Balanced diet – 5 Effective Tips

Prologue

The aging process can be mentally and physically tough to accept. Getting older has some pros and cons. The positive aspect of getting older is that you have experience on your side regardless if you are speaking about your career emotional life, or your fitness goals and capabilities. You’ll probably choose better your emotional partners than in your 20s, you’ll spend your money more wisely, and hopefully establish a successful or decent career.(read more)

Aging from a physical aspect may have certain disadvantages, such as skin damage from sun exposure, dry skin, visible pores, losing muscle mass and strength, hormone shifting, and your metabolism slowing down (not drastically of course). Since we are talking about balanced diet here, it’s crucial for you to adopt healthy eating habits to remain your body functional.

When you were younger, especially in your early to mid-20s you could get away with parting all night long and overconsuming alcoholic drinks, “those days are gone now they’re memories on the wall”. Sorry, I couldn’t resist quoting one of the main favorite rhymes. Well, I am sure you can still have a wild party and get yourself drunk, but be aware that hangovers in your 30′,s, the ‘40s, and 50s can be much harder to endure.

You can’t allow yourself to abuse your body like before, I am not only referring to nightlife and alcohol consummation, I am indicating meal skipping, eating junk food, relying on caffeine to power through the day, and other unhealthy habits. The good news is that it’s never too late to adopt a beneficial eating routine, now I am going to give you some specific guidelines to follow:

Еаt a balanced diet

 A balanced diet by definition means consuming a wide variety of foods and drinks in the proper proportions to maintain healthy looks and body weight. A balanced diet is essential for your organism, it provides all nutrients you may need. A large number of your daily calories should come from [1]

• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Lean proteins
• Grains
• Legumes
• Nuts

When we are talking about calories, you need to have in mind that calories are the amount of energy stored in a different type of food. The average person needs 2000 calories to maintain weight, but that amount is highly dependent on the persona’s age, physical activity, age, sex, and overall health.

 Generally speaking, males will need more calories than females, but if you are a physically active man or a woman., and you are training regularly to build muscle, you will definitely need more than just 2000 calories. Active men and women simply require more calories than stationary ones.(read more)

There are types of foods that provide calories but have very little nutritional value, also known as empty-calorie food:

1. Cakes
2. Cookies
3. Donuts
4. Pizza
5. Chips and fries
6. Ice cream

A balanced diet is essential for your health, an unhealthy diet can put you at risk and make your body more prone to disease, infection, fatigue, and overall low performance. A healthy balanced diet will include:

• Proteins
• Vitamines
• Minerals
• Carbs
• Healthy fats

If you want to remain healthy and active you should include all these healthy ingredients and try to avoid: 

• Highly processed food
• Added sugar and salt
• Alcohol
• Trans fats
• Vegetables

  Vegetables are one of the healthiest types of food you can consume. You will do a big favor to your overall health because vegetables are rich in a vast spectrum of vitamins and minerals. Regularly consuming vegetables means reduced risk of heart disease and stroke, control your blood pressure, and even prevent some types of cancer… Dark leafy greens are an excellent source of many nutrients. They include:

• Spinach
• Kale
• Green beans
• Collard greens
• Broccoli

  Vegetables are also rich in protein, so-called protein-based protein includes :

• Beans
• Nuts
• Peas
• Almonds
• Sunflower seeds
• Walnuts

• Fruits

Fruits are also an important source of important vitamins and minerals and they are high in fiber. The benefits of consuming fruits are very much similar to consuming vegetables. All fruits contain fructose, which allows the body to recover its normal function. They can be consumed as a snack or dessert, fruits are a much more grateful option than candies. Here is a list of the healthiest fruits to try:

• Lemon
• Blueberries
• Apples
• Oranges
• Cherries
• Pomegranates
• Grapefruits

• Proteins

     Proteins by definition are large complex molecules that play a crucial role in our body. Protein is filling your organism with energy and carries oxygen through your bloodstream. The benefits of consuming protein are numerous :

• Increases your muscles and strength
• Reduces appetite and hunger levels
• Lowers your blood pressure
• Helps maintain weight-loss
• Good for your bones

We can find animal-based protein like red meats such as beef and mutton, pork, and poultry like (chicken, turkey,), fish and eggs. (Eggs are rich in amino acids)

 High-quality protein can be found in plant-based sources like nuts, beans, seeds, peas, or lentils.

