 6000 calories – nearly three times the recommended daily allowance for an adult male!
The ‘Triple Bypass Burger’ is not the unhealthiest dish available at the restaurant, where chips are cooked in pure lard and the milkshakes are made from butterfat. Even so, one burger, even one containing 20 slices of bacon and processed cheese, is not likely to hurt anyone immediately. But consistently eating food with high fat, salt, sugar or calorie content will over time contribute to weight gain and associated health risks.
To stay healthy try and eat fresh fruit and vegetables alongside proteins – from meat, nuts, fish and cheese. Humans store energy as carbohydrates so foods like brown bread, potatoes and pasta are fine in moderation. Fats can come as a natural part of food, like avocados and olive oil, or they can be processed in food like cream and cheese. Both types of fat can be part of a healthy diet but again they should be carefully balanced with low fat foods.
Exercise that raises pulse rate everyday for around 30 minutes, whether that is fast walking, dancing or playing sport, will help the body process food and keep bones and muscles strong.
Enjoy that chocolate bar or those chips, but not all the time or all at once.
Glossary
- Triple Bypass
- An operation in which three of the four blood vessels, or coronary arteries, that supply the heart with blood are bypassed due to blockages.
