While there has always been an abundance of fad diets and miracle slimming cures taking advantage of the latest trends, healthy eating and a well rounded diet is more about a lifestyle choice — the process of keeping body and mind in optimum condition. The key is to reach a balance with your eating habits — you don't have to starve yourself, or cut out all enjoyment from food, just plan a diet with the correct proportion of all the nutrients your body needs.
There is no single way to do this, but all nutritional specialists agree on the fundamentals that we need provide our body with each day:
Carbohydrates:
These are the 'energy' foods, and should provide the base for most meals. They include starchy foods such as cereals, pasta, rice, potatoes or bread. For the most effective nutrition, they should be in wholegrain form whenever possible.
Protein:
Protein keeps all the body processes running smoothly, and helps build and repair cells. It can be found in lean meat, poultry, fish, beans, nuts, seeds and eggs.
Fats:
Unsaturated fats are important as a secondary energy source, and are found in certain oils, nuts, avocados, and various types of fatty fish. The health effects of saturated fats are disputed, but in any case it's probably best to limit the intake of things like ice-cream, butter, cheese and red meat.
Vitamins and minerals:
These help with numerous physiological functions — for example calcium and vitamin D help build strong bones, while vitamin C is good for healthy skin. They exist in some aspect in most foods; a great source is through a wide selection of fruit and vegetables.
Water:
While people can go for weeks without food in extreme situations, you can only survive a few days without water. It is essential for the distribution of other nutrients around the body, and to keep vital organs hydrated.
As long as a diet contains a balance of each of these nutrients, it is largely down to personal preference as to where they come from. For instance many people will get the majority of their protein from certain meats or fish, while the main source for a vegetarian will be dishes based on beans, nuts or seeds. Organic foods have many supporters — the supposition is that they are healthier and richer in nutrients than foods that have been processed with synthesized chemicals or other additives.
The Grains, Beans, Legumes, Nuts icon library from the Healths Food solution
If people don't feel their diet is providing all the essentials, or for those with underlying medical conditions, dietary supplements can be used to make up the shortfall. These include pills that cover the whole vitamin spectrum, fatty acids, amino acids, or herbal supplements. Sportsmen or bodybuilders have a whole range of protein supplements available to help with training and stimulate muscle growth — these are commonly in the form of powders that are mixed into drinks, and contain ingredients such as whey, creatine or glutamine.
One of the more effective ways of presenting information on healthy eating and food nutrition is through visual mediums, such as charts, diagrams or infographics. One of the most famous examples is the 'food pyramid' infographic. In this diagram, pictures of various types of food are contained within a levelled pyramid, with the widest base level showing the starchy foods that should make up the majority of a diet, tapering to treats and sweets at the top that should be eaten very sparingly.
Healths Food Infographics — Food Pyramid
Infographics are a great tool for conveying simple messages through a combination of text and visuals. Healthy food illustrations can be accompanied by information regarding the nutrients that can be found within; graphics showing balanced meal options can give people ideas for a weekly diet plan.
To help easily create infographics and diagrams of this nature, business software provider ConceptDraw has added the Health Food solution to its Solution Park, extending ConceptDraw PRO's functionality with vector stencil libraries of healthy eating options, samples of finished graphics, and a number of templates to help users get started with their own designs.
To ensure the best results, the ConceptDraw website provides a wide variety of help and learning materials, including video tutorials, FAQs, and how-to guides, allowing users to present their nutritional messages effectively and professionaly.
