Proper nutrition - what is it? The basics of proper nutrition

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Proper nutrition is a diet? Not at all, a diet is a short-term course of severe food restriction in order to lose a certain number of kilograms. Associations with her are not the most pleasant: a constant feeling of hunger, dizziness, poor condition of the skin and hair. In addition, when the course ends (or is interrupted due to a breakdown), all the kilograms shed with difficulty return to their place. It is difficult to call this way of dealing with excess weight rational. No, proper nutrition is a new way of life that is not uncomfortable and short-lived. Changing eating habits leads to the normalization of metabolism, which means that gradually the weight will return to normal.

How to train yourself to eat right

Let's give an approximate definition of the concept in question in order to better navigate the topic of the article. So, proper nutrition is a complete and balanced diet, consisting of natural and high-quality products that give the body a complete set of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, that is, satisfy all its needs and benefit it.

To analyze your menu and switch to a he althy diet, you need to understand a few rules:

• Food is a kind of fuel for the body, from which energy is produced. Good fuel ensures not only trouble-free operation, but also prevents many "breakdowns".
• He althy eating can really save you from many diseases - these are primarily diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and cardiovascular system, cancer, diabetes, hypertension.
• If you are for a he althy diet, then without any compromise, remove soda, chips, mayonnaise and other unhe althy foods from your diet. Many primarily sin on sweets, but sometimes you can eat them, it’s another matter that it’s better to choose not the most “lethal” ones. Natural chocolate and marmalade, condensed milk, of course, are high-calorie, but he althy delicacies. And a cake made with margarine and characterized by an abundance of rich cream can hardly be called he althy food.
• We need to move away from the habit of eating everything with a crispy crust. Baked, stewed or boiled foods are much he althier. Proper nutrition is a system that implies compliance with all these rules. But minor violations of the regime in exceptional cases (New Year, anniversary) will not cause much harm.

We are what we eat

Indeed, it is very difficult to perceive such an abstract concept as proper nutrition. "Menu for the day" sounds much easier. We will definitely get todetailed consideration of your diet, but for now let's look at the features of building a food pyramid. It is based on the principle of dividing all products into groups that will allow you to create an optimal diet throughout the day.

You need to consider the pyramid from the bottom up. The basis is those foods that need to be eaten daily in sufficient quantities. These are whole grain bread, oatmeal, rice and durum wheat pasta. This is the foundation without which proper nutrition is impossible. The menu for the day must necessarily include foods that provide the body with complex carbohydrates, that is, an important source of energy. Whole grains provide your body with the fiber and B vitamins you need. Many people think that eating bread leads to weight gain, but this is actually not true unless you add a lot of butter, s alt, fatty sauces or cheese to it.

The next block of the pyramid includes vegetables. It is a source of fiber and vitamins, many of which provide the body with protein. The complete absence of fat allows you to use these products with virtually no restrictions. By the way, potatoes are also very useful for the body, as they contain the maximum amount of nutrients. It is very important to eat vegetable juices. On the same line with vegetables are fruits. Proper nutrition for girls is hard to imagine without these tasty and he althy foods. Fruits are a source of vitamins and minerals, without which it is difficult to have beautiful skin, he althy hair and nails. Useful fruit in anyform. Can be eaten fresh or frozen, dried or canned.

The next block is protein products. The most important component of the diet, since protein is responsible for a large number of metabolic processes in the body. Proper nutrition for girls must necessarily include meat and fish, nuts and eggs, beans and beans. They are also indispensable sources of iron, zinc, B vitamins. This block includes another large group - milk and dairy products - an indispensable source of calcium, protein and vitamin B12. It should be borne in mind that low-fat varieties should be chosen, since they contain a minimum of calories and a maximum of nutrients. Don't forget we're talking about proper nutrition. Dinner in particular should contain a minimum of high-calorie foods.

Finally, the top of our pyramid is fats, oils and sweets. High-calorie and highly nutritious foods. They should be the least in the diet, although you should not refuse at all.

Daily diet

To make the conversation about proper nutrition more substantive, let's give an example that can be followed at least every day, of course, with adjustments. The first rule of a he althy diet is to have a hearty breakfast. A great option to start the day is a small piece of meat, a serving of rice and a cup (200 g) of vegetable salad. You can finish the meal with a cup of tea with lemon and some other fruit. You can offer another option: chicken breast with cheese, boiled potatoes and tea withfruits.

