Healthy Diet

The World Health Organisation (WHO) makes the following 5 recommendations with respect to both populations and individuals:

-Achieve an energy balance and a healthy weight
-Limit energy intake from total fats and shift fat consumption away from saturated fats to unsaturated fats --and towards the elimination of trans-fatty acids
-Increase consumption of fruits and vegetables, legumes, whole grains and nuts
-Limit the intake of simple sugars
-Limit salt / sodium consumption from all sources and ensure that salt is iodized

Other recommendations include:
Sufficient essential amino acids ("complete protein") to provide cellular replenishment and transport proteins. All essential amino acids are present in animals. A select few plants (such as soy and hemp) give all the essential acids. A combination of other plants may also provide all essential amino acids (except rice and beans which have limitations).

-Essential micronutrients such as vitamins and certain minerals.
-Avoiding directly poisonous (e.g. heavy metals) and carcinogenic (e.g. benzene) substances;
-Avoiding foods contaminated by human pathogens (e.g. E. coli, tapeworm eggs).

Fruits and vegetables
The WHO recommends a minimum of 400g of fruit and vegetables per day. This groups excludes potatoes and other starchy tubers.Fruits and vegetables also prevent several micronutrient deficiencies.

Top 5 Fruits and Veggis

Meat
Some strictly epidemiological evidence shows an increased mortality with high red meat intake.

Salt
While a moderate amount of salt is required for health, a high salt diet can have detrimental effects on blood pressure

There Are a Number Of Diets Promoted By Numerous Medical And Governmental Institutions That Are Designed To Promote Certain Aspects Of Health.

The DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) is a diet promoted by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (part of the NIH, a United States government organisation) to control hypertension. A major feature of the plan is limiting intake of sodium,and it also generally encourages the consumption of nuts, whole grains, fish, poultry, fruits and vegetables while lowering the consumption of red meats, sweets, and sugar. It is also "rich in potassium, magnesium, and calcium, as well as protein and fiber.

The DASH diet is based on NIH studies that examined three dietary plans and their results. None of the plans were vegetarian, but the DASH plan incorporated more fruits and vegetables, low fat or nonfat dairy, beans, and nuts than the others studied. Not only does the plan emphasize good eating habits, but also suggests healthy alternatives to junk food and discourages the consumption of processed foods. The NIH has published a guidebook,Your Guide to Lowering your Blood Pressure With DASH, which details the nutrition facts of popular mainstream food items and their healthy alternatives. The manual also provides samples of meal plans and proportions along with their associated nutritional information. The last pages of the manual provides a list of resources and how to obtain them.

The diet reduced systolic blood pressure by 6 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure by 3 mm Hg in patients with normal blood pressure. Those with hypertension dropped by 11 and 6, respectively. There are several eating plans included in the diet, with the daily caloric intake ranging from 1699 to 3100 dietary calories.

An unhealthy diet is a major risk factor for a number of chronic diseases including: high blood pressure, diabetes, abnormal blood lipids, overweight/obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer.

The WHO estimates that 2.7 million deaths are attributable to a diet low in fruit and vegetable every year.Globally it is estimated to cause about 19% of gastrointestinal cancer, 31% of ischaemic heart disease, and 11% of strokes.Thus making it one of the leading preventable causes of death worldwide.

Food additive controversy

Some[who?] claim that food additives, such as artificial sweeteners, colorants, preserving agents, and flavorings may cause health problems such as increasing the risk of cancer or ADHD.

Fast food

Examples of fast food critics include Morgan Spurlock and Eric Schlosser.

Fad diets

See main article: Fad diet

Fears of high cholesterol were frequently voiced up until the mid-1990s. However, more recent research has shown that the distinction between high- and low-density lipoprotein ('good' and 'bad' cholesterol, respectively) must be addressed when speaking of the potential ill effects of cholesterol. Different types of dietary fat have different effects on blood levels of cholesterol. For example, polyunsaturated fats tend to decrease both types of cholesteorl; monounsaturated fats tend to lower LDL and raise HDL; saturated fats tend to either raise HDL, or raise both HDL and LDL; and trans fat tend to raise LDL and lower HDL. Dietary cholesterol itself is only found in animal products such as meat, eggs, and dairy, but studies have shown that even large amounts of dietary cholesterol only have negligible effects on blood cholesterol.

Media coverage of mass-produced, processed, snack or sweet products directly marketed at children has worked to undermine policy efforts to improve eating habits. The main problem with such advertisements for foods is that alcohol and fast food are portrayed as offering excitement, escape and instant gratification.

Particularly within the last five years government agencies have attempted to combat the amount and method of media coverage lavished upon junk foods. Governments also put pressure on businesses to promote healthful food options, consider limiting the availability of junk food in state-run schools, and tax foods that are high in fat. Most recently, the United Kingdom removed the rights for McDonald's to advertise its products, as the majority of the foods that were seen have low nutrient values were aimed at children under the guise of the Happy Meal . The British Heart Foundation released its own government-funded advertisements, labeled Food4Thought , which were targeted at children and adults displaying the gory nature of how fast food is generally constituted.

From a psychological perspective, a new healthy diet may be difficult to achieve for a person with poor eating habits. This may be due to tastes acquired in early adolescence and preferences for fatty foods. It may be easier for such a person to transition to a healthy diet if treats such as chocolate are allowed; sweets may act as mood stabilizers, which could help reinforce correct nutrient intake.

It is known that the experiences we have in childhood relating to consumption of food affect our perspective on food consumption in later life. From this, we are able to determine ourselves our limits of how much we will eat, as well as foods we will not eat - which can develop into eating disorders, such as anorexia, bulimia, or orthorexia This is also true with how we perceive the sizes of the meals or amounts of food we consume daily; people have different interpretations of small and large meals based on upbringing.

While plants, vegetables, and fruits are known to help reduce the incidence of chronic disease,the benefits on health posed by plant-based foods, as well as the percentage of which a diet needs to be plant based in order to have health benefits is unknown. Nevertheless, plant-based food diets in society and between nutritionist circles are linked to health and longevity, as well as contributing to lowering cholesterol, weight loss, and in some cases, stress reduction.

Indeed, ideas of what counts as "healthy eating" have varied in different times and places, according to scientific advances in the field of nutrition, cultural fashions, religious proscriptions, or personal considerations.

Diet and cancer
Diet and heart disease
Diet (multiple sclerosis)
Food Balance Wheel
Health food
Health promotion
Nutrigenomics
Nutritional genomics
Standard American Diet
Raw foodism

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