In nutrition, the diet is nothing but the amount of food ingested by an organism or a human being. The two types of diets are “fad” diets and “dietary interventions”. Diets that last for a short period of time are termed “fad diets”. Dietary interventions are intended to help people lose weight permanently. But the most common intervention is a change in diet.
Many people consider a change in diet as tedious and unpleasant. But there are many benefits of dieting. If you eat less calories than what you burn through your exercise regime, chances of gaining weight and maintaining your ideal weight is near certain.
A regular balanced diet gives the necessary energy to live and work. An ideal, healthy and balanced diet should contain foods that are rich in vitamins, minerals, proteins, fibers, fat, carbohydrates and other essential nutrients. The recommended number of servings of each food group is six a day. Most fruits, vegetables, cereals, breads, beans, mushrooms, potatoes, tomatoes and lean meat are considered ideal.
Diets are broken into two categories: dietary rules and lifestyle changes. In a dietary rule, the diet is intended to give the desired results in a particular period of time. Some examples of dietary rules under this category are diabetic diets, low-fat diets, vegetarian diets and lacto-ovo diet. Lifestyle changes can be related to any one or more of the following: alcohol, tobacco, drugs, exercise, diet pills, stress management, weight loss program or medical treatment.
According to medical definition of diet (entry 3 of 3), the diet consists of food substances intended to meet the nutritional needs of man. Thus, if you are looking for a low calorie diet, you will need to find a food substance that provides all the nutrients you need to survive without excessive calories. A diet that consists of plenty of calories but no nutrition can be called as a fad diet. On the other hand, a diet that meets the dietary needs and provides the right amount of calories can be described as a sensible diet.
When looking for a diet, you need to consider its definition, whether in the scientific or layman’s language. This will help you identify a diet that meets your needs. If you are looking for a scientific definition of diet, you can consult the Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary at the internet site for the Webster’s University Home Page. If you have some problems with the above definition, you can consult any other sources available.