Snack between breakfast and lunch can be an orange or grapefruit, a handful of nuts. But lunch is a full meal that should not be skipped. As an option, you can offer a couple of bread toasts with baked fish and a green salad. The second option could be a serving of brown rice with stewed vegetables. You can choose mint tea or still water. Talking about proper nutrition necessarily affects the regularity of eating. Indeed, the more carefully the regimen is observed, the faster the metabolism is restored, which means that there will be no problems with being overweight. Therefore, it is also impossible to skip an afternoon snack. At the same time, this snack should not be heavy. Perfect for an afternoon snack kefir or yogurt.

Now we move on to the meal, around which there is a lot of controversy, however, dinner does not cancel proper nutrition. Another thing is that the calorie content of foods consumed in the evening should not be too high. A great option would be stewed vegetables with toast or 150-200 g low-fat cottage cheese.

Please note that this is a diet for the average person. It can be supplemented with vegetables and fruits, nuts and berries. But if your goal is weight loss, then the diet should be adjusted depending on the goals. Because he althy eating and weight loss are not synonyms, as many people used to think.

Proper weight loss and weight loss

How is proper nutrition and weight loss related? In fact, a he althy diet involves a completethe functioning of the body and the prevention of weight gain, but there are separate systems for losing weight. However, proper nutrition (reviews of many people confirm that sticking to it is easy and pleasant) suggests eliminating fatty and unhe althy foods, such as fast food, soda, and many others that contribute to the development of obesity. Eliminating these foods and replacing them with fruits and vegetables will lead to gradual weight loss.

That is, proper nutrition is not a system for losing weight, but you should not give up on it and look on the Internet for newfangled diets that promise a quick weight loss. Because they all violate the main rule. For the result to be sustainable, you need not a short-term diet, but a new lifestyle. Therefore, the principles of he althy eating that we have given above should also be present in the weight loss system. There should be only one difference: in order to lose weight, you need to reduce the calorie content of the daily diet.

More or less it is already clear what constitutes proper nutrition. Reviews of people who have completely rebuilt their diet in accordance with its principles say that their well-being has improved a lot, and there is no need to suffer from a lack of interesting dishes, since you can come up with many amazing snacks, desserts and other goodies from he althy and necessary products for the body.

What you need to know if you are going to lose weight

It is very important to set goals and priorities right away. It is better to conclude a written contract with yourself, for what period of time and for how longkilograms you want to lose weight. Based on this, we form a diet, not forgetting about proper nutrition. A photo taken before the start of the course will help you not to deviate from your goal. Calculate the maximum caloric content of the diet using the following formula:

Men: 66 + (13.7 x body weight) + (5 x height in cm) – (6.8 x age in years).

For a woman, the formula is slightly different: 655 + (9.6 x body weight) + (1.8 x height in cm) – (4.7 x age in years).

You get a number that reflects your actual metabolism. Now you need to multiply the result by a factor equal to the level of physical activity. With a sedentary lifestyle, it is 1.2, but if you do light exercises 1-3 times a week, then multiply by 1.375. Intensive exercise 3-5 times a week equals a factor of 1.55, and daily heavy physical activity is 1.725. The resulting figure is the number of calories that your body spends per day. If you want to lose weight, then this amount must be reduced along with an increase in the level of physical activity.

When choosing your diet, be sure to consult a dietitian, and, of course, do not forget about proper nutrition. Photos "before" and "after" will be a great incentive to continue to stick to it. But, despite the strong desire to lose weight, you should track the slightest change in well-being. If you began to sleep poorly, irritability or a headache appeared, your he alth and skin condition deteriorated sharply - these are all sure signs that the diet is not balanced. So youinfringe on the necessary elements. Only a doctor can make an optimal diet for the day. Proper nutrition is easy to adhere to, such a diet does not cause a deterioration in he alth and does not leave the feeling that you are limiting yourself in some way.

Approximate diet for a woman

To lose weight, you will have to limit your calorie intake, which means tightening your belts a little. But what is proper nutrition without a varied and balanced diet? It is best to start the day with porridge, while oatmeal or millet boiled in water is excellent. An apple and coffee with milk will complement the morning meal. Do not skip the second breakfast, it is necessary so as not to overeat at lunch. In addition, the body gets used to the fact that food comes often, and ceases to store fat in the bins, as is the case with severe restriction and long breaks between meals. For lunch, a glass of kefir and a couple of apricots or other fruits are suitable.

