For optimal health, balance your carbs, fat and fiber.
Thinkstock/Comstock/Getty Images
Calories aren't the only factor that matters when planning a healthy diet. The carbohydrates and fats you consume play a big role in health and weight loss. When comparing a low-fat, low-carb and a low-glycemic diet, based on consuming fibrous whole-grain carbs, researchers at the Harvard Medical School found that the low-glycemic diet that didn't severely limit carbs or fat and contained plenty of fiber was the best overall in terms of improving health.
Carbohydrate Percentages
The main role of carbs is to provide your body with energy. Between 50 and 60 percent of your total daily calorie intake should come in the form of carbohydrates, according to Group Health Cooperative. Carbohydrates contain four calories per gram, so take half your daily calorie intake and divide it by four to work out how many grams of carbs you need per day.
Percentage of Fat You Need
You need fat for hormone production, cell growth and reproduction, and it's also a source of energy. The United States Department of Agriculture Guidelines state that between 20 and 35 percent of your daily calories should come from fat. Fat has nine calories per gram, so find 20 to 35 percent of your total daily calorie intake, then divide by nine to get the total grams of fat you need each day.
You Need Fiber
Fiber helps with digestion and adequate fiber intake reduces your risk of certain illnesses and diseases. An easy way to make sure you're getting enough fiber is to aim for 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories you consume. A good rule of thumb is to look for a 10-to-1 ratio when choosing your carbs, advises Patrick J. Skerrett of Harvard Health Publications. This means that if a food has 20 grams of carbohydrate, it should have at least 2 grams of fiber.
Individual Considerations
These guidelines are suitable for improving and maintaining general health, but they may vary, depending on body type, weight and activity levels. In "A Guide to Flexible Dieting," nutritionist Lyle McDonald writes that when losing weight, a lower percentage of carbohydrates can be beneficial, but you may wish to increase your fiber ratio to boost satiety and fullness. Likewise, athletes or highly active people may require a higher proportion of carbs to fuel performance and aid recovery.
About the Author
Mike Samuels started writing for his own fitness website and local publications in 2008. He graduated from Peter Symonds College in the UK with A Levels in law, business and sports science, and is a fully qualified personal trainer, sports massage therapist and corrective exercise specialist with accreditations from Premier Global International.
Photo Credits
- Thinkstock/Comstock/Getty Images
Have Feedback?
Thank you for providing feedback to our Editorial staff on this article. Please fill in the following information so we can alert the Live Healthy editorial team about a factual or typographical error in this story. All Fields are required.
X
No comments :
Post a Comment