Today I am going to look at the 3 building blocks of a healthy diet one that is filled with nutrition and is good for you, whether you are trying to lose weight or not. They are protein,carbohydrate (carbs if you prefer) and fat.

Protein has approximately 4 calories per gram, and can be found in food like eggs, other dairy products made from milk such as cheeses,and yoghurt. In addition protein can be found in red meats such as beef steak and fish.

When looking at carbs like protein we find that calorifically around 1g of carbohydrate will produce about 4 calories of energy. However when comparing carbs it is much harder as they are rather more complex and in addition to being food found in nature than can also be found in food that is manufactured by man.

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 range 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 understand 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.

A balance of carbs,protein and fat (ideally mono and poly unsaturated fats with a small proportion of animal fats) will prevent you having problems with being overweight and obese. It is when these food groups get out of balance that serious problems occur.

It is only when people get their diet out of balance and favor more of the fat containing foods they start to experience problems with their weight. Also getting a little more scientific carbohydrates is broken down by the body in to sugars so these should be only eaten as stated as part of an overall balanced diet.

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.

There are 4 different types of fat lets look at each in turn.

Mono unsaturated fats (mono unsaturated fatty acids):- These are found in vegetable oils, nuts, seeds and some plant foods. They are liquid at room temperature. Some times referred to as MUFA’s.

Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (Poly Unsaturated Fats):- These are are most commonly found in vegetable oils, fish and seafood. They are liquid or soft at room temperature. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are types of poly unsaturated fats and are considered essential fatty acids because our bodies need them but don’t 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 prolongs 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 labels) are unsaturated fats. Unsaturated fat is better for you but will still make you put on weight in excess.

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