Fresh products
Try to eat as much fresh produce as possible. Almost all prepackaged meals are packed with E numbers to extend shelf life, to give the food a nice color, or to enhance flavors. Also prepackaged meals regularly contains trans fat. These added substances are the ones your body does not need. The rule for healthy eating is actually eating a lot of fresh produce.E-numbers
An E number that has been under discussion is E621 (called MSG in the U.S.A.). A flavor enhancer, which might have adverse effects on our brains. E621 is added to lots of food that is sold daily, like many prepacked meals, soups and chips. This E number is still used in everyday products, but after the negative story's in several news programs, they don't show the E number on the packaging as E number, but under the name of yeast extract.
Another E-number that raises a lot of questions is E102. In several countries, which include Norway, Finland and Austria E102 is already banned, but for example in the Netherlands it still is used. E102 is used as a dye and has absolutely no added value such as improving taste or as a preservative for longer shelf life. According to some researchers E102 is a substance that can be associated with hyperactiviteits complaints for children. Also it can worsen eczema.
Certain E-numbers are also a point of discussion for some time. The most important are aspartame (E951), monosodium glutamate (E621), sodium nitrite (E250), acesulfame-K (E950), propylgalaat (E310), buthylhydraoxyaniol (E320), sodium benzoate (E211) and synthetic dyes as azorubine (E122). The opinion among specialists about the good or evil of these E numbers is divided.
Fat
Fat is an important supply of energy for the body. However, the right proportion of different fats that you eat is important. Saturated fat raises cholesterol and increases the risk of heart disease. Unsaturated fat lowers cholesterol. Too much fat, especially too much wrong fat, increases the risk of different health risks. Trans fat is worse than saturated fat, it increases the bad cholesterol even more and reduce the 'good' cholesterol. Sadly food always contains some trans fat. You find trans fat in products like cheese, milk and meat, cakes, pastries and snacks. Do not eat too much cake, pastries and snacks and you limit the intake of too much trans fat a lot. Note also the so-called healthy prepackaged steam meals, prepackaged salads and some meat substitutes. In these producs you also find trans fat. Just make the salad yourself with fresh producs.
Good fats
- Unsaturated fat (obviously in the right amount)
- Omega-3 fatty acids from fish.
- Linoleic and alpha-linolenic acid are fats that the body itself can't produce. These fatty acids are only enter the body through food. Safflower oil has the highest content of all plants in linoleic acid (65-70%). Sunflower oil contains up to to 63%. Hemp oil contains 50-70% oil and rice 39%. Olive oil contains only 8% linoleic acid. Linolenic acid is found in vegetable oils including rice oil, walnuts and in a lesser amount in green leafy vegetables, meat, fish and fish oil.
Bad Fats
- Saturated Fat
- Transfat
diet
Try to eat less meat, but make sure you eat enough calcium and iron. Avoid products, such as butter, cream, evaporated milk, cream and just keep it by 1 glass of milk a day. Eat, for example, several types of vegetables at dinner cooked in the wok. Cut the vegetable smaller and you only have to wok for a few minutes. Eat more whole-wheat grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits, nuts and vegetable meat substitutes. Drink a glass of tap water more often throughout the day instead of soda.
sport
Besides a good diet it's obviously important to exercise each day. Make your heart beat faster for thirty or forty minutes a day. A good walk or some yoga exercises can be enough. It really is not necessary to run around like a professional athlete.
