Nutrition in your diet is a vital aspect of a sound healthy lifestyle and simply swapping out junk food and sweets for healthy food is often the first step towards maintaining your weight within an acceptable range relative to your own body type, without necessarily having to go on the ever-popular ‘fad-diet’. Whilst many people see their weight drop dramatically when they adopt a specific diet, there are many others that find it difficult to maintain the same weight once the diet is over.
Food And Diet
This can be seen as being between a purist and a strict dieter; you can never be too strict with yourself as you are the one who determines your level of fitness. However, it is important to ensure that you have the correct level of nutrition in your diet, so that you are neither restricting yourself, nor starving yourself.
There are three main categories of nutrients that are contained in your food, namely carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Of these categories, the ones which are most often misunderstood are fats, which are often taken for granted by so many people. The following will explain some of the most common misconceptions around these three categories of nutrients, and how it can be changed to create a more balanced and nutritious meal.
Firstly, it is important to understand that calories are not a nutrient. In fact, when you consume calories, it is converted into fat, which in turn is stored as additional weight. By replacing your high calorie food with lower calorie and nutrient dense foods, you will be able to easily balance out your nutrition and lose weight.
For example, instead of eating lots of chips with extra cream, replace with some vegetables and maybe some fruit. Protein is also very important, so replacing meat and processed protein (such as soy) with lean cuts of meat with chicken or fish will help you greatly.
Calories And Energy Consumption
When you think about calories, the first thing that comes to mind is that you need to eat a decent amount each day. However, the amount of food you need is not as important as what type of food you are eating. It is now widely accepted that you do not need to eat a large quantity of pasta in order to have a balanced diet, as there is such a wide range of plant-based protein and fiber, which can provide a decent amount of nutrition on its own. Therefore, it is important to eat a sensible balance of carbs, protein, fats and plant based protein, and you will be able to eat a decent amount of pasta as well as the occasional treats.
Protecting Your Health
It is also important to remember that many chronic diseases can be affected by bad nutrition. Cancer, for example, is thought to be affected by eating too much red meat, and may also be affected by eating a poor diet which consists of too many carbohydrates, especially refined carbohydrates, and therefore is not rich in fibre. This is why it is advisable to include a good nutrition plan when it comes to eating, as it can help to ensure that you remain fit and healthy, and prevent many chronic diseases from developing.
Conclusion
Many people struggle to find a good nutrition plan due to the variety of foods available today. Therefore, it is advisable to have one food group at a time, and consume only a single food at a time. For instance, eat your protein at breakfast, and then eat a vegetable or some fruit for your main meal, and then eat carbohydrates for your second meal of the day.
This way, you will be able to break down the food categories into manageable portions, and will be able to monitor your intake of calories and weight loss on a daily basis. This way, you will be able to maintain your ideal weight and be able to enjoy your food.