Do not Eat Less or More, Eat Healthy

Abstract

Regardless of state of health, a well-balanced diet meets your body’s needs and gives you energy to perform normal activities. Many important nutrients also support our immune system, protect us from infections and diseases and stimulate cell production that helps us recover from damage. Above all, healthy food is a source of enjoyment that gives more flavor to life! A healthy diet is essential for maintaining good health. Sometimes, however, our ability to eat well is challenged by various circumstances. Our usual food shopping routine has been disrupted and we need to change our habits and physically distance ourselves for the benefit of all. In this Article, we will discuss reliable information how to eat healthy not more or less and how to continue to eat well and enjoy good food.

Why it is important to eat Healthy?

It is well known that the food we eat plays an important role in health. By eating nutritious and healthy food, we can counteract several of the diseases of our time and at the same time feel better. We call it the power of food! It is seldom about a few individual foods, but the trick and what is crucial for health is what we eat often, i.e. everyday food. Science agrees – with a good eating pattern we can strengthen our health factors such as good blood pressure, blood fats and immune function to prevent disease and feel better!

Some Myths and facts related to Healthy Eating

Myth 1 : “I can not lose weight because I am older.”

Fact – As we get older, our metabolism tends to decrease, which can make it harder to lose weight. A lower metabolism means that your body burns fewer calories per day than it did before. To lose weight, you need to eat fewer calories than you did when you were younger and trying to lose weight. The decrease in metabolism is mainly due to less muscle mass, which is often a result of you no longer being as physically active. Therefore, the reduction in metabolism can be avoided by continuing to be physically active.

Myth 2 : “Eating small meals is often better for weight loss than eating a few larger meals.”

Fact – The amount of energy you eat during the day, or week, is what matters for your weight loss – not when you eat them. Whether you eat breakfast, lunch and dinner or many small meals a day is entirely up to you. We recommend eating something about every three hours to avoid getting too hungry and thus overeating.

Myth 3 : “You need to drink enough water (eg.Hot water, ice water, lemon water) to lose weight.”

Fact – Water affects the amount of fluid in the body, but since it does not contain calories, it will not affect your weight loss. Replacing high-calorie drinks (such as juice and soda) with water instead as a thirst quencher will be positive for your weight loss as you reduce your calories.

Myth 4 : “It is good to use detox to cleanse the body.”

Fact : There is no research that has shown any effect of detox or cleansing regimens that you use at home. It is often claimed that we need to cleanse our bodies from e.g. toxins and slag products that we get in us or have in the environment. However, this is something that the liver, kidneys, lymphatic system and gastrointestinal tract take care of very well and using detox is therefore completely unnecessary.

Myth 5 : “Smoothies are always a healthy alternative.”

Fact – When losing weight, smoothies are not always the best option. Smoothies usually contain healthy ingredients such as fruit, vegetables and yoghurt, but they are also high in energy and you can quickly get it in you without the body having time to register that you have actually eaten something. Smoothies are counted as drinks, which do not send signals to the brain in the same way as when you eat. An orange that you squeeze into juice, becomes a very small amount of juice and is perceived as less food than if you ate the orange whole. When you drink something, you also do not need to chew, which affects the signals between the stomach and the brain.

Myth 6 : “I can lose weight if I eat too little.”

Fact – You have probably heard of the so-called “starvation situation”. It is true that if you expose your body to extreme hunger, your body will compensate. If you lose weight too fast, you will therefore see a greater decrease in your metabolism than simply due to a lower weight. However, there is clear research that shows that when you lose weight at a reasonable pace, as we at Weight Watchers recommend, your metabolism becomes proportional to your weight. For example, if you have lost 5% of your weight, your metabolism would also have decreased by 5%. This is because it takes fewer calories to maintain a lighter body when you e.g. walking, resting or breathing. This explains why your SmartPoints budget drops as you lose weight.

Myth 7 : “Too much fruit can affect my weight loss.”

Fact – We encourage you to eat fruits and vegetables because they are nutritious, filling and delicious. It is good if you eat more fruits and vegetables than you did before because you can use them as a healthy snack or to prolong your meals.

Myth 8 : “When I reach a certain weight, my weight loss will stop because that is the weight my body wants.”

Fact – There is a theory that the amount of fat in the body is relatively stable. We know that there are genetic factors linked to obesity, but the vast majority depends on how you eat and move. Your food and exercise habits are something you can change. So even if part of your weight is due to genetics, your habits have a big impact on your weight.

How often should you eat?

There is no “forbidden” food, just something that is more or less good to eat often.
Let’s discuss how we can manage our diet to eat healthy:-

Eat regularly

Most people feel good about eating regularly so as not to get hungry between meals: that is, the same type of meal at about the same time each day. But everyone emphasizes that we are different and that it is important to listen inwards, to their body, to arrive at your specific needs. It is individual, but few manage on less than three meals per day. Expect to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner, and add one or two snacks if you need it.

