In nutrition, diet plays the role of regulating nutriments or foods that are consumed by an individual or human organism. This diet is a set of eating habits and a routine usually practiced by people from different age groups. It aims to maintain the balance in the body and reduce the risk factors for various diseases like obesity, diabetes, heart diseases, etc. The term diet is used in conjunction with food that has a specific nutriment that is known as energy and a diet rich in proteins. A wide range of diet supplements are available today that can help in weight loss.
Diet guidelines differ from one culture to another, and they vary according to culture, country, time period and even nationality. There are certain factors like the country you are from, time period you are living in, your gender, the kind of occupation you have etc which determine what kind of diet you are supposed to follow. For example, in Europe, generally there is a lot of emphasis on eating whole grain foods and avoiding dairy products. On the other hand, Asian countries like China and India mostly consume food items that are high in protein and fiber, such as vegetables, fruits, legumes, grains etc., Apart from this, meat and dairy products are also a major component of their diet.
Based on the above, it would be clear that for an Asian diet, eggs may not be a big part of their diet, but they definitely include meat and dairy products in their diet, because these are available abundantly in Asia. However, in Europe, generally it is considered that vegetables and fruits are more important than meat and dairy products, and a more flexible diet pattern is followed. Usually, no special diet supplements are taken, but a general reduction in sugar and carbohydrate intake may be noticed along with a slight increase in protein consumption.
Diets are based on several principles. For instance, most diets recommend a lesser intake of dairy products and a larger intake of grains. There are certain other diets where the consumption of sugar is limited to a certain extent and some other carbohydrates is also allowed. However, the general pattern of most diets is restricting all types of calories intake. Also, it is essential to limit the intake of fats.
Most people think that a healthy diet consists only of eating healthy foods and a little bit of exercise, but this is not entirely true. As we mentioned above, the major components of any diet are healthy eating habits, which in turn means that a well balanced diet, which is rich in nutrients, protein, fiber and vitamins must be present in the diet. Also, while following any type of diet, especially a diet for healthy weight loss must incorporate a regular exercise routine to help the body in digesting food.
Some of the most important and popular natural foods, which are very beneficial for the overall health and weight loss are fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, oily fish, nuts, seeds, olive oil, sesame seeds, strawberries, raisins and garlic. While eating these natural foods, it is essential to add them in large quantities. Also it is important to avoid fatty foods, coffee and alcoholic beverages. It has been found that most of the weight loss programs are incomplete because they do not provide enough of the required nutrients and energy to the body. In order to get the desired results, a combination of diet and exercise should be taken.