THE 7 COMPONENTS OF A HEALTHY DIET
What is a balanced diet?
Most of us share the same goals when looking to get healthy. The first steps that come to mind are regular exercise, eating well and getting a good nights sleep. Anything that can promote a healthy lifestyle and alleviate stress is always a step in the right direction. One view we all tend to debate is “what exactly is a balanced diet?”.
There is a common saying that “too much of anything is bad for you” and in most cases this is true.
A balanced diet means eating the correct and right portion of different nutrients on a daily basis.
Having a healthy diet will include macronutrients for energy, micronutrients for bodily functions and immunity, and fluid to keep us hydrated. With everything that circulates in the media about “weight gain” and “weight loss”, people get concerned about how much calories they eat within these food classes, often deciding to exclude essential nutrients from their diet.
We’re going to explain further the main components of a healthy diet.
Including all these elements in your diet is the best way to maintain healthy weight and good functional health.
What are the 7 components of a balanced diet:
Carbohydrates
Protein
Fats
Fibre
Vitamins
Minerals
Water
1- Carbohydrates
The main source of energy that our bodies use come from carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates should comprise of about 50-60% of an average person’s diet. Carbs give our body energy in the form of glucose when broken down by our digestive system. The main functions of glucose are brain and muscle fuel. Because our brain is needed to be productive and think all day long, it needs a constant supply of energy. The same applies for our muscles. They constantly need energy to contract and support all movements.
Excess glucose is stored in the body as glycogen. If running low on fuel, these energy stores act as a last reserve, protecting us from conditions such hypoglycaemia, which can result in dizziness, confusion, muscle spasms and even fainting.
Good and bad carbs?
Many people like to tag carbohydrates as “good carbs” and “bad carbs”. The idea is that eating bad carbs will immediately cause weight gain. But in fact, you need certain carbs to support the process of weight loss. Many carbohydrates contain elements that help your digestive system break down food molecules, such as fibre. Also, if you’re planning to hit the gym and get results, we can’t go very far without energy for muscle contraction.
Balancing carbs in your diet requires wise choices. The best carbohydrates are natural. Food that comes directly from the source and not processed. Natural carbs include wholegrains, fruits and vegetables.
If choosing carbs that come processed, such as pasta, rice, bread or cereal, make sure they come from a source that is wholegrain. These foods will usually look rich and brown in colour. Roughly 30-50% of your intake from carbohydrates should be from natural foods.
2 - Protein
Protein is an important component for regulating all cellular activity in the body.
Protein should make up about 15-25% of an average person’s diet. The primary function of protein is to allow cells to grow and repair. It is also important for developing hormones, enzymes, muscle growth, bone and skin structure.
Protein is broken down to make amino acids. These elements are regarded as the building blocks for all proteins. They manufacture many substances needed for our body. Amino acids also build proteins for fighting infection and boosting our immune system. These proteins are called antibodies and prevent harmful pathogens from attacking our defences.
Like carbohydrates, the best sources of protein are natural.
Good sources include meat, fish, chicken, eggs and beans. If you prefer vegetables as a source: nuts, seeds, quinoa, cottage cheese, and lentils are also great choices.
Healthline offers a great guide for healthy sources of protein that are very low in cost.
Can protein help with weight loss?
Can you eat too much protein? How do you know you’re eating too much?
Eating lean protein foods will encourage weight loss, but excess amounts that your body doesn’t need will be stored as fat. Lean protein foods are low caloric and provide a lot of energy. But if over-consumed, can lead to indigestion, dehydration and nausea, as well as weight gain. By keeping within the daily guidelines, protein can really help monitor weight control.
A healthy tip is to practice weight training. Burn off the carbohydrates and allow your body to utilise its protein stores for growth and recovery.
3 - Fats
Fats are essential for regulating body temperature, energy release, and absorbing vitamins in our system. Fats also provide energy (especially fatty acids) and produce certain hormones where amino acids need additional support.
Fats should consist of about 10-20% of an average person’s diet.
Much like carbohydrates, people can be tempted to avoid fat given its name. Despite being named fats, there are different types that support and affect our heart by producing “good” and “bad” cholesterol (HDL, LDL).
As mentioned, too much of anything is bad. Even “good fats” that promote a healthier heart can raise cholesterol levels if eaten too much.
What are good fats and bad fats?
Good fats promote a healthy heart and mind. These foods help circulation, lower your blood pressure, and fight against triglycerides that clog arteries. It should be noted that excluding good fats from your diet is not a good solution for losing body fat.
Healthy fats also improve mental health by boosting your mood, critical thinking and fighting fatigue. Examples of good fats include:
Monounsaturated Fat: Olive & Canola Oil, Avocados, Olives, Nuts,
Polyunsaturated Fat: Fish, Beans, Soy, Tofu, Walnuts, Flaxseeds, Sunflower Seeds
Bad Fats increase our level of cholesterol and risk of heart disease.
They come in the form of saturated and trans fats.
Saturated fat should be limited in our diet as it raises our levels of LDL cholesterol. It increases the risk of heart disease through weight gain and adding triglycerides in our bloodstream. This can lead to clogged arteries.
Trans Fat is worse and really should be avoided. This type of artificial fat can accelerate the effects of saturated fat in small amounts. It also reduces good cholesterol in the body and can cause organ inflammation.
What are examples of bad fats?
Saturated Fats: Fried Foods, Red Meat, Dairy Food, Coconut Oil, Pork, Lard.
Trans Fat: Cakes, Chips, Crackers, Cookies, Doughnuts, Pizza, Muffins, Food Containing Hydrogenated Oil, Fried Food.
Most of these packaged goods will claim to have little to no bad fats. Tip - This isn’t true (Especially Trans Fat).
