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The new adage of this 21st century has been “A slice of watermelon a day keeps a body fit”. We all know that a healthy diet is one which is full of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. A healthy diet with regular exercise is a great combination and has always been of incredible health benefit. It also reduces the risk of certain fatal diseases like asthma, diabetes, cancer and arthritis.

A juicy slice of watermelon is full of nutrients and contains the important phytochemical lycopene which helps in preventing cancer and other cardio vascular diseases. This fruit has its natural sweetness which makes this more delicious and it also serves as a refreshing dessert. The nutritional benefits of watermelons cannot be calculated, it surpasses everything. You will be stunned to know that this juicy fruit is absolutely fat free and cholesterol free. It is rich in Vitamin B6, B1, magnesium, potassium and Vitamin A as well as C.

The red color of the fruit is due to its lycopene content. This high concentration of lycopene, an anti-oxidant helps to reduce the risk of many diseases. These antioxidants neutralize the harmful free radicals in the human body. Free radicals in the human body cause great deal of damage by oxidizing cholesterol and making it stick to the blood vessel walls, eventually leading to heart attack or stroke. One or two slices of watermelon calorie content are only 45. Yes you will be surprised but this is true. So, if you are very conscious about your diet and body then just gulp watermelons, be it in slice or juice or by making various recipes of this fruit. If you are calorie conscious about your diet then you can add a glass of watermelon juice right now to make it complete and healthy.

In this age we are flooded with many confusing health beverages which proclaim them to most healthy drink. But fresh fruit has no alternative or no should ever dare to compare a slice of watermelon with other juices. The nutrient density of this fruit per calorie is more than other commonly consumed 100 percent fruit juices. Most of us calorie intake is more than what we need for our body. But by increasing your intake of one slice of watermelon to three four will not affect you since it is fat free and so calorie per slice is not very high.

You should eat three ounces of whole grain bread, rice, pasta or cereals. On the next step of food green leafy vegetables should be present along with beans and peas. And the final step should be full of fruits and nuts. Calculate your calorie intake by using a calorie calculator according to your food habits and then and then only you will be conscious of the total calories you are in taking daily.

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Today we hear the word diet much more than we hear the word nutrition. There are so many diets on the market that it’s easy to get lost in the fad and forget what nutrition truly is. There is the Atkins Diet, the Zone Diet, Weight Watchers and many others, from Slim Fast to the various one-food diets, such as the cabbage soup diet or the grapefruit diet. Society has become fixated on the ‘diet’, instead of quality nutrition. Unfortunately, this fixation isn’t working. America is the fattest nation in the world, with high rates of diabetes, heart disease and other life threatening illnesses. While diets are becoming more popular, nutrition is suffering.

What is a diet?

While many people think a diet is a set of rules you follow to try to lose weight, your diet is actually the food that you eat to supply your body with the nutrients it needs to function properly. While an average American diet consists of large quantities of processed sugar, white flour, meat and fast foods, a healthy diet is one that supplies the body with vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants and enzymes. These nutritional building blocks affect your energy levels, your quality of life, and have a direct affect on your mood, memory, eyesight, body functions and lifespan. Without a healthy diet that supplies the body with much needed nutrients, you are more susceptible to colds, infections, and illnesses. Your diet, in other words your nutrition, is what sustains your life.

Nutritional Labels

There is much confusion surrounding nutritional labels. Most people look strictly toward the top for calories, fat grams and serving size information. The truth is that nutritional labels offer a look at the nutrients in one’s food, such as vitamins A, C, D and E, as well as calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc and folic acid. This information, although lower down on the nutritional label, is very important information if you are seeking to supply your body with nutrients, as opposed to empty calories.

The most important aspect of a nutritional label, although almost completely overlooked, is the actual ingredients within your food. While it may be easier to check to see how many calories and fat grams a certain food product has in each serving, when it comes to healthy nutrition the most important ingredient is what you are actually ingesting. It may have only 220 calories, but where are those calories coming from? Are you ingesting mostly corn syrup and sodium phosphate, or high amounts of preservatives, such as sorbic acid and sulfur dioxide? The ingredients in your food are the tell-tale clues to how much nutrition you are actually taking in. If your food is strictly cheese and flour, as opposed to nutrient providing vegetables and vitamins, it doesn’t really matter if the calories are low.

A Nutritional Diet

Nutrition comes from vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Food sources that are rich with nutrients are whole, living foods that are supplied from the earth. Dark leafy greens offer more calcium than milk, while beans and grains offer high amounts of iron. It is easy to turn your focus from diet to nutrition. And when you do, you might find yourself eating a diet that is rich in nutrients and optimal for losing weight.

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