In nutrition, the diet is the sum of food consumed by a person or other organism. Dietary habits are the habitual decisions an individual or culture makes when choosing what foods to eat. Although humans are omnivores, each culture holds some food preferences and some food taboos. Individual dietary choices may be more or less healthful. Proper nutrition requires the proper ingestion and equally important, the absorption of vitamins, minerals, and food energy in the form of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Dietary habits and choices play a significant role in health and mortality, and can also define cultures and play a role in religion.
Traditional diet
"Traditional diet" is the diets of native populations such as the Europeans, Native Americans, Khoisan or Australian Aborigines. Often, to qualify for cultural cuisine, traditional diets include more organic farming and seasonal food according to food origins.
Traditional diets vary with availability of local resources, such as fish in coastal towns, eels and eggs in estuary settlements, or squash, corn and beans in farming towns, as well as with cultural and religious customs and taboos. In some cases, the crops and domestic animals that characterize a traditional diet have been replaced by modern high-yield crops, and are no longer available. The slow food movement attempts to counter this trend and to preserve traditional diets.
Religious and cultural dietary choices
Some cultures and religions have restrictions concerning what foods are acceptable in their diet. For example, only Kosher foods are permitted by Judaism, and Halal foods by Islam.
Diet and life outcome
A three-decade long study published in the British medical journal, The Lancet, found that Guatemalan men who had been well-fed soon after they were born earned almost 50% more in average salary than those who had not. The blind trial was performed by giving a high-nutrition supplement to some infants and a lower-nutrition supplement to others, with only the researchers knowing which infants received which supplements. The infants that received the high-nutrition supplement had higher average salaries as adults .
Individual dietary choices
Writers such as Michael Pollan and Mark Bittman urge reduced animal consumption in the developed world for improved health and reduced impact on the environment. Many people choose to forgo food from animal sources to varying degrees (vegetarianism, veganism, fruitarianism) for health reasons, or issues surrounding morality, or to reduce their personal impact on the environment. Raw foodism is another contemporary trend. These diets may require tuning or supplementation to meet ordinary nutritional needs.
Economic influence
In addition to culture, religion, and personal choices, diet is also influenced by economics. Throughout history and in contemporary life, poverty is often associated with the inability to afford meat, or with malnutrition.
Diets for weight management
Main articles: Dieting and Diet foodA particular diet may be chosen to seek weight gain, weight loss, sports training, cardio-vascular health, avoidance of cancers, food allergies and for other reasons. Changing a subject's dietary intake, or "going on a diet", can change the energy balance and increase or decrease the amount of fat stored by the body. Some foods are specifically recommended, or even altered, for conformity to the requirements of a particular diet. These diets are often recommended in conjunction with exercise.
Eating disorders
An eating disorder is a mental disorder that interferes with normal food consumption. Eating disorders often affect people with a negative body image.
Health
Main article: Healthy dietA healthy diet is one that is arrived at with the intent of improving or maintaining optimal health. This usually involves consuming nutrients by eating the appropriate amounts from all of the food groups, including an adequate amount of water. Since human nutrition is complex, a healthy diet may vary widely, and is subject to an individual's genetic makeup, environment, and health. For around 20% of the human population, lack of food and malnutrition are the main impediments to healthy eating. Conversely, people in developed countries have the opposite problem; they are more concerned about obesity.
Diet table
See also
- List of diets
- Nutritional biodiversity
Notes
- ^ noun, def 1 askoxford.com
- ^ An article about traditional diet
- ^ Good food 'boosts earning power', By Mark Doyle, 1 February 2008, BBC NEWS
- ^ Mark Bittman: Eating Right Can Save The Planet, January 22, 2009, NPR
- ^ World Health Organization site on diet and physical activity
- ^ Diet, Nutrition and the prevention of chronic diseases by a Joint WHO/FAO Expert consultation (2003)
Free Diet Plans at SparkPeople
SparkPeople.com is a free online diet and healthy living community with over 3 million members who provide support and motivation to each other. Create a free account and get the ...
Online Healthy Diet Meal Plans – Diet Plans at Cuisine deLight's
Online Healthy Diet Meal Plans help you to lose weight and improve your health. Cuisine deLight's providing most effective diet plans with world class flavors.
Healthy Diet Plan - Healthy Meal Plan
Having a hard time choosing which foods to eat? Fat Loss 4 Idiots helps you create personalized healthy diet plans for your specific needs. Now with an 8 weeks risk free trial ...
Healthy Diet Plans, Nutrition Food and Diet Fitness
Healthy Diet. The need of a healthy diet. A healthy diet is very important and necessary for a healthy ... We must always make a point that the food we eat is clean and free from ...
Diet Plans | Diets That Work
So, if you're looking for a healthy diet that help you maintain your current weight or lose ... © Copyright 1998 - 2009. All rights reserved. Diet Plans
Diet Plans
FREE Profile; Online Diet Plans; Meal Delivery Plans; Community; Weight Loss Store ... Hypoglycemic/Low-Sugar Plan; Healthy Soy Plan; Vegetarian Plan; Lactose-Free Plan
Weight Loss | Free Diet Plans | Report | Salesletter
Wieght Loss Diet Plan Report packed full of adive on how to put together your diet plan free ... What you need if you’re going to lose weight and stick to a healthy lifestyle is an ...
Site Map : Healthy Weight Loss Management Program : Lifetime Fitness ...
Home | Sitemap | Articles | Healthy Diet Plan | Health And Fitness | Diet Free Healthy Loss Weight Healthy Eating Diet Plan. Copyright © 2009 www.Weight-Loss-Without-the-Diet.com
Weight Loss Diet Plans - Compare Nutrisystem, Medifast, South Beach ...
... by filling out a free profile they tell you which one is right for you. They offer the most options with choices of meal delivery, healthy living and fitness. Available diet plans ...
Groups: KhGqAnx2: free healthy diet plan - Upcoming
Upcoming Groups: KhGqAnx2: free healthy diet plan ... Healthy Weight Loss Diet Plan Heart Healthy Diet Plan 3 Day Diet Plan. Free foods free customized program is not going ...