Another Tip: Try not to fry everything you eat.
4 - Fibre
Having Fibre in your diet is key for maintaining digestive health.
The main functions of good dietary fibre is breaking down food and ensuring regularity in our bowels and intestines. Foods that contain a high level of fibre have long lasting energy. This generally aids in weight loss, as we feel fuller, longer, avoiding the temptation to eat excess calories throughout the course of the day.
Lastly, fibre can assist in lowering levels of bad cholesterol and stabilising sugar levels. Fibre attaches itself to these molecules and rids them from the body before entering the bloodstream.
Fibre comes in two different forms. It can either be soluble or insoluble.
Soluble fibre can be digested by our system as insoluble fibre passes straight through the digestive tract. Soluble fibre helps reduce cholesterol in the bloodstream and stimulates excretion, helping rid waste products from our body. Insoluble fibre helps food pass efficiently though our digestive system.
Great sources of fibre include:
Soluble Fibre: Oats, Barley, Bananas, Flaxseeds, Sweet Potato, Broccoli, Kidney Beans, Pears, Avocados, Carrots, Apples, Hazelnuts, Strawberries
Insoluble Fibre: Dark Leafy Vegetables, Wholegrains, Almonds, Walnuts, Potatoes, Green Peas, Popcorn, Beans, Lentils, Bran Cereal
For a Balanced Diet, the NHS in the UK recommends we get 14g fibre per day.
5 - Vitamins
Vitamins are a group of substances that carry out cellular functions, growth, and development.
Each vitamin has a different code and carries out a different task.
Vitamins act like catalysts or “messengers” for metabolic reactions happening in our body. These codes include developing new proteins, repairing damaged cells, healing wounds, producing antibodies, and supporting the central nervous system.
Essentially, vitamins are needed to support all functions of the body.
Let’s take a look at some of their primary functions:
Vitamin A: Improves sight and maintains healthy teeth and bones
Vitamin B: Converts food into energy and maintains skin, brain cells
Vitamin C: Forms collagen, absorbs iron and increases immunity
Vitamin D: Absorbs calcium and forms, maintains strong bones
Vitamin E: Acts as a powerful antioxidant
Vitamin K: Blood clotting (healing wounds) and bone metabolism
What are examples of high vitamin foods?
Vitamin A: Carrots, Sweet Potato, Kale, Cod Liver Oil, Salmon, Peppers
Vitamin B: Leafy Greens, Eggs, Milk, Beef, Seafood, Chicken, Yogurt
Vitamin C: Oranges, Kiwis, Broccoli, Kale, Strawberries, Tomato, Papaya
Vitamin D: Salmon, Eggs, Mushrooms, Cheese, Milk, Orange Juice, Oats
Vitamin E: Almonds, Sunflower Oil, Avocado, Peanuts, Fish, Mango
Vitamin K: Spinach, Parsley, Lettuce,
For a balanced diet, your body doesn’t need to eat these foods every day. However, we should be incorporating them into our diet weekly. Vitamins are either water soluble or fat soluble.
Fat soluble vitamins tend to store in the tissues of our body and stay there. This means too much of any fat soluble vitamin can be toxic for our system. Be careful to monitor how many of these vitamins you consume daily.
6 - Minerals
Much like vitamins, minerals help your body to develop and stay healthy.
Minerals are elements that are found in the earth’s rocks, ore and soil. They’re substances that are transferred to plants through absorption. We then eat the plants directly or feed on animals that eat the plants.
Minerals perform a variety of functions, assisting calcium in the formation of strong bones and teeth, and helping regulate levels of electrolytes in the bloodstream (potassium and sodium). This makes minerals responsible for controlling nerve impulses, muscle contraction and fluid.
This is why adequate amounts of minerals are essential for athletes.
Iron is also an element that is needed to form energy, allowing oxygen to travel through our body. Some minerals are even needed to maintain a regular heartbeat.
The British Nutrition Foundation have provided a helpful list for all minerals, their functions and details about their deficiencies. Like vitamins, we need to include a variety of minerals in our diet weekly to maintain healthy balance.
Food that are rich in minerals are red meat, fish, beans, seeds, leafy greens and lentils.
7 - Water
Water is the most important macronutrient. We can’t survive very long without it.
It is primarily needed for hydration, transporting blood and nutrients to all cells, organs and tissues of the body. It is essentially the delivery man for your whole body. Without water, nothing gets anywhere.
Nutrients can’t be absorbed without water. It’s also needed for protection, cushioning and lubricating all joints, tissues and spinal column.
Water regulates all metabolic reactions in our system, including temperature, nerve impulses, absorption, digestion and excretion. Elements such as fibre, vitamins, and minerals can’t perform their role without their main transporter.
When including water in a balanced diet, it is important to drink regular amounts throughout the day. It’s often debated how much we need. If you’re feeling thirsty or slightly dehydrated, you should always drink water.
Throughout the day we can consume substances that dehydrate our body. Try to monitor how much caffeine you drink and other diuretics daily.
Lastly, its important to replace water when sweating or working out. If exercising, make sure to drink adequate amounts during your session.
Important Fact:
Our body is made up of an average of 65% water.
The first signs of dehydration are said to be apparent when we lose 4% to 6% of body weight through fluid loss. Moderate dehydration is said to range between 8% to 10%, and severe dehydration exceeding 12%.
What foods can keep you hydrated?
Here are some nutritious foods that have a high content of water. They would be nutritious to add in your diet. The percentage of water content is included:
Cucumber - 96%
Tomatoes - 95%
Spinach - 93%
Watermelon - 92%
Strawberries - 91%
More of our articles
Thanks for reading our guide on the components of a healthy diet. For more informative articles about nutrition, please read our piece about what vitamins and minerals boost your immune system.