Healthy eating today is important, which 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. 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 cannot be replaced by any make-up.
There are no special secrets to how to switch to healthy eating. Most importantly, healthy food does not require additional financial expenses beyond the family’s budget. 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 is not very useful for the stomach. 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 used repeatedly “gives” carcinogens! One of the best cooking methods for today is a steamer. Obligatory foods in a healthy diet 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. Still, 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 guarantee 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 normalizes the state of the vessels and pressure. Minimal salt and 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 an attentive attitude to your body has made us more responsible in choosing the products 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, you will find everything you need to know to switch to healthy eating.
The best diet is a balanced diet. You should consume enough fat, protein, and carbohydrates, eat four to five times a day, and make sure that the portions are small. Do not deny yourself the pleasure, but replace the purchased desserts with yogurts 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 are, the more important the caloric content of your diet (and vice versa). The number of calories 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 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, adopting a “reception” characteristic of children will be useful. Therefore, small children eat only when 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 can 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 signals 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 and the pleasure we receive from our favorite dishes. Usually, the appetite is connected with the organs of sight and smell and 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.
Works Cited
Stevenson, C., Doherty, G., Barnett, J., Muldoon, O. T., & Trew, K. (2007). Adolescents’ views of food and eating: Identifying barriers to healthy eating. Journal of Adolescence, 30(3), 417–434. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2006.04.005
Paquette, M. C. (2005). Perceptions of healthy eating. Canadian Journal of Public Health, 96(August 2005), S15-19.
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2013). Nutrition and healthy eating. Mayo Clinic, 2–4. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.org/carbohydrate-loading/ART-20048518?p=1
Croll, J. K., Neumark-Sztainer, D., & Story, M. (2010). Healthy eating: what does it mean to adolescents? Journal of Nutrition Education, 33(4), 193–198. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1499-4046(06)60031-6
Harvard Medical School. (2011). Healthy Eating Plate. Harvard Health Publications, (2009), 5–23. Retrieved from http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-eating-plate/
