The role of balanced nutrition can’t be overestimated. Well balanced nutrition grants the organism all the necessary elements for healthy wellbeing. It helps the person to feel confident and stay active. The food we eat influences the way our bodies reacts on the surrounding world, that is why it is so important to pay attention to our nutrition.
Why does one need balanced nutrition
Our health depends on the amount of vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats and carbs we get. A greater part of useful elements is received via food. If there is a lack of vitamins, organism may suffer from various malfunctions.
Appearance of diseases after wrong nutrition is quite a logical result. The organism doesn’t know when it will receive the necessary vitamins or minerals and that’s why it starts storing them. It results in slowing the metabolism, there appear the stones in the gall-bladder, immune system becomes weaker etc.
Even after a month of well-balanced nutrition one will see the effect: general state of health will become better, the weight will get normalized and any physical activity will bring positive result.
What is balanced nutrition
One may think that it is very difficult to find out what the balanced nutrition should be as every person has his or her own peculiarities of the organism and needs different supplements. In reality, the number of calories the person gets with food should correspond the ones spend while all the activities. Otherwise, the person will either gain weight or lose.
All food consists of three basic groups of elements: proteins, carbs and fats. Proteins are the building material for the tissues, carbs are the source of energy and fats are the necessary elements for synthesis of the elements in the organism. Balanced nutrition depends on their amount and proportion.
Usually for healthy balanced nutrition it is recommended to consume proteins, carbs and fats in the proportion 1:4:1. It means that one should consume equal quantity of proteins and fats and 4 times more carbs. However, there might be some exceptions. For example, when the person needs to lose weight, then he or she should consume less fats, while those who want to gain muscles should increase protein containing products in their ration.
In general, balanced nutrition is refusing from harmful food in favor of useful one. However, this is a very simplified requirement. Balanced nutrition also requires following a lot of other factors which often depend on individual peculiarities of the organism. Regardless of individual characteristics, there are some basic principles which help to build the basis for a healthy organism.
Basic principles of balanced nutrition
Thanks to new technologies colorings, flavors, preserving agents, taste modifiers and other harmful components are used during the food preparation. Very often we don’t know what we really eat. We trust ads and eat the tastiest chips, chocolate, fizzy beverages preferring taste to usefulness. Some people may confuse balanced nutrition with a diet. However, balanced nutrition means voluntary refusal from harmful products. To plan a healthy nutrition one needs to follow some important rules:
- Don’t skip the breakfast. Morning meal grants the person with energy for the whole day. Our wellbeing, working efficiency and even mood depend on what we ate for breakfast. The breakfast should be nourishing: some porridge, omelet, fruits etc.
- Stick to the eating habits. It’s much more useful to eat five times a day. It is recommended to have noshes 2-3 hours after the main meal: fruits, yoghurts, nuts etc. This way it is possible to improve metabolism and lower the load onto the digestive system.
- Drink more water. Every day an adult person should drink 8 glasses of water. If there will be lack of water, balanced nutrition won’t bring much good because the metabolism will be slow, the organism will be poisoned with toxins and the person will suffer from quick fatigability.
- Eat fruits and vegetables. They contain cellulose, minerals and vitamins which fill the body and improve the work of bowels. It’s better to cook steamed vegetables or raw ones and eat them for lunch or dinner. Fruits are not advisable to eat for breakfast as the sugar they contain produces insulin and acids which harm the stomach.
- Eat milk products. Healthy food doesn’t exist without milk, cheese, yoghurts and other milk products. They enhance the immune system and benefit the overall health.
- Don’t overeat. It’s bad not to eat all day long and then compensate breakfast and dinner during supper. Overfeeding causes the diseases of the digestive system, overweight and obesity.
- Leave out the fat meat. It’s better to switch from mutton and pork to poultry and beef. Meat should be baked or boiled, but not fried. Avoid eating meat with carbs (potato, porridges or pasta).
How to start eating healthy food
First of all, think about the benefits of balanced nutrition for your organism. Do you want to improve your health? Would you like to feel better? Also think about some gradual changes in your nutrition, those which you can easily do.
- Don’t try to change everything at once.
- Set an easy goal you can reach, for example, eating a salad and fruits at least once a day.
- Set a more challenging goal such as cooking a vegetarian meal once a week.
Support of your close people may help you a lot. The more the support is, the easiest will the changes be. Ask your friends and relatives to try eating healthy food as well. You can share the recipes with them or even cook together.
If you need more help, consult the dietologists, check some balanced nutrition forums or check healthcare resources, such as Canadian Health and Care Mall and etc.
Balanced nutrition is not a diet. It grants the possibility to live a full value life not refusing from anything. Diet is a temporary thing during which you are hungry and dream about food. Very often after the diet people eat much more and gain even more weight than before the diet. Healthy well-balanced food corresponds the needs of the organism better than overfeeding or eating less than it is necessary for getting useful elements. If the person will keep balanced nutrition and going in for sport, it will definitely improve one’s health.
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