Healthy eating: basic concepts, principles, peculiarities

Some people easily achieve the desired results and lead a healthy lifestyle, while the others only torture themselves in vain. Strict diets, exhausting training, severe restrictions do not reduce the hated centimeters or even lead to health problems.

Health and ideal figure basis

What is the secret of success of some people, and why cannot the others boast of the same results?! The key to everything is healthy eating which becomes a lifestyle for anyone who once set a goal to get healthy.

The “three pillars” that underlie nutrition are as follows:

• Energy balance – correct calorie intake: exactly as many calories as are expended. Take into account not only “visible expenditures” (sports, physical labor), but also the “internal” ones, which the body expends automatically (metabolic processes, breathing, mental labor, etc.).
• A healthy balance in nutrition – a varied diet provides a full range of healthy components: macronutrients (proteins/fats/carbohydrates) and micronutrients (mineral substances and vitamins).
• Adherence to a regime – following a schedule without sudden fluctuations will accustom the body to receive nutrition and replenishment at the same time.

A balanced and healthy diet, wholesome foods and high-quality water in sufficient quantities are important, but there are nuances.

A healthy lifestyle: simple rules

Calorie calculation will help to orientate in the range of healthful products and dishes from them, so that you don’t lose common sense in the pursuit of reducing calories: foods shall be varied and healthful.

You can rely on average data: an adult needs 1400-1700 calories per day. The calculation is based on the body weight, taking into account specific features (gender, labor activity, type of sports and intensity of activities). Highly caloric foods are provided for the first half of the day (up to 25% in the first breakfast and 10-15% in the second one, up to 35% at lunch), afternoon snack and dinner are maximally relieved, but not excluded, so as not to disturb the healthy balance.

The ideal ratio of the main ingredients (P/F/C) is 10-15/20/65-70. Different variations are possible. Everything is calculated individually.

It is easier to prepare a healthy diet based on the principle: one quarter of the plate shall be devoted to fats and proteins each, and half of the plate – to complex carbohydrates enriched with fibre, minerals and vitamins.

It is important to observe the regime. Regular healthy eating develops a mechanism for processing and full digestion of foods. When planning a schedule of intake, take into account the usual daily routine. Some people prefer to wake up at 5-6 a.m., while the others like to sleep longer. And here are possible variants: breakfast starts at seven or ten in the morning, which shifts the subsequent meals.

A healthy diet combines several principles, and the WHO experts have named its basics:

1. Whole-grain products improve intestinal functions.
2. Fruits and vegetables in a fresh and cooked form enrich the menu with proper substances.
3. Vegetable oils predominate in the diet over animal oils, which eliminates the risk of blood clotting, cholesterol accumulation, etc.
4. Protein foods are unique in their composition. Plant proteins contain an incomplete set of essential amino acids. They must be combined. It is recommended to include white meat: fish and chicken, limiting the consumption of red meat (beef, mutton, pork).
5. Combining meat and vegetables, porridge and fruits.
6. Dried fruits and nuts are ideal for snacks.
7. Healthy plant milk does not contain lactose, which is not digested in the stomach of adults.
8. The norm of salt per day is one teaspoon (taking into account its natural compounds).
9. Control of the sugar amount, taking into account the “hidden” molecules contained in the ready-made “unsweetened” dishes (sauces, yoghurt, muesli, etc.).

To be sure, you can consult a nutritionist. This specialist will guide you and select healthy foods from which you can cook deliciously and without harming your health.

Healthy eating: what we can and what we cannot?

It is recommended to steam, stew or bake dishes. Salad dressings shall be prepared with a variety of vegetable oils (sesame, pumpkin, linseed oils). Use natural spices and seasonings (freshly ground pepper, thyme, oregano, basil).

The basis of the diet is:

• lean meat (beef tenderloin, chicken breast, turkey meat);
• lean fish (cod, pike-perch, flounder) and seafood (squids, shrimps);
• vegetables rich in fibre (cabbages, turnips, radishes, carrots);
• lettuce and greens (spinach, dill, arugula, iceberg lettuce);
• legumes and cereals (buckwheat, oat flakes, peas, beans, chickpeas);
• berries and fruits (raspberries, blackberries, mangoes, apples, pears);
• nuts and dried fruits (walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, dried apricots, prunes);
• plant milk (almond milk, oat milk, soya milk);
• whole-grain and bran healthy products (bread, pasta, porridge).