Note- Eat regularly, that is, the same type of meal at the same time each day. At least lunch and dinner.

Listen to Body’s Signal

The most important thing here is to eat slowly with all the senses present, so that you really perceive the body’s hunger and satiety signals and have time to stop at “adequate”. An advantage of eating several smaller meals per day is that there are more reasonable portions and you do not overeat because you are very hungry. As long as you eat real unprocessed food with lots of vegetables, root vegetables, whole grains and pure protein sources, you can eat until you are full every time. For many of us, it is important to eat until we are no longer hungry and stop there.

Note- Listen to your body’s own signals and stop eating when you are no longer hungry, before you become very full.

Vegetable and Fruits

Berries, fruits and vegetables should be eaten as much as possible: at least 500 grams per day or as body feels good. Unprocessed protein sources such as eggs, fish, meat, poultry, legumes, shellfish, nuts and seeds are also good to eat, preferably with every meal. Then you will be full and keep your blood sugar under control. Baked eggplant, butter-fried black cabbage, pickled red onion, creamy hummus, stir-fried lace bowl or a fresh salad with herbal dressing are examples are good food for everyday.

Note- Vegetables, berries and fruit are basically harmless, you can (and should) revel in it with a clear conscience.

Soft Drinks and Processed Food

Sweetened and processed foods and drinks are the worst thing you can put into you. You do not have to be terrified of sugar, but in liquid form it stands out as extra unhealthy. Eating chips or other fried food and drinking soft drinks with added sugar is like asking for obesity, cancer, cardiovascular disease, inflammation, autoimmune diseases and type 2 diabetes. Processed food is without a doubt the worst thing for us. Fast carbohydrates make the body want more while at the same time there is a lack of nutrition in the long run. You can add this on the weekend.

Note- Avoid soft drinks and processed foods!

Signals that you are eating too little

• You are constantly hungry- 1200 calories a day, or whatever you limit yourself to, does not work for everyone. If all thoughts constantly revolve around food, you probably eat far too little. There is a great risk that you will overeat when it’s time for dinner.
• You get easily irritated- Many people get irritated when their blood sugar drops. And you have to take that seriously. The body talks to you, it needs food.
• You are tired, especially in the afternoon- The body has no energy and screams for something that cheers it up.
• You do not have the strength to perform properly when you train- If the body goes on a low flame, it can do nothing but the most necessary. If you want to lose weight and get a fit body, you need to eat more.
• You freeze all the time- Too little nutrition can cause the body to respond by freezing.
•  You have difficulty focusing- The brain is unable to function to the maximum when it is not being nourished.
• You think about food all the time- It can be a fixation if you eat too little. The only thing you can think of is the next time you eat.
• You often get a headache- This may be because your brain is getting too little glucose in carbohydrates. If you eat too few calories and carbohydrates, the risk is high that the brain responds by giving you a headache.

Signals that you are eating too much

Body reflects various signals to enable you that you are eating too much. Some of them are as follow:-

• If we eat too much, we are supposed to gain weight.
• Too much consumption of food can cause stomach problems.
• Large portions and irregularity in food habits make us tired.
• You may put in way too much at one point, and then wait way too long to eat again. Then you get uneven blood sugar and uneven energy levels.

Tips for eating healthy and nutritious

Here are some tips on how to eat healthy and nutritious. Start by making one or two changes during some of the days of the week. The important thing is that you find a way that works for you.

1. Eat lots of vegetables, fruits and berries. Feel free to choose root vegetables, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, beans and onions.
2. If you eat seafood, eat this two to three times a week. Vary between fatty and lean fish species
3. Choose whole grains when eating pasta, bread and groats.
4. Choose useful oils in cooking, such as rapeseed oil and sandwich fats marked with the Keyhole.
5. Choose lean, unsweetened dairy products that are fortified with vitamin D.
6. Choose foods with less salt. Use less salt when cooking. Use salt with iodine.
7. Reduce the amount of sweets, cakes, ice cream and other things with a lot of sugar. Reduce especially on sweet drinks.
8. Eat enough. That is, eat so that you get in you as much energy as you get rid of. Both too little and too much can lead to serious health problems.
9. Choose keyhole-labeled foods. The keyhole is the National Food Administration’s symbol that helps you find food with less sugar and salt, more whole grains and fiber and healthier or less fat.

Conclusion

From the above article, we came to know diet is one the vital part of human routine and it is important to take necessary steps to make it healthy. Eating less or eating more may cause serious problems to one’s health, so it is a responsibility of oneself to sustain healthy life by taking healthy diet and focusing different parameters.