Explain the four characteristics of a healthful diet: balance, moderation, variety, adequacy.

One of the essential factors in human life, is eating. Eating provides the human body with the necessary elements to sustain itself, provide it with energy for movement and action, and the necessary substances to perform daily activities. However, eating is not always conducive to nutrition. Nutrition is to provide the body with the necessary nutrients, essential elements that the body uses for all its functions, but in the appropriate manner, with the appropriate frequency and in the appropriate balance.

There are four simple elements in foods that human bodies need: protein, fats, sugars in carbs and vitamins and minerals, plus water. These essential nutrients will form the very basis of how the human body will perform. These are provided solely through dietary intakes, but they must always be in a balance, otherwise disease will happen. In order for unbalances to be avoided, a good human nutrition will always have these elements mentioned before, spread throughout a variety of food groups: fats, carbs, proteins, fruits and vegetables and grains. The point of a good and balanced diet can be then, summarized in four points:

Balance: It means that the person eats all the necessary nutrients for proper body function, using all the available sources of these nutrients, and not just one, without overstepping the limits of them to ensure proper function and prevent body weight gain.

Moderation: Literally, it means preventing the excess eating of one, or several of the food groups, or nutrients, to the detriment of the others, or to ensure weight gain. The body has limits and they must be respected.

Variety: There are many sources of nutrients and people need to eat a varied diet, with all the food groups in the corret amounts, to ensure stability and also prevent boredom with eating.

Adequacy: The diet that is chosen by the person provides an adequate amount of nutrients, and food groups, to ensure balance in the body and prevent obesity, and other weight problems.