Following a healthy diet is nothing but a method that is followed in distributing our food and calories over the daily meals distributed during the day, provided that the diet is balanced and sound, and commensurate with our energy needs necessary to perform our daily activities, and of basic elements as well as minerals and vitamins In addition to a major complementary element, which is the interest in physical activity through the practice of regular daily exercises that are commensurate with our general health condition.
It must always be remembered that eating a healthy diet requires enjoyment and sufficient will, which is the most important part of continuing in a healthy diet, as the goal is not short-term, but rather long-term, in order to achieve the desired goals and reduce the risk of some serious diseases such as cancer.
Contents
Elements of a proper healthy diet
- Eat adequate amounts of healthy carbohydrates, such as whole grains, as they are important for obtaining the energy the body needs to perform its various daily activities, and they also help protect against coronary heart disease, some types of cancer, and diabetes. As mentioned previously, healthy carbohydrates include whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables. Note that the digestion of healthy carbohydrates is done slowly, which helps to feel full for a longer period and maintains blood sugar and insulin levels remain within stable levels.
- Unhealthy carbohydrates, such as eggs, flour, refined sugar, white rice and many others, as the body digests them within a shorter and faster time, which leads to a rise in blood sugar levels.
- Fat is one of the important elements that the body needs on a daily basis, provided it is healthy and appropriate, as it is important for the work of the brain, heart, and cells, as well as for hair, skin and nails. Among the most important examples of healthy fats are omega- 3s, which reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and improve mood.
- Protein is one of the most important things the body needs, as it provides the body with the energy needed to perform its daily activities, and it is also important in building and growing the body, and one of its most important sources is red meat, which is recommended to be replaced with fish and poultry. Protein can be obtained from plant sources such as beans, nuts and soybeans.
The most important tips to follow for a healthy, balanced and proper diet
Tips on some practices when preparing and eating food
- It should start with a slow start with some changes to the habits followed when eating, and this means avoiding rapid change to any healthy diet that we follow, and the most important examples of this are adding a type of salad rich in vegetables once a day or replacing the use of butter with olive oil When cooking.
- Focus on finding some types of food with easy recipes that include a number of fresh and useful ingredients.
- Reducing the consumption of harmful varieties gradually until finally abstaining from them, and this includes refined sugar, saturated fats and many others, and replacing them with appropriate quantities of fresh fruits and vegetables.
- Avoid eating in front of the TV or the computer. With this, we will be more vulnerable to the concept of mindless eating, which means overeating without any attention due to preoccupation with other things in conjunction with eating.
- Chewing food slowly will reduce the amount of food we eat and increase the taste and pleasure of eating.
- Stop eating before feeling full.
- Avoid eating at night, and this leads us to warn that dinner will be far from the usual bedtime.
- You should not be deceived by some types of diets that are based on relying on certain types of foods, under the heading of a diet that helps lose weight, as some of them may lead to an increased risk of some diseases.
- The Mediterranean Diet is one of the healthy diets that is a healthy, balanced and sound diet.
- You can take some important nutritional supplements, such as vitamin A, omega- 3, and many others.
Tips to help you know how to divide the meals and their contents
- Taking the adequate rations that our bodies need to achieve the required balance, and this includes certain portions of carbohydrates, protein, fats, fibers, vitamins and minerals that are all important in maintaining the health of the body.
- Eat breakfast with small meals throughout the day. A healthy breakfast is needed by the body to provide the calories it needs to help start the day and continue its normal activities with all activity.
- Eat several small, healthy meals a day, instead of eating three large, high-calorie meals.
Main things to pay attention to when dieting
- Drink enough water daily, in order to meet the needs of the body from it, and it is usually recommended to drink eight cups a day, due to the importance of water that helps flush out waste and toxins from the body.
- Eat vegetables a lot, as they are low in calories and rich in their nutritional content, so you can eat kale, cauliflower, cabbage and many others, all of which are rich in calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, zinc and many vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E and vitamin K.
- Eat sweet-tasting vegetables such as corn, carrots, sweet potatoes, potatoes, onions and zucchini, all of which have a naturally sweet taste.
- Eat fish once every week, because of its benefits and important nutritional content for the body, such as healthy fats.
- Fruits are rich in fiber, vitamins and antioxidants. Berries are one of the most important examples that help prevent cancer, and apples are among the most important examples that are rich in fibers important for the health of the digestive system. Oranges are a variety that contains vitamin C.
- You should eat monounsaturated fats such as vegetable oils such as canola oil, peanut oil, and olive oil, as well as avocados and nuts like almonds and hazelnuts, walnuts and some types of seeds such as pumpkin and sesame.
- Eat sources of calcium that the body needs to build healthy bones and teeth, and to prevent osteoporosis with age, and among the most important sources of calcium, milk, cheese, green vegetables, especially leafy ones.
- Eat fish twice during one week, as it is rich in healthy oils and contains many minerals important for the health of the body, and the most important types of fish are sardines.
Things to avoid
- Eating burgers and french fries once a week to subdue the body creates a harmful environment and harms our health, so it is preferable to eat fast food only once a month.
- It is preferable to avoid some types of refined foods such as bread and pasta and replace them with healthy items.
- Limit excessive amounts of sugar and salt when preparing some recipes.
- Limit your intake of saturated fat sources such as animal sources, including red meat and full-fat dairy products.
- Avoid eating trans fats that are found in margarine, some types of biscuits, sweets, cakes, fried foods, baked goods, and other foods that rely on partially hydrogenated vegetable oils to make.
- Avoid drinking too much caffeine sources, especially coffee and soft drinks.
- Avoid processed foods such as prepared soups in different packages as they contain large amounts of sodium.
- Prefer to choose fresh or frozen vegetables rather than canned vegetables.
