A healthy diet and healthy eating habits are not determined by strict rules. Healthy eating is based on an understanding of how to balance your diet and on making good habits an integral part of your daily life. Once integrated into your life, healthy eating habits help you to maintain a healthy weight and have more energy every day. Here you will find a compact summary of the most important aspects of a balanced diet and an overall healthy nutrition.
Plants are the basis
Good food begins with the edible plants of our planet. Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables. Fruit, vegetables and other plant foods are high in nutrients and contain lots of vitamins, minerals, fiber, phytochemicals and antioxidants. You need at least 2-3 cups of vegetables and one or two portions of fruit a day.
Making plant foods the basis of your diet has not only health benefits. A predominantly vegetarian diet is also ethically more acceptable overall than eating meat and other animal foods. Of course, you should always consider your current state of health and food compatibility when choosing food.
You do not have to become a vegetarian directly in order to eat a healthy diet. However, you should think about the reasons why many people choose a vegetarian or vegan diet. There can be many reasons for this, e.g. religious beliefs, your own state of health and a high awareness of animal and environmental protection.
Maximize your health benefits by reading more about healthy eating and bringing the variety of plant foods and spices on your plate. This will save youfrom boredom when cooking and eating.
Reduce meat intake
Another important nutritional principle is the reduced meat intake. It means that you should significantly reduce your meat consumption or eliminate the meat from your diet altogether. Nuts, seeds, grains and non-starchy fruits and vegetables form the basis of a healthy diet. Wholemeal cereals such as brown rice and oatmeal are essential as they provide your body with fibre. This makes you feel full faster and ensures that your digestive system works well.
Whole grain cereals are rich in B vitamins, which help to increase your energy and boost your metabolism. Seeds and nuts should also be part of your daily diet as they are rich in essential nutrients such as vitamin E. Pulses such as lentils, peanuts, soybeans and beans contain a large amount of fibre and provide your body with a variety of essential nutrients. You should think about replacing meat with pulses if you are looking for a good source of protein. This type of strategy helps to reduce the intake of saturated fat.
Lower Fat Intake
If you want to improve your nutrition, health and also your figure, you should limit your fat consumption. Fat has a higher calorie content than protein or carbohydrates per gram. So if you want to lose weight or maintain your weight, it is also necessary to reduce your fat consumption.
However, fats are not only negative, as some of them, like mono- and polyunsaturated fats, are considered good fats. The best sources of these good fats include vegetable oils, such as olive oil, rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, nuts and avocado.
The advantage of these fats is that they do not raise blood cholesterol levels and help reduce the risk of cardiovascular problems. In this sense, a reduced fat intake is an important basis for a balanced and healthy diet.
Eat healthy food quantities
Pay attention to the size of your food portions. Even if your diet contains very healthy foods, the total amount of food you eat should be important.
Portion your meals and do not consume more than your body needs. If you get used to smaller portions, your stomach will get smaller over time. This will help you get full faster and train your eating discipline.
In restaurants and on all occasions where you eat out, you should follow the same patterns as you do at home. Avoid thinking of eating in restaurants as a way to eat everything on the menu. Practice eating discipline wherever you eat.
Conclusion
Apart from the above-mentioned principles of healthy eating, it is also important to limit the consumption of packaged and processed foods.
Buy fresh foods such as fruits and vegetables and avoid heavily processed foods. These foods contain many additives that are not good for your health and metabolism.
The help of a personal trainer or nutritionist can be helpful in starting a healthier diet. Professional advice and a systematic training and nutrition plan can help you to integrate new and healthy habits into your daily life more quickly.
