Eating a Balanced Diet

May 13, 2007 by erin.

Eating a balanced diet is essential for reaching and maintaining optimum wellness. Unfortunately for us, the media has presented so much miss-information that it’s difficult to determine what a balanced diet should include. Nutrition certainly is not an exact science. Every individual needs something a little different to keep them satisfied, energized and focused. You have to learn to listen to your body and pay attention to how certain foods effect you. If you feel satisfied, but not stuffed, with a healthy dose of energy that lasts till the next meal… then you have achieved the right balance for your body. If you have tons of energy that drops off and then you’re starving; if you feel physically full but are still hungry; or if feel really tired and heavy after a meal, you have eaten too much of one macro nutrient. Experiment with your favorite meals… how do they really make you feel. Sometimes all you have to do is tweak it just a little to better satisfy your specific needs. There are some general guidelines that have been put into place to help determine if you are within the proper range of macronutrients.

Foods are broken down into three main macronutrient groups. Protein, Fat, and Carbohydrate. They all play an important roll in providing proper nutrition to your tissues and organs. Protein is the building block of life, fat is condensed energy that aids in the body’s chemical activities and carries vitamins A,D,E &K. Carbohydrate is stored in the body as glucose and is the only source of fuel your brain and nervous system can use to perform all of its functions.

PROPER PROPORTIONS

PROTEIN: 0.8 - 1.2 g per kilogram (2.2lb) of body weight. Higher protein levels are needed for highly active individuals. 1g of protein = 4 calories

FAT: 20-30% of total caloric intake. 1g of fat = 9 calories

CARBS: 45 - 65% of total caloric intake. Higher carbohydrate levels are needed for highly active individuals. 1g of carbohydrate = 4 calories

ALCOHOL: ideally 0% of caloric intake, but it does add calories. 1g of alcohol = 7 calories

Fat and carbohydrate ranges are given in percentage of total calorie intake… not in grams. Here’s an example:

2000 calorie diet:
20% fat = 2000 X .2 / 9 = 44.4g of fat per day
50% carbs = 2000 X .5 / 4 = 250g of carbs per day

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