Karate Athlete - The Healthy Diet

For a healthy diet, you need to eat a wide variety of foods in moderate-sized portions that give your body the nutrients and energy that it needs. You need to limit foods in your diet that can be harmful to your body.

Some foods contain very little nutritional value, or have ingredients that can cause disease. Eating healthy does not mean giving up all sweets, salt, and snacks. It means eating such foods in moderation. The foods and food ingredients you need to limit include fat, cholesterol, sodium, alcohol, and sugar.

Eating foods high in cholesterol and saturated fat can cause artherosclerosis (narrowing of the blood vessels from buildup of fatty deposits). This is critical for everyone, but especially important if you have a family history of high cholesterol levels or diabetes. Atherosclerosis can lead to heart disease and strokes. Cholesterol is a substance found in animal products such a s meat, eggs, dairy products, and baked goods made with eggs and milk. Vegetables do not contain cholesterol.

Of the various types of fats, saturated fats are the least healthy. They tend to increase the level of cholesterol in your blood. In fact, the amount of saturated fat in food is at least as important as the amount of cholesterol. Foods labeled "No Cholesterol" sometimes contain high saturated fat. Saturated fats are generally solid at room temperature. Foods that contain saturated fat include butter, cheese, margarine, shortening, tropical oils such as coconut and palm oil, and the fats in meat and poultry skin.

To reduce the amount of saturated fat in your diet, limit the amount of butter and margarine you eat. Drink non-fat or low-fat milk. Choose lean cuts of meat, and take the skin off poultry before you eat it. If you use cooking oil, avoid tropical oils such as palm or coconut oil, as well as peanut oil. Better choices of oils are sunflower, canola, soy, or olive oil.

Sodium, one of the ingredients in table salt, can contribute to high blood pressure if eaten in excess. Sodium is found in many foods, not just in table salt. Fast foods usually contain high amounts of sodium. An average healthy person should have no more than 2400 mg (milligrams) of sodium per day and no less than 500 mg per day. Check food labels for sodium content. Here are some common examples:

On food labels, "low sodium" means each serving contains less than 140 mg of sodium. "Moderate sodium" is 140 to 400 mg per serving. "high sodium" is more than 400 mg of sodium per serving.

Excess alcohol consumption can lead to weight gain, liver disease, brain damage, and other disorders. Women should have no more than one alcoholic drink per day, and men should limit themselves to two drinks per day. An alcoholic drink equals about 5 ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer, or 1 ounce of distilled spirits. Sugar and foods that contain a lot of sugar supply a large number of calories, but very little nutrition. Sugar also causes tooth decay.

A healthy diet depends on eating a variety of foods. If you eat a variety of foods you are more likely to get all the necessary nutrients. Your diet should contain the following nutrients:

PROTEINS - Proteins form the basic structure of body tissue and organs. The body uses proteins for growth and the repair of cells. Proteins are found in eggs, milk, cheese, tofu, nuts, meat, fish, poultry, dried beans, split peas, and lentils. About 15% of your daily calories should come from protein.

CARBOHYDRATES - Carbohydrates are the body's main source of energy. They are found in potatoes, bread, cereals, grains, pasta, milk, yogurt, vegetables, and fruit. Carbohydrates should make up at least 50% of your daily calories.

FATS - Fats provide energy and are used for growth and repair of tissues. They are found in olives, nuts, cheese, meat, fish, poultry, butter, oils, avocado, and mayonnaise. Saturated fats are less healthy than polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. Saturated fats are found mostly in butter, margarine, meat, cheese, poultry with skin, tropical oils, and whole-milk dairy products. Monounsaturated fats are found in olive oil, canola oil, and avocados. Polyunsaturated fats are found in fish and some vegetable oils. Fats should contribute no more than 30% of your daily calories.

Only 10% of the fat that you eat should be saturated fat. There are nine calories in a gram of fat.

To calculate the maximum grams of fat you should eat each day, use the following formulas:

Multiply the maximum number of calories you should eat in a day by 0.30 (30%) to calculate the maximum number of calories that you should get from fat.

FIBER - Fiber is found in plants and is not digested by the body. It provides what is considered "bulk", which is used by the large intestine to help remove waste through bowel movements. Lack of fiber in your diet can worsen intestinal problems, such as constipation. Fruit, vegetables, bran, whole grains, and cereals are good sources of fiber. It is recommended that you get 20 to 35 grams of fiber per day. A diet high in fiber may help reduce your cholesterol levels.

VITAMINS AND MINERALS - Vitamins are important nutrients that help to regulate metabolism and also help the brain, nerves, muscles, skin, and bones to function properly. The major vitamins are A, B, C, D, E, K, B-12, and seven B complex vitamins. Minerals are necessary in very small amounts for the body to function properly. For example - calcium is necessary for healthy teeth and bones, zinc and magnesium are need to control cell metabolism, and iron is important for healthy blood and for many chemical reactions within your body. Vitamins and minerals are found in many foods, especially in milk, cheese, green leafy vegetables, fish, meat, and poultry. They are also added to milk and cereal.

WATER - Water is necessary to replace the fluid your body loses every day when you breathe, urinate, and sweat. You should drink 6 to 8 glasses of water or other liquids (including soups and other beverages) every day. You can use the following chart as a guideline for choosing the types and amounts of food you eat ina day. Remember that carbohydrates (grains, fruits, and vegetables) should make up at least half of your daily calories, and that variety is important.

**DAILY FOOD SERVING RECOMMENDATIONS**
SERVINGS	# OF SERVING SIZE	EXAMPLES OF FOOD GROUP
Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dried beans	2 to 3	2 to 3 oz of lean meat, 1 egg, 1/2 cup cooked beans
Grains	6 to 11	1 slice bread, 1/2 cup pasta or rice, 1 oz cereal
Fruits	2 to 4	1 fruit, 3/4 cup fruit juice
Vegetables	3 to 5	1/2 cup nonleafy vegetable, 1 cup leafy vegetable
Milk, cheese, yogurt	2 to 3	1 cup milk or yogurt, 1 to 2 oz cheese

MEAT VERSUS VEGETARIAN DIET

Meat, including poultry and fish, is a very nutrient-rich food. Meat is one of the best sources of iron and protein. Most people get much more protein than they need, however. You should limit the amount of meat you eat, but you do not have to eliminate meat altogether. Choose lean cuts of meat, and try to use the meat as a side dish rather than a main course. You can include meat in a casserole or stew, using meat as a flavoring for a main dish without overeating the meat portion. It is possible to have a healthy diet without eating meat. Vegetarians do have to be careful to make sure that they get enough iron and protein, however.

GUIDELINES FOR HEALTHY EATING

For best nutrition, choose foods containing high-fiber, complex carbohydrates and monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats instead of refined, low-fiber carbohydrates and saturated fats.

Learn more about nutrition and healthy living. Read the ingredients on all packaged and canned foods you buy. Some contain more fat, sodium, sugar, and preservatives than you expect. In addition:

- bake or broil food instead of frying it

- do not eat more than 4 egg yolks a week (egg whites are healthy, egg yolks are not)

- have a green leafy salad at least once a day (leaf lettuces and spinach are more nutritious than iceberg lettuce)

- use oily dressings sparingly on salads, or try non-fat dressings

- eat fresh foods instead of canned foods

- eat more whole grain products

- cook vegetables only slightly, or eat them raw

- limit the amount of red meat you eat, try to eat more fish

- remove the skin from poultry before eating it

- limit fat, cholesterol, sugar, alcohol, salt, and caffeine in your diet

- avoid pre-prepared foods as much as possible

- limit dining at fast food restaraunts