As many of you might know I have been working in the food and hospitality industry as a chef for about 25 years. Over these many years I have seen my share of fad diets come and go. I have made nutrition and the consequences of healthy eating my "life project," if you will. As part of this effort I am currently working on my Masters Program in Human Nutrition. As you can imagine, these studies involve a lot of reading, and many hours in the library researching the subject of nutrition. My name is Werner Absenger and people always seem to ask me about diets that work. In this review I shall tackle the dilemma you might face when trying to choose foods that contribute to a balanced, adequate diet. I will try to explain why diets that restrict foods and food intake too severely, generally do not work.
First, we need to clarify the definition of a balanced and adequate diet. Adequate diets, despite differences in the kinds of foods eaten, share several things. An adequate diet is made up of foods that provide sufficient essential nutrients. Essential nutrients are substances your body needs for normal growth and health but can not make itself to sustain sufficient levels. Essential nutrients must be consumed through food. You know the major; essential nutrients better as proteins, vitamins, minerals. In addition, an adequate diet provides sufficient calories to meet; caloric needs to cover the body's basic metabolic functions and energy requirements for daily activities. A balanced diet provides neither too much nor too little of nutrients and other food components. An example would be fat and fiber (Brown, 2008).
