Is a diet consisting of only fruits and nuts with the occasional meat a bad idea?
I am not overweight, but my I have been noticing my belly getting bigger the past few years, plus I eat so unhealthy as it is. Would this type of diet be a bad idea? I know eating just fruits would be bad.
Any diet based on eating only certain food groups is not healthy. Your body needs whole grains, vegetables, protein, dairy, some fruit, and a small amount of healthy fats.
Fruit is basically good for you, but is high in natural sugars. If you are wanting to lose weight, don’t overdo it on fruit (however, always choose fruit over a Butterfinger bar!). A small amount of nuts (most notably, almonds) have that healthy fat, and other health benefits going for them. They are also very high in calories. A serving of almonds is about 10. That isn’t going to stave off your hunger for long.
Make friends with your vegetables, especially the non-starchy kind. Corn, potatoes, and peas are tasty, but don’t pack near the nutrition of broccoli, spinach, or zucchini. Many veggies, such as lettuce, celery, and cabbage have so few calories you can eat all you want and never gain an ounce. Celery and cabbage require more calories to eat and digest than what they contains, so they are known as "negative calorie foods." You burn calories simply eating these foods and allowing them to digest. Try to experience a wide range of veggies for the best health benefits.
Make sure you get some protein in your diet, too. Fish is excellent, but not if it’s battered and deep-fried. Baking, broiling, poaching, or steaming are all healthier options. Choose skinless white meat chicken or turkey over fried. Occasionally, it’s fine to have some lean red meat, just don’t go hog wild. Eggs are an excellent source of protein. It’s fine to have one or two daily, if you don’t have excessively high cholesterol.
Choose whole grain bread and cereal items, and low-fat dairy products to round out your healthy Diet.
Also, you shouldn’t try to lose weight by diet alone. Make sure you get some exercise. You don’t have to turn into a gym rat, if you don’t want to. Even small changes count. Take the stairs, park farther from the door everywhere you go, walk that memo down the hall instead of e-mailing it, and/or take a brisk 10-15 minute walk during your lunch break. These are simple things that practically anyone can do. Try to move your body as much as possible. Shovel your own snow and mow your own lawn instead of paying someone else to do it. Wash your car in the driveway instead of using a drive-thru car wash. If you need to run a quick errand that’s within a mile or so of home, ride a bike or walk instead of driving. You’ll be saving money, plus doing yourself good!
Spring will soon be here! Start making a list of spring projects that you would like to get done. There is always spring cleaning, plus yard clean-up from the winter. How about cleaning out the garage or shed, planting some flowers, doing some needed painting or repairs? It all counts as exercise.
Hope this helps you get a plan together that is healthy and effective. Good luck!
February 15th, 2010 at 10:53 am
Yes, a diet of fruit and nuts, with the odd bit of meat is only really good if you are a bird. You still require the vitamins and minerals that are available in vegetables and whole grains. Fruit is primarily sugar and fiber, with a bit of vitamin c. Nuts are good for vitamin e and a few other minerals, but not things like calcium or the B complex vitamins. You’d also be hard pressed to get enough vitamin A. A good diet is a balanced diet, and you need most of your carbohydrates to come from whole grains and cereals, not from the sugars in fruit. You also need more protein than nuts would provide. If you are unsure as to what makes up a good balanced diet, start with the FDA site and work from there. Unless you are a bird though, a diet of fruit, nuts and the odd grasshopper isn’t good enough.
References :
nurse
February 15th, 2010 at 11:03 am
Any diet based on eating only certain food groups is not healthy. Your body needs whole grains, vegetables, protein, dairy, some fruit, and a small amount of healthy fats.
Fruit is basically good for you, but is high in natural sugars. If you are wanting to lose weight, don’t overdo it on fruit (however, always choose fruit over a Butterfinger bar!). A small amount of nuts (most notably, almonds) have that healthy fat, and other health benefits going for them. They are also very high in calories. A serving of almonds is about 10. That isn’t going to stave off your hunger for long.
Make friends with your vegetables, especially the non-starchy kind. Corn, potatoes, and peas are tasty, but don’t pack near the nutrition of broccoli, spinach, or zucchini. Many veggies, such as lettuce, celery, and cabbage have so few calories you can eat all you want and never gain an ounce. Celery and cabbage require more calories to eat and digest than what they contains, so they are known as "negative calorie foods." You burn calories simply eating these foods and allowing them to digest. Try to experience a wide range of veggies for the best health benefits.
Make sure you get some protein in your diet, too. Fish is excellent, but not if it’s battered and deep-fried. Baking, broiling, poaching, or steaming are all healthier options. Choose skinless white meat chicken or turkey over fried. Occasionally, it’s fine to have some lean red meat, just don’t go hog wild. Eggs are an excellent source of protein. It’s fine to have one or two daily, if you don’t have excessively high cholesterol.
Choose whole grain bread and cereal items, and low-fat dairy products to round out your healthy diet.
Also, you shouldn’t try to lose weight by diet alone. Make sure you get some exercise. You don’t have to turn into a gym rat, if you don’t want to. Even small changes count. Take the stairs, park farther from the door everywhere you go, walk that memo down the hall instead of e-mailing it, and/or take a brisk 10-15 minute walk during your lunch break. These are simple things that practically anyone can do. Try to move your body as much as possible. Shovel your own snow and mow your own lawn instead of paying someone else to do it. Wash your car in the driveway instead of using a drive-thru car wash. If you need to run a quick errand that’s within a mile or so of home, ride a bike or walk instead of driving. You’ll be saving money, plus doing yourself good!
Spring will soon be here! Start making a list of spring projects that you would like to get done. There is always spring cleaning, plus yard clean-up from the winter. How about cleaning out the garage or shed, planting some flowers, doing some needed painting or repairs? It all counts as exercise.
Hope this helps you get a plan together that is healthy and effective. Good luck!
References :
Years of experience.
February 15th, 2010 at 11:08 am
You may lose weight - but that does not mean you will be healthy!! Your diet needs to be a balanced combination of all "food groups" to sustain a healthy state. Too much fruit is a bad idea due to the high sugar content. You should only eat two pieces a day. You need to include dairy also. And some form of protein - it does not have to be meat!! And as many vegies as you want to. None of these things will make you fat. you also need some carbs for energy - just avoid white bread, white rice, white pasta and too much potato.
you may also find that been gluten or dairy inolerant can cause some bloating! I have a friend who went gluten and dairy free and lost centimeters from her waist without losing too much weight. Something else to think about!!
References :