Healthy Eating - How To Achieve It?

A healthy diet is one of the most important elements of health prevention , important for preventing or reducing the risk of a number of serious medical conditions - obesity, various metabolic disorders, especially diabetes, various forms of cancer and others. In addition to preventing a large number of diseases, a healthy diet keeps the body in good physical condition and is important for our self-esteem and tone.

Maintaining a balanced diet, providing proteins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, vitamins and other necessary substances in sufficient but not excessive amounts, it is a difficult task, o Particularly, the spread of fast food culture, in which most of us do not pay enough time and attention to their diet, and they "tick" it almost as an annoying obligation on foot, on the go, and in the fastest and easiest way possible ...

However, if we decide that we still want to take care of ourselves - our health, our appearance and our self-esteem, what should we do to achieve a healthy diet?

The topic is extensive and complex. In fact, it is not one topic, but a whole science ... Even in the complete absence of complicating circumstances such as chronic diseases, food allergies, etc., the preparation of a diet corresponding to 100% of the body's needs and devoid of harmful or excess food is a rather complex task. However, without delving into human biochemistry, let's at least outline the most important points.

When it comes to maintaining an appropriate body weight, and this is a major goal for many in modern society, the main rule is that caloric intake should be equal to caloric expenditure. If the difference is positive the body accumulates reserve fat, if it is negative it loses it. Although caloric expenditure variesstrongly depending on gender, age, body weight - mostly lean muscle mass, health, form of work, etc., we can conditionally assume that the average energy expenditure of a physically moderately active man is 3000 - 3200 kcal (kilocalories ) per day, while for women it is about 2300 - 2500 kcal. We must keep in mind that 100 grams of carbohydrates contain 400 kcal, 100 grams of protein - 400 kcal, and 100 grams of fat - 900 kcal. Proper distribution is a big topic in itself, so for now we will be content to say that about 75% of energy intake should be provided by carbohydrates, up to 10% - from fat, and up to 15% - from protein. For a 75-pound man, an energy expenditure of 3,000 kcal per day involves eating about 550 grams of carbohydrates, 110 grams of protein and up to 75 grams of fat, divided into three or four intakes.

Carbohydrates should be taken mainly in the form of so-called. slow-digesting carbohydrates, i.e. those that break down over time and provide a gradual and longer entry of glucose into the blood. They satiate for a longer period, thus protecting us from excessive appetite and overeating. "Fast" or "simple" sugars, among which white sugar ranks first, should make up no more than 10% of the total carbohydrate intake. They are digested quickly, quickly converted into fat when not needed by the body and do not saturate, which leads to re-intake of food after a while.

Fighting appetite is perhaps the hardest part of the battle for healthy eating. In the vast majority of cases, especially obesity, the amount of food consumed is the main problem, followed by quality and to a much lesser extent by the wrong ratio of individual nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Two "helpers" can help us fight appetite - fiber and complex carbohydrates.

In most cases, fiber is an indigestible carbohydrate that absorbs water in the stomach and intestines, causing it to swell and create a feeling of satiety. If we combine them with slow-digesting complex carbohydrates we will be able to limit our appetite to the daily caloric expenditure, and if we add a little willpower we can even lose a little weight ... Nature has sent us to help whole grains that contain both slow carbohydrates and large amounts of fiber. Combining them with fruits and vegetables is a mandatory element of a healthy diet and even more than any meaningful attempt to lose weight.

Another very useful tip is that the intake of salt and carbonated beverages should be severely limited. In particular, according to most medical professionals, optimal salt intake means up to two grams per day. Cooking salt retains fluid in the bloodstream, which is highly undesirable for two reasons. First, it leads to some weight gain. Although it is not very large, what makes it medically significant is the fact that excess fluid is retained within the cardiovascular system, which increasesblood pressure with all its negative consequences for organs and systems. To a large extent, sweet carbonated beverages have the same effect as salt in terms of fluid retention because they are rich in osmotically active ingredients. Needless to say, the large amounts of sugar in them. Products with artificial sweeteners are devoid of the caloric load of soft drinks, but also bring excess fluid into the body. This should also be borne in mind, especially by hypertensives.

It does not matter how we eat and more precisely the pace at which we do it. It is well known that eating slower gives food time to saturate, which results in satiety with fewer calories than greedy ingestion. This way we will not only eat healthier, but we will also enjoy the dishes and products to a greater extent.

It is important to avoid fat. The main part of our diet should consist of slow carbohydrates and proteins. Vitamins and minerals should be obtained through daily intake of fruits and vegetables. As for the delicacies - the less often they are consumed, the better. Such a regime is practically impossible to achieve with eating out - with a piece of pizza, in fast food restaurants, etc. Healthy food cannot be provided quickly. If we want to eat healthily, we must take the time to prepare it and enjoy it slowly and fully .