Diet Planning Example

A healthy diet consists on knowing what nutrients to consume and how much of these nutrients will be needed. Once the nutrients have been determined, the fun begins. The nutrients form the basic building blocks for the body. Cooking is like putting those blocks together according to your tastes and preferences. The following scenario goes through some considerations to make when choosing to cook healthy. The example depicts an overweight male with diabetes making healthy meal choices.

Our example dieter is an overweight male with diabetes. His basil metabolic rate (BMR), the calories he needs to consume to maintain his weight, is 2600. However he would like to lose weight so must lower caloric consumption, increase activity to burn calories or both. A drastic change in lifestyle is not necessary for steady weight loss and increasing health benefits. Approximately 3500 calories make up one pound. Decreasing the calorie intake by 500 will allow him to lose one pound per week. Dropping the calorie intake much lower than 2100 may be difficult to maintain or too drastic a change. Increasing activity will burn off more weight. Increasing activity level to include 1000 calories per day will give our subject the necessary deficit to lose three pounds per week.

The second step in diet planning is to consider what nutrients the body needs. The diabetic must regulate insulin levels. Research has shown that anti-oxidants, chromium, vitamin C, carotenoids and omega-3 fatty acids aid in controlling diabetes naturally. Fresh fruits stabilize blood sugar and red and purple fruits contain phytonutrients that lower blood sugar. Our diet must consist of foods with these nutrients with a daily calorie level not above 2100.

Carbohydrates contain natural sugars that provide energy. Fruits and vegetables are high in carbohydrates. Fresh fruit is better for a diabetic than fruit juice because it provides added fiber. Garlic, onions and tomatoes are high in chromium. Needed to regulate blood sugar. Orange vegetables such as sweet potatoes contain carotenoids that balance glucose levels. Soy provides protein for muscle growth and improves kidney function for diabetics. Fish and walnuts are high in omega-3 fatty acids so they provide heart benefits as well as protein. Whole grains provide necessary fiber. Buckwheat, a whole grain, also contains chiroinositol, a compound that stabilizes blood sugar.

A typical meal plan may consist of a breakfast of buckwheat barley topped with fresh fruit. An ideal lunch is a Caesar salad topped with salmon with a sprinkle of lemon juice and a small amount of olive oil for dressing. Healthy snacks throughout the day include fresh fruit, carrots and walnuts. For dinner diabetics may eat a variety of leafy greens such as kale or spinach topped with fish or a very lean meat. A side of miso soup or an edemame starter provides soy protein. Most importantly, intake of all the days' meals must remain under or equal to 2100 calories. Careful attention should be paid to walnuts that are nutrient rich but also high in calories and easy to overeat.

Diet planning can be time-consuming at first. Once familiar with amounts and nutrients it will become second nature. The possibilities and variations can be endless when cooking healthy. The secret is to plan ahead for your healthy lifestyle.

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