Lunch is just as important. Be sure to steam a piece of fish or meat. A cup of coleslaw, one baked potato can serve as an addition. For an afternoon snack, it is best to give preference to a vegetable salad, for example, grated carrots with olives. Finally, dinner: do not give up protein foods. Braised chicken breast with vegetables will come in handy.

Fixing the result. The main thing is the system

Indeed, organizing proper nutrition is not difficult, the main thing is to continue to adhere to it all the time. The most important thing here is to observe dailymode, despite work, study and other matters. You can not force the body to starve or accustom it to the feeling of hunger, since in such conditions it will store any extra piece in reserve. Remember the feeling of fatigue when dieting. This is the result of the fact that a frightened body tries to save all the useful substances by slowing down the metabolism. Eating 4-6 times a day, you let your instincts know that everything is in order, with this regimen, metabolism and weight are normalized. You yourself can make an approximate proper nutrition for yourself and adjust it in the process.

You must drink water

The key to proper nutrition is your desire to be he althy and beautiful. But many people forget about the need to consume a sufficient amount of fluid. Try to minimize tea and coffee, and instead drink at least 2 liters of pure water a day. In this case, you do not need to try to drink the entire norm at a time. It's best to carry a bottle with you at all times and drink when you're thirsty.

Listen to yourself

Even if a nutritionist has developed a detailed proper nutrition for you for a month, this does not negate the need to listen to the signals of the body. We are used to eating because the food is fragrant, attractive, that is, eating itself is a pleasure. But in fact, the body knows what it needs right now. If you are unbearably craving sweets, perhaps at this very moment there is a great need for energy. But at the same time, instead of a fat cake, it’s better to allow yourself a piece of chocolate in the first half.days.

The simpler the better

Remember what our grandparents ate. These were mainly soups and cereals, vegetables, fish or meat. Today we are accustomed to complex, multicomponent dishes, salads, sauces. In such a leapfrog of tastes, it is difficult to determine the calorie content of a dish. If you decompose a dinner consisting of salad, fish with cheese sauce with potatoes and a chocolate pie with tea into components, then there will be more than 20 of them, and each of them requires its own enzymes to break down. This is what the doctor pays special attention to, making up the right nutrition for girls. The menu should be as simple as possible, and the dishes should be as light as possible. For example, you do not need to additionally pour mayonnaise on the chicken breast and cover it with cheese - this way you reduce the beneficial properties of both protein products. It is much better to split them into two different meals. This also applies to the calorie content of products: if possible, it is always better to avoid adding oil to the dish, and try to choose milk with a low percentage of fat content. Of course, the body also needs fats, but in a very small amount. A small piece of butter at breakfast will completely block the daily requirement.

Pay attention not only to quantity, but also to quality

Indeed, one of the rules of a he althy diet says that the body must receive a complete set of essential substances, proteins, fats, carbohydrates and trace elements. For this to be possible, the food must be fresh and natural. Pay attention to the presence of preservatives inproducts, and soon you will return to the diet habitual for our ancestors. Everything that is sold in supermarkets, packed in beautiful boxes, contains more or less additives, stabilizers and other unnecessary and even harmful components. Therefore, give preference to products in which there is a minimum amount of them or not at all. By following this rule, you will save your budget, because fresh vegetables and fruits are much cheaper than canned ones, the same applies to meat and sausages. He althy foods will quickly saturate the body with the necessary substances, which means that you will not be bothered by the feeling of hunger just because some important element was missing in the diet.

Small concessions

Proper nutrition is not a diet, which means it is not limited in time. Therefore, strict dietary requirements (not eating bread or sweets at all) do not work here. The only restriction can be considered the use of fast food, very fatty, excessively sweet and s alty foods. At the same time, in reasonable quantities, the body needs bread, sugar, and even lard, which also has useful properties. Therefore, we brought to your attention at the beginning of the article a food pyramid. The basis of nutrition should be the most useful ingredients, and all the rest can serve as a small addition. By following this principle, you will save yourself from torment and unnecessary restrictions, and playing sports will completely neutralize these excesses.

At first, sticking to the principles of a he althy diet seems difficult. Notthere is enough ketchup and mayonnaise, soda and sausage, the food seems insipid. But then you begin to feel lightness, good he alth comes and complete indifference to harmful excesses, which at first you lacked so much. Be he althy and beautiful!