Combining these two protein sources is highly recommended for the most beneficial nutrition.

• Fats

         Fats are a source of very important fatty acids the body can’t make. Fat is helping in the absorption of vitamin A, vitamin D, and vitamin E.  It is essential to eat some fats but it can be harmful to your body if you are consuming too much of it.

• Most healthy fats are oil fat and vegetable fat.
• You should be careful with butter cheese and heavy cream, you want to limit these ingredients as much as possible.
• Avoid completely trans fats used in processed and premade food.

    You don’t want fried food to be your first choice any day. Deep-fried food is high in calories but has low nutritional value.

  One part of your day should be reserved only for cooking and preparing meals. Planning your meals ahead of time can help you make healthier choices and save time and money. Try to avoid impulse shopping and poor fast food consummation options.

Stay hydrated

 The term hydration means absorbing water or another liquid. You can survive without food for weeks but without water, three days at the most, so if you find yourself in the wild your primary objective is to find water first, then food. Consuming water is a must, the average person needs between six to eight glasses of water every day. Water is the best and healthiest beverage you can drink, also fruit, vegetables, milk, and teas can add to the amount of water you get each day.

If you are an active man or woman and you are working out staying hydrated is a must. Sports drinks contain carbohydrates and electrolytes, so they can boost your energy. Some of them even contain added sugar. Energy drinks are not the same as sports drinks, the main characteristic of these drinks is they include caffeine and added sugar, ingredients that your body doesn’t need.

Water should be your number one choice here are some useful tips to stay hydrated  :

• Carry the bottle of water with you all the time.
• Drink water before, during, and after a workout.
• If you maybe dislike the taste of water, you should try to add a slice of grapefruit or lemon.
• Drink a glass of water before each meal
• When you wake up in the morning, the first thing to do is to drink a glass of water.

Get enough sleep

 Sleep restores the body and improves energy levels, so waking up well-rested can have positive effects on your mind and body. You’ll be less moody and jumpy. An adult person optimally needs 7 hours of quality sleep. Here are some tips for better sleep:

• Get to bed at the same time each night and get up at the same time each morning
• Make your bedroom comfortable quite relaxing and dark
• Turn off all electrical devices you have in your room
• Avoid consuming caffeine, meals, and alcohol before bedtime
• Regularly exercising during the day can help you to fall asleep more easily.

Reduce stress as much as possible

Stress is a common problem for all adults anywhere in the world, it is enemy number 1 of mental health. Problems at work, family and financial obligations, and unstable emotional relationships can accumulate a lot of stress. There are many negative aspects of stress, but one of them is diet-related. Stress is often connected with increased hunger hormones which may contribute to your desire for unhealthy food.

When you are under constant tension your cortisol levels are elevated, which can lead to increased food intake and weight gain. People under constant stress also have low-quality sleep, exercise less, and consume alcohol more. Here are a few guidelines to follow if you want to be stress relief:

• Exercise regularly
• Practice yoga and other relaxation techniques
• Avoid tobacco and nicotine products
• Set realistic goals and expectations
• Assert yourself
• Get enough sleep
• Reach out to your friends and family and make social connections

Exercise:

A healthy and balanced diet goes hand in hand with physical activities. The benefits of exercising are numerous. From improving mental health to reducing the risk of disease, strengthening your bones and muscles, improving your sleep quality, and increasing energy levels. The best way to maintain your body strong and functional is to incorporate weightlifting and cardio (or aerobic) routine in your workout plan. If you are a passionate gym goer you probably know that bad nutrition won’t give you the desired results.(read more)

Conclusion

Here we are, at the end of this I hope educative article, maintaining a good look and physical health will now require some extra effort. A balanced and healthy diet, with other accessory activities described in this article, is the essence of health and quality of life. Your physical and mental health should be your priority, without these two aspects, you can’t be accomplished in other categories of life. If you don’t know how to take care of yourself, you won’t be able to look after others.

Source:

[1]- https://www.healthline.com/