The trend towards a healthy lifestyle is gaining momentum every day. And if a couple of years ago, beautiful toned forms were considered a sign of success and were associated with the concept of “fashionable and expensive”, today a balanced lifestyle is primarily a manifestation of love and care for your body.
However, many continue to believe that healthy eating is difficult and expensive. But in fact, it’s worth starting with just a few useful principles, by implementing which, you will immediately begin to notice changes in your body and health for the better. After all, food is a source of energy and well-being.
Energy balance
Your daily energy expenditure should equal your energy consumption. If you consume more calories than you expend, this will inevitably lead to weight gain. Conversely, a calorie deficit will lead to weight loss.
It is important to adjust your diet so that the body gets the number of calories that you need by gender, age, and physical activity.
Quality
And here it is important to focus on a balanced diet. Your diet should have enough complete protein, healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, and micro- and macronutrients that keep your health normal.
There is a big difference between eating 2 chocolates and 1000 kcal of a full meal with lots of fiber (greens) and protein. The calorie content is the same, but the effect on the body and the benefits of the calories received is very different.
Diversity
Many people are afraid that healthy eating is boring, and not very tasty. By the way, this is the most common misconception that one has to meet. The associations are about the same: oatmeal on the water and buckwheat with chicken breast. However, today we can afford a rich variety of vegetables, fruits, and animal and plant products that will make every meal not only heathy but also delicious. In addition, diversity in the diet minimizes the risks of nutritional breakdowns and cravings for carbohydrates.
Start Small – Eliminate Food Garbage
Add foods to your diet that will provide you with energy and at the same time be a delicious alternative to junk food:
• Vegetables and fresh herbs – a source of trace elements and fiber- increase the feeling of satiety, so adding them to every meal is recommended.
• Fruits and berries – contain essential micronutrients and antioxidants that help improve health.
• Meat and fish – contain complete protein – the most important source of energy.
• Nuts and seeds are the most affordable source of healthy fats that can be added to almost any meal to make it tastier and healthier.
• Eggs – combine protein, healthy fats, and trace elements.
• Fermented milk products – it is important to note here natural yogurt, cottage cheese, and kefir – are sources of complete protein and calcium.
• Complex carbohydrates – brown rice, buckwheat, durum wheat pasta – are the basis and an important component of a healthy diet.
• Legumes – beans, lentils, and green peas are composed of fiber, vegetable protein, and essential trace elements.
• Herbs and spices – Not only do meals taste better, but they’re also often rich in nutrients and beneficial plant compounds.
Each meal should contain protein, healthy fats, and carbohydrates, add to this a source of fiber and you won’t have to think that you ate too much or you ate something unhealthy. And remember about the balance of water: 30 ml of pure water per 1 kg of body weight per day. This is the basis of proper nutrition, which will be your start on the path to a healthy diet.
Daily routine and full healthy sleep
The body just needs to recover properly. The lack of normal sleep negatively affects your well-being, contributes to overeating, and leads to a malfunction of the whole organism. The less we feel tired, the better our sleep today, and the less energy = food we will need to restore strength tomorrow.
Try to get at least seven or eight hours of sleep a night. It is better to fall asleep no later than 23:00, it is at this time that melatonin begins to be actively produced. It is better to get up at 07:00. If such a regimen becomes part of your lifestyle, you will notice how the quality of your sleep improves.
Daily physical activity
It doesn’t have to be the gym and strength or cardio workouts. It’s important to just keep moving. Analyze sports interests. Find the sport that you enjoy. Let it be a light morning exercise, Pilates, or yoga. Everyone will have their preferences.
Get yourself a watch with a pedometer and track your daily activity. Go up on foot where others take the elevator. Walk more, and do a warm-up during the day with sedentary work. 7000 steps a day is quite realistic.
And a little advice from me. Keep a diary of your successes and try every day to write down in it the results of what you managed to do today. This will be an additional incentive and motivation. And very soon you will see how, thanks to daily small steps, not only your lifestyle but also your health will change.