Ajit Karn
Benefits of different food groups: Knowing your food groups is the first stage in achieving a healthier lifestyle. Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of different food groups, as well as an in-depth look at which foods you should be consuming frequently – and which you should be limiting…
Our bodies are actually quite simple devices when it comes to weight loss and maintenance: we must simply burn more calories than we consume. And adopting a healthy lifestyle is the only method to do so successfully over the long term.
It is not always possible to lose weight through diet alone, as you may feel like you are famished or depriving yourself of food. However, this does not mean that you must run a half marathon three times per week. Investing time now in enhancing your lifestyle will result in a slimmer, healthier, and more energetic you in the future.
The primary function of food is to provide us with energy, of which approximately 60 percent is used by our vital organs — the brain, heart, liver, and kidneys, among others — and the remainder by our body physiologically. various food components have various duties and functions, but they are all designed to work together; therefore, “diets” that recommend reducing or eliminating food groups can be harmful to your health.
Benefits of different food groups
Fats: the good and the bad
As long as you consume ‘healthy’ lipids, consuming fat does not necessarily result in weight gain. Everyone needs fat in their diet because it is required for important functions such as protecting our major organs, maintaining body temperature, and providing essential nutrients such as vitamins A, D, and E, but its primary function is to serve as one of our primary energy sources. Only when we exceed our body’s fat requirements or ingest the incorrect form of fat do we cause problems like high blood pressure and obesity.
The easiest method to classify lipids is into two categories: saturated (bad) and unsaturated (good). Saturated fats are the ‘bad’ lipids you should avoid, as they are solid at room temperature and are typically processed. They are primarily found in animal products like cheese, meat, butter, and margarine. Unsaturated fats are purer and significantly healthier.
Oils derived from olive, sunflower, rapeseed, grapeseed, and sesame, as well as legumes and seeds, are vegetal sources. Fish, which contains the essential omega-3 fatty acid, is also an excellent source of ‘healthy’ lipids.
Carbs: the energy givers
Generally, carbohydrates come from plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes. A key source of energy, they also play a role in the function of our internal organs, our nervous system, and in fuelling our muscles. When eaten, the body breaks carbohydrates down into simple sugars (called glycogen). The body then uses these as an energy source.
Like fats, there are essentially two types of carbohydrates – starches and sugars – which can both be found in pure or refined forms:
- Natural sugars – from fruits and vegetables.
- Refined sugars – found in honey, brown sugar, soft drinks, cakes, biscuits, jams and sweets.
- Natural starches – found in wholegrain and wholemeal breakfast cereals, wholemeal flour and bread, wholemeal pasta, brown rice, nuts, potatoes, lentils, chickpeas, banana sand root vegetables like carrots.
- Refined starches – are found in sugary, processed breakfast cereals, white flour, white rice, white pasta, white bread, biscuits and cakes.
Refined carbohydrates are essentially ‘white’ and have already been broken down into simple sugars, a process your body would normally do. When they are eaten they dump sugar into your bloodstream. This results in short bursts of energy and mood swings. Sticking to the natural sources will provide more stability in your blood sugars and is much better for you. This is because they also contain fibre, essential for a healthy gut.
Protein: the immunity and body booster
Protein is a key component of our hair, nails, eyes, skin and internal organs. It is also essential for a healthy immune system. It allows the body to grow and repair muscles and tissues, while keeping our hormones in check.
Good sources of protein include animal meats (skin and fat removed), fish, eggs, milk, yoghurt, nuts, seeds, tofu, beans and oats. Bad sources are essentially those that have been processed such as ham, salami and pies.
Fibre: the tummy filler (and regulator!)
While not a major food group as such, fibre is important for healthy weight loss as it fills you up and keeps you full for longer. There are two types of fibre – soluble and insoluble. Soluble fibre is found in pulses, fruit and vegetables. It helps to reduce the body’s ‘bad’ cholesterol and control blood sugar levels.
Insoluble fibre is found in wholewheat bread, brown rice and fruit. It helps the passing of food through your intestines, helping to prevent constipation and other gut problems.
Also read: Best Food for Survival to Stock Up on
Should I be eating all the different food groups?
Our bodies are designed to need all the different food groups for optimal vitality and wellness. Omitting certain food groups can actually cause you to put on weight. This is because the body goes into survival mode, thinking it is being starved, so it stores fat in order to keep your vital organs functioning and essentially keep you alive. When we start to eat normally again we are adding more calories but not burning off the fat that has been stored. This leads to excess body fat which is much harder to shift.
So, be sure to eat a range of foods from all the different food groups to keep your body functioning at its best – but try to focus on natural and unprocessed whole foods where possible. For example, choose unsaturated fats over saturated, natural sugars over refined and unprocessed meats over processed. Save the alternatives for occasional treats!
