It is hard for many people to follow a healthy eating lifestyle. You need to have the ability to resist the urge to indulge in processed foods. Those foods contain ingredients that make you crave them. Dr. Peter Hinz at Cool Springs Chiropractic in Franklin, TN says that once you make a good habit of not eating them, it becomes much easier for you.
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What Is The Food Pyramid?
A food pyramid helps to show the portions and foods that people should be eating. The top of the pyramid is a category of foods that should be consumed in moderation. For example, the categories from top to bottom are:
- Consumed Sparingly- Fats, oils, and Sweets
- 2-3 Servings Per Day- Milk, Yogurt, and Cheese
- 2-3 Servings Per Day- Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs, and Nuts
- 3-5 Servings Per Day- Vegetables
- 3-5 Servings Per Day- Fruits
- 6-11 Servings Per Day- Bread, Cereal, Rice, and Pasta
Foods In Each Category
The food pyramid provides a general guide of foods that should be in everyone’s diet. To have a healthy balanced diet, you are to pick a food that fits into each one. You will not find the calories listed on a food pyramid. More research will need to be done on your own to figure the correct amounts for you to consume for your body. Some examples of food options on the food pyramid are:
Fats, Oils, and Sweets
- Coconut Oil
- Full-Fat Dairy Products
- Butter
- Vegetable Ghee
- Nuts
- Seeds
Dairy
- Milk
- Cheese
- Yogurt
- Soy-Milk
- Lactose-Free Milk
Meat, Poultry, Fish
- Beans
- Nuts
- Beef
- Pork
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Shrimp
- Lobster
Vegetables
- Broccoli
- Zucchini
- Squash
- Green Beans
- Asparagus
- Raddish
- Turnip
- Cucumber
- Bell Peppers
Fruits
- Banana
- Orange
- Peach
- Apple
- Kiwi
- Strawberry
- Blueberry
Grains
- Bread
- Cereal
- Rice
- Pasta
- Oats
- Wheat
- Barley
- Rye
How A Food Pyramid Helps You
You can use the food pyramid to plan your meals and make a grocery list. This way you can make sure you are getting the right amounts of food from each category that you need. Dr. Peter Hinz at Cool Springs Chiropractic in Franklin, TN is passionate about living a healthy lifestyle.
When you are consuming the right amounts of the right foods, it is called a balanced diet. This is what the recommendations of the United States of Agriculture are. Some of the reasons it is helpful to use the food pyramid are listed below.
Gives Accurate Serving Sizes
One main problem that many people have isn’t choosing the right foods. It is controlling the portion size that they are eating. Even eating good foods can be a problem when you overeat them. That is why referring to the food pyramid can help you with portion control.
Food Choices
The food pyramid can help you choose the right foods for the category. There are some foods that can be substituted out. Many people think about a protein option only being a meat product. There are other options that you can use for protein if you don’t want meat products.
Shows Female and Male Calculations
There are a lot of things that factor into how much of each category you should be consuming each day. Some of the things that can change your serving amounts are your
- Age
- Weight
- Exercise Plan
- Sex
If you are a very active female, you are going to eat differently than a less active female. The same goes for males. Even moderately active males and females are going to have different recommendations just due to their sex.
What Is The Importance Of A Healthy Diet?
A healthy diet is important to your overall health, not just losing weight. When you eat right, your body can function to its fullest. Some of the many benefits that you can see from eating a healthy balanced diet are:
Reduces Cancer Risks
In the food pyramid, vegetables and fruits have their own category. Dr. Peter Hinz at Cool Springs Chiropractic in Franklin, TN tries to get his daily servings of fruits and veggies in every day. When you consume fruits and vegetables that are high in antioxidants, it can reduce cancer risks in your body.
Improves Heart Health
There is a large percentage of heart health concerns that can be reduced by maintaining a healthy diet. If you haven’t had a healthy diet and been diagnosed with a heart problem, changing your diet can help. There are some changes that you can make to help reduce the symptoms and effects that heart problems cause to your body.
Better Gut Health
The gut is a big factor in your overall health. There are so many illnesses and symptoms that we can help by healing our gut health. Your gut needs bacteria to function properly and fight off bad bacteria.
When we do not have enough fiber in our diet, it can slow things down. Which can cause a problem with the colon. When following the food pyramid, make sure you are getting enough foods with probiotics and prebiotics to support your gut health.
Improves Your Mood
When you eat the right foods to support a healthy lifestyle, your body can function better. When our bodies are struggling on the inside, it can really affect our mood. If your diet contains mostly foods that are high in carbs, you are not going to feel your best. While carbohydrates are needed, not in such high amounts.
Strengthens Bones
Consuming foods that are high in calcium will support your bone health. Dairy products are one option for calcium. When you follow the food pyramid recommendations, you will get enough calcium to support your body’s needs.
Better Dental Health
Your teeth need calcium to be strong. When you lack the recommended doses of calcium and magnesium in your diet, your teeth can become brittle. Dairy products, vegetables, and some fish contain calcium or magnesium that are good for you.
Are you suffering from back pain, sports injury, or an accident? Did you know Chiropractic can possibly help treat these injuries?
Get in touch with Dr. Peter Hinz at Cool Springs Chiropractic today for a FREE consultation.
