Healthy eating today is important. That is why people have cared about their health for many years. How to start eating healthy food is a question that many people care about today. Therefore, people prefer to buy quality products that have a beneficial effect on the body and are consistent with the basics of healthy eating. The system of healthy eating is the real basis; based on it, the overall healthy state of the body, excellent mood and external attractiveness can be constructed, which any make-up cannot replace. If you adhere to the elementary rules of healthy eating, most diseases will bypass you, and cheerfulness of spirit and energy will never run out.
There are no special secrets to how to switch to healthy eating. In addition, most importantly – healthy food does not require additional financial expenses beyond the budget of the family. Healthy food products should not be too expensive enough that they will be natural and fresh. The whole nuance is how these products will be cooked and consumed. To begin with, prolonged heat treatment always “kills” the lion’s share of the benefits of any food product. Therefore, it should be minimal. Do not forget that fried food, firstly, is not very useful for the stomach a priori, and secondly, it is harmful because of the contact with the fats in which it was prepared – even fresh fat “for one frying” is harmful, and repeatedly used “gives” carcinogens! One of the best cooking methods for today is a steamer. Obligatory in the diet of healthy eating are foods that represent all food groups (from greens and fruits to beans and oils). The percentage of them can be determined by your taste preferences and the characteristics of the organisms of family members, but the diversity and coverage of the entire spectrum is a requirement that is indispensable for the full provision of the human body with vitamins.
Regularity and accuracy in time in meals is a guarantee of a clear “work” not only of the digestive tract but also of the whole system as a whole. Nutrition by the hour ultimately regulates sleep and the nervous system and normalizes the state of the vessels and pressure. Minimal salt, sugar restriction, control of buns and cakes, replacement of fizzy drinks with herbal tea or compotes – it is easier to get used to all this than you think. For 21 days, the human body is completely reconstructed, including in terms of taste preferences. Promoting a healthy lifestyle and attentive attitude to your body made us more responsible in terms of choosing the products that will be on our table. Another thing is that all this sounds good only in theory. In fact, an irregular working schedule, weekly meetings with friends at the bar, skipping meals and having a meal on the run make us postpone the HLS for better times. However, we know what to do: in this material – everything you need to know in order to switch to healthy eating.
The best diet is a balanced diet. That is, you should consume enough fat, protein and carbohydrates, eat four-five times a day and make sure that the portions are small. Do not deny yourself the pleasure, but replace the purchased desserts with yoghurts with fresh fruits, homemade granola (oat flakes + honey + nuts) or smoothies with a banana. In addition, try to cook on your own, but do not resort to the help of delivery services and fast food products – so you cannot control the amount of oil and salt used.
Calories are the energy that is contained in food. The more active you lead, the more important is the caloric content of your diet (and vice versa). The number of calories that you need per day also depends on the age, sex and some characteristics of the body, including pregnancy, breastfeeding and a number of chronic diseases. Here are the general rules:
• Women and the elderly – 1600-2000 calories per day ;
• Active women and less active men – 2000-2400 calories per day ;
• Active men – 2400-3000 calories a day.
You do not need to count every calorie you eat: it can turn the right food into an unpleasant routine and forever discourage you from trying again. However, if you will roughly represent the calorie content of each dish in the diet, it will help to learn how to form a healthy menu without additional effort.
Nutritionists say that if you are just starting your way to healthy eating, it will be useful to adopt a “reception” that is characteristic of children. Therefore, small children eat only when they are hungry and stop when they feel full. Adults tend to ignore these signals: we continue to eat even when we do not feel hungry (for example, when we are bored, cold or sad). This, in turn, threatens overeating, frustration, and in the long term – the loss of the ability to notice the signals of satiety and the risk of obesity.
Hunger is when you want to eat something. The body sends a signal to the brain that indicates that the stomach is empty and the blood sugar level is lowered. Symptoms of hunger can be small cramps in the stomach or rumbling. For some time, a person is able to ignore hunger, but the longer it continues, the less able to concentrate on something other than food it becomes.
Saturation is a sense of satisfaction. Saturation occurs when the stomach sends a signal to the brain that it is happy, and you can be calm for your health for 3-4 hours.
Appetite is a desire to feel the taste of food, as well as the pleasure that we receive from our favourite dishes. Usually, the appetite is connected with the organs of sight and smell, as well as with thoughts of food.
Eating various foods will help you get all the necessary nutrients without resorting to supplements in the form of vitamin complexes. Recall that our body needs a balance of proteins, fats and carbohydrates to get enough energy for work and rest. These elements help our heart to fight, the muscles – to function normally, and the brain – to remain active. The best sources of nutrients: unsaturated fats: olive and rapeseed oil, nuts and fatty fish; carbohydrates: whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes (peas, beans and lentils) and dairy products with low-fat content and protein: all types of fish, poultry without skin, dairy products and legumes.