So your looking to eat healthy? Well one fo the best ways to get started is to get the balance of carbs,(carbohydrates), proteins and fats right first. The reason is, these are the essential foundations of any diet plan and everything from there is just a question of balance and adjusting to suit your likes and dislikes.



With around 4 calories being produced by one gram of protein it is not suprising that we are encouraged to eat plenty of protein rich foods such as eggs and dairy products (which of course also contain fats), red meats fish and steaks.

Moving on to Carbohydrates the story is pretty much the same in terms of calories at around 4 calories per gram. But unlike protein which occurs only naturally (unless added as a supplement) carbs can be found both naturally and also in food that a processed or if you prefer man made.

Carbohydrates which are found in nature include rice,some pulses (such as beans),potato's in various different guises, and oatmeal but this is just the tip of the iceberg a wider range of man made carbs are found in cookies, candies, and cakes plus a whole slew of other processed foods.

But you probably won't be suprised to learn that from each gram of fat there are a massive 9 calories. That's right a shocking 225% more calories than either carbs or protein.But few people fully get the implications of this fact.

There are 4 main types of fat which makes things a little more complicated these are Mono Unsaturated Fat, Poly Unsaturated Fat, Saturated Fats (mainly derived from animals) and the man made Trans Fat's or Trans Fatty Acids.

But your body needs a balanced diet, so you have to ensure your are getting adequate amounts of all 3 food groups. To live a healthy life and if you maintain this balance correctly you will not become fat or have problems with obesity.

The balance of carbs, to fat to protein is essential to healthy living and if you choose a diet which is unbalanced you risk health problems. Consume excess of either fat or carbs or a combination of both and you are likely to end up over weight.

Fat is much more calorific than either proteins or carbohydrates so when planning a meal try to keep a good balance of both carbs and protein and a smaller amount of fat.

We will examine the different types of fat individually.

Mono Unsaturated Fatty Acids (Monounsaturated Fats).. Examples of which are seeds,nuts and vegetable oils. They are found in liquid form at room temperature.

Polyunsaturated Fats (Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids):- These are are found mainly in vegetable oils, fish and seafood. They are liquid or soft at room temperature. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are types of Polyunsaturated fats and are considered essential fatty acids because our bodies cannot make them, thus they must be obtained through the diet. Some times referred to as PUFA's.

Saturated Fats (SUFA's):- These are fats which are found predominantly in animal food sources such as meats, dairy products (those made from milk) such as butter and cheese and in some plants the most well know one being coconut and it's derivatives.

Trans Fats (TFA's):- These are manufactured vegetable oils which have been specially processed to become solid at room temperature by the addition of hydrogen. You may have heard them called hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils or fats. They have been used in some margarines,junk foods and processed snacks which the manufacturers claim enhances their flavor and shelf life.

A guide is if it comes from a plant it is usually better for you than if it came from animal. Animal fats are found in butter, pastry and shortening as saturated fat. But fats from plants such as Olive Oil, sun flower oil and some margarines (read the label) are unsaturated fats. Unsaturated fat is better for you but will still make you fat.

If you want to be eating healthy you need to keep a good balance of all 3 main food groups.