The importance of a balanced diet

 

Many people tend to underestimate the importance of having a balanced diet. The lack of it accounts for a great number of illnesses which simply strike without warning. The lack of certain valuable nutrients can be a hazard for anyone.

A healthy diet is a thing that anyone can choose to maintain in order to keep a good health. If there is one major health issue that we can have control of nowadays, it certainly is our diet. However, each person may have different needs when it comes to eating habits, depending on the living area, the genetic makeup, etc.

Another issue is that people tend to categorize different foods into "good" or "bad" foods. They think that just because a certain food is good for something, abusing it will have good long term consequences. That couldn't be further from the truth, as eating a single type of food will provoke the lack of vital nutrients that the respective food doesn't have. So what is the secret then? How can we make up a healthy eating regime?

The answer is simple, and resides in one single word: balance! Yes, you need to achieve a balance! For instance, if you solely eat fish, that will harm you on the long run. But if you combine fish with vegetables and other things that have different nutrients, you can achieve that balance.

The truth is that the stress and the speed at which things are developing around us nowadays make most of us only dream about that ideal diet. And when it comes to trying a new approach, we may have a hard time killing the old habits. You know how they say, bad habits die hard! It takes will and patience, but the effort is worth the wait indeed. You will certainly feel the difference soon enough after making the transition to healthier food. You will feel lighter, you will not breath heavily, and many other good side effects that will ultimately help you live longer. Generally, a healthy diet must include:

- calories, which maintain a person's energy needs, but not in excess (because that would lead to excessive fat storage);

- although you might be surprised about this, fats within certain limits are needed also (monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat and saturated fat);

- trans fats are not allowed at all (they occur in small quantities in ruminants' meat and dairy); however, partially hydrogenated plant oils have the biggest quantities of trans fats;

- amino acids – for cellular replenishment and transport;

- micronutrients – like vitamins and specific minerals;

Of course, you must avoid foods that are dangerous to your health, like foods that are contaminated by pathogens, and also try to avoid the excess of salt.

 

Active Vocabulary

 

to underestimate	недооцінювати
hazard	ризик, небезпека
genetic makeup	генетичний склад
to abuse	зловживати
respective	відповідний
to reside	знаходитися
solely	тільки, виключно
will and patience	воля і терпіння
ultimately	зрештою, кінець кінцем
excess	надлишок
saturated fat	насичений жир
ruminant	жуйна тварина

Tasks

Task 1. Answer the questions to the text.

 

1. Why is it important to have a balanced diet?

2. How can we make up a healthy eating regime?

3. Will you harm on the long run if you solely eat fish?

4. What must a healthy diet include?

5. What kind of food must you avoid?

Task 2. Translate into Ukrainian:

 

Monounsaturated: of or relating to a class of vegetable oils, such as olive oil, the molecules of which have long chains of carbon atoms containing only one double bond.

Polyunsaturated: of or relating to a class of animal and vegetable fats, the molecules of which consist of long carbon chains with many double bonds. Polyunsaturated compounds are less likely to be converted into cholesterol in the body. They are widely used in margarines and in the manufacture of paints and varnishes.

Pathogen: any agent that can cause disease.

Amino: consisting of, or containing the group of atoms -NH2

Task 3. Read and translate the text:

 

Herbs for Obesity

Obesity is one of the major health concerns that plague America today. Approximately two-thirds of American adults are considered overweight; while one in three are seriously overweight or obese. Obesity is defined as having an abnormal amount of body fat; being 20 to 30 percent over the ideal weight for age, sex and height. Aside from being a major cosmetic concern, obesity is a great risk factor for serious medical conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney troubles, prostate enlargement, female infertility, uterine fibroids, pregnancy disorders, gallstones, cardiovascular diseases, stroke and cancer. Excessive body weight also puts great stress on joints increasing the chances of arthritis. Everyone's metabolism (the rate at which the body burns calories) is different and is influenced by many factors, including genetics. Regularly eating even a few more calories than your body needs can lead to weight gain. By consuming only 100 extra calories a day, for example, you'll gain a pound in approximately a month (a pound of body fat equals 3,500 calories). Some experts think a sedentary lifestyle influences weight gain even more than eating too many calories. Exercise burns calories and builds muscle. And the more muscle mass you have, the greater number of calories your body burns at rest. Aside from aggressive dieting and exercising, some herbal products may aid in raising metabolism or suppressing the appetite. But at the same time, you should also be wary of their side effects. Always check with your health care provider first.

• Aloe Vera, improves digestion and cleans the digestive tract

• Astralgus, increases energy and improves nutrient absorption

• Bee pollen, stimulates metabolism and quickly satisfy craving for sweets

• Bladderwrack, contains iodine which helps enhance thyroid function

• Brewer’s yeast, reduces various cravings for food and drink

• Cayenne, reduces hunger after meals and increases calorie burning by the body

• Chitosan, slows the absorption of fat in the intestine

• Chromium, helps the body use fat for energy and builds muscles

• Dandelion, flushes out kidneys, boosts metabolism, and off-sets cravings for sweets

• Ephedra, also known as ma huang, suppresses appetite

• Fennel, suppresses appetite and removes mucus and fat from the intestinal tract

• Garcinia cambogia, quells hunger pangs

• Green tea, increases energy expenditure and enhances the ability of the body to burn fat

• Guarana, contains caffeine which curbs appetite, increases metabolic rates and has a mild diuretic effect

• Guggul, lowers cholesterol and promotes weight control

• Kelp, boosts metabolism

• Licorice, sustains regulated blood sugar level and reduces cravings for sweets

• Malabar tamarind, helps prevents the production of fat and suppresses appetite

• Siberian ginseng, stabilizes blood sugar and reduces cravings for sweets

• Yohimbine, raises metabolic rates, reduces appetite and increases fat burning

These herbs are not recommended to replace regular diet. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is key.

 

craving	жадоба
bladderwrack	any of several seaweeds of the genera Fucus and Ascophyllum, esp F. vesiculosus, that grow in the intertidal regions of rocky shores and have branched brown fronds with air bladders
brewer’s yeast	пивні дріжджі
cayenne	червоний стручковий перець
chromium	хром
dandelion	кульбаба
ephedra	ефедра, хвойник
kelp	1) any large brown seaweed, esp any in the order Laminariales 2) the ash of such seaweed, used as a source of iodine and potash
licorice	локриця, солодець, солодкий корінь
tamarind	тамаринд, індійський фінік
yohimbine	an alkaloid found in the bark of the tree Corynanthe yohimbe. It is used in medicine as an adrenergic blocking agent. Formula: C21H26N2O3

 

Task 4. Let’s laugh a little.

IN A VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT

- “I say, waiter, the flowers on this table are artificial, aren’t they?”

- “Yes, sir. That’s the worst of running a vegetarian restaurant, if we use real flowers, the customers will eat them.”

***

 

THEIR FIRST QUARREL

She. – “I cook and cook and what do I get? Nothing.”

HE. – “You’re lucky, my dear. I get indigestion.”

indigestion – розлад травлення

***

A GOOD COOK

Young wife. – “Do you think I’m a good cook, darling?”

Husband. – “I think you are perfect.”

Wife.- “Which of my dishes do you like best?”

Husband. – “Tinned lobsters, my darling.”

tinned lobsters – консервовані омари

Task 5. Comment on the proverbs:

a)“Good health is above wealth”

b) “Where there is a will there is a way”

c) “Habit is the second nature”

 

 

Unit 14