Drinking water is obligatory (at the rate of 30 ml per 1 kg of body weight per day).

It is recommended to limit the consumption of: potatoes, corn, bananas, grapes, melon, peanuts, and tinned food.

It is not recommended to include such foods as: smoked products (sausages, bacon), “heavy” fried and fatty foods, especially from the fast food category, spicy and too salty dishes, ready-made sauces and semi-finished products, baked goods and confectionery products, carbonated drinks and packet juices.

Foods for health: lose weight easily

A proper, varied, healthy and nutritious diet has a beneficial effect on the human body. Foods can be tasty and healing, but it can be difficult to change to a new way of eating at once. You can start small – think over the menu for the next day, choosing a convenient time to eat and approximately distributing dishes by calories. In the future, you can make a list for a week/month, including more and more healthful products in the diet and excluding harmful ones.

Approximate diet for a week

Monday

• oatmeal porridge with milk and fruits;
• yoghurt, grapefruit;
• vegetable salad, sandwich on wholemeal bread with chicken and soft cheese, berries;
• a handful of hazelnuts;
• grilled fish and vegetables.

Tuesday

• cottage cheese with honey and dried fruits; freshly squeezed juice;
• a handful of almonds;
• buckwheat porridge and turkey steak, slice of bran bread;
• baked apple;
• vegetable stew.

Wednesday

• muesli with berries and nuts, herbal tea;
• avocado;
• vegetable soup, grilled fish, toast;
• cottage cheese;
• vinaigrette of baked vegetables.

Thursday

• Steamed omelette, fruit and vegetable juice;
• berries;
• soup with mushrooms, pasta with a light sauce;
• kefir;
• Greek salad and boiled chicken breast.

Friday

• toasts with soft cheese, black coffee;
• baked apple with cottage cheese and raisins;
• chicken broth with croutons, grilled vegetables;
• kefir;
• stew with rabbit meat, tea.

Saturday

• buckwheat porridge with milk;
• ruit smoothie;
• soup with vegetables, turkey salad, slice of bread;
• nuts at your choice;
• salmon baked with spinach.

Sunday

• cheesecakes with honey, fresh juice;
• pomegranate;
• couscous with mixed vegetables and chicken fillet;
• fruit salad;
• stuffed pepper, herbal tea.

In practice, it is difficult to take only the first step, but once you accept the idea of switching to a healthy diet, it is easy to move.

Healthy eating: questions and answers

How to accustom yourself to eating healthy food?

Plan the menu in advance and prepare for the process properly. Buy the products and prepare them for the next day. There is no need for sudden switches, you can occasionally pamper yourself with your favorite treats.

Healthful food seems bland, what to do?

Experiments with natural spices will help to diversify and improve the flavor of dishes.

What is a rational approach to nutrition?

Observing the three fundamental laws of healthy eating: moderate quantity, balanced composition, fixed schedule.

What healthy foods can be eaten before bedtime?

It is recommended to limit yourself to the main meals if possible, and complete the process two hours before bedtime. The first time, when it is especially difficult to cope with the problem, you can drink a glass of kefir or a light soothing herbal tea (chamomile, mint).

What is healthful from sweets?

Jelly, marshmallow, marmalade, marshmallow souffle, bitter chocolate. The main thing is to read the composition, and look for treats with natural ingredients and less sugar. Better yet, prepare sweets yourself.

How to satisfy the feeling of hunger?

The right food products that burn excess fat will help here. Healthy snacks can include: rhubarb, celery, fresh cucumbers, green apples, asparagus, radishes, pineapples, spicy herbs and salad greens.

It is never too late to start eating healthy foods. It is difficult to switch to healthy eating, but it becomes easier with each step. And the results will not make you wait. A healthy person with a beautiful posture and a noble, trim figure – this is an opportunity that everyone gets, you just need to choose a healthy lifestyle.