REMINDER Basic principles of maintaining a healthy lifestyle

Today, everyone has heard about a healthy lifestyle. Everyone puts their own meaning into it. For some, this means regular exercise, for others it means giving up alcohol or tobacco. However, in fact, this concept is complex, including almost all aspects of human life. Equally important is proper nutrition for a healthy lifestyle, because this is precisely the factor that directly affects health, fat accumulation, and the proper functioning of internal organs.

Proper nutrition is the main condition for a healthy lifestyle

The famous ancient physician Hippocrates, who is credited with inventing the medical oath, which is still relevant today, said: “You are what you eat.” Only for those who have seriously thought about their lifestyle and health does it become completely understandable. The human body receives almost all the nutrients and beneficial substances necessary for its proper functioning through water and food. Therefore, the properties and qualities of different products, their original chemical composition, directly affect a person’s physical development, his state of health, emotional level, performance, duration and quality of life in general.

According to recent studies, a person’s physical condition is directly affected by the quality, diet and healthy lifestyle. About fifty percent is due to the nature of the menu and diet. At the same time, scientists “write off” no more than 20% to the influence of ecology, as well as genetic predisposition, and 10% to medical care.

Why diet is important for a healthy lifestyle

Food, which many treat lightly and irresponsibly, is associated with absolutely all the main functions of the body. It is thanks to food that cells and tissues can develop, nourish, and constantly renew themselves, and a person receives a powerful charge of energy for new achievements. An incorrectly selected diet can cause considerable harm. This applies to both excess and insufficient amounts of food consumed. In the first case, it is not long before exogenous constitutional obesity is dangerous and harmful to health, and in the second, you can plunge into the problems of anorexia, which is no better.

Poor nutrition, a properly selected diet and menu, all this leads to disorders in mental and physical development, rapid, unreasonable fatigue, and the body’s inability to resist harmful influences from the outside, that is, from the environment. Because of this, people lose the ability to concentrate and process information received, and the aging process starts prematurely. Real glamorous beauties who care about their appearance can confirm that the condition of your skin directly depends on what you eat throughout the day.

However, which particular version of the nutrition system can best suit a healthy lifestyle, everyone will have to find out individually. There are a large number of hypotheses and theories on how to eat properly, and every day there are more and more of them. Some “preach” a raw food diet or even abstinence from material food (prano-eating), and some abstain from meat or carbohydrates, while others develop the right combinations of products that supposedly provide the opportunity for a balanced, nutritious diet. At the same time, each “adept” considers himself the only true one, capable of giving everyone the opportunity to achieve that very food harmony that everyone strives for.

Speaking based on actual scientific knowledge, any dietary restrictions can be fatal for some, although they are suitable for some. Our body is an extremely complex system, which requires many different substances contained in plant and animal foods to fuel it. For example, if there is not enough meat, it may seriously lack iron, which is necessary for normal functioning. Therefore, choosing the right diet is one of the primary tasks of a fan of a healthy lifestyle. At the same time, if you adhere to a suitable menu not from time to time, but on an ongoing basis, you can avoid obesity, problems with nails, hair, skin, and decreased functionality of the immune system.

Food pyramid healthy lifestyle: food

Using healthy products throughout your life is practically a guarantee of getting a slim, beautiful body, with a minimal risk of disease. Man has long understood this simple truth, therefore, at the beginning of the twentieth century, attempts were made to divide all existing products into separate subgroups, focusing on their usefulness for the body.

However, the first clear model of the food pyramid (Harvard), which reflected the principles of a healthy diet, appeared only in 1992. At its base were located products that brought only benefits, and as they approached the top, their value gradually decreased. At the very top, this way there was food, which is generally better to avoid.

• The first step of such a pyramid is responsible for water regime and regular physical activity.
• The second contains vegetables, grains, fruits, as well as the necessary vegetable oils, without which you can’t go anywhere.
• The third stage is given to proteins, nuts, and legumes.
• The fourth step of the Harvard pyramid is occupied by “milk”: kefir, yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese, fermented baked milk, sour cream.
• On the fifth stage, scientists placed various sweets, baked goods, baked goods, sausages and smoked meats, starchy vegetables like potatoes or corn, butter, margarine and other things that you can do without.

At the same time, such a pyramid even has specific recommendations regarding alcohol-containing drinks. Not everyone can use them and not every day. However, you should not get hung up on this scheme, because everyone is individual, so nutrition most often has to be chosen in each specific case separately.

There are other options for food pyramids, for example, children's or vegetarian. The most popular today is MyPyramid, which American scientists announced in 2007. It is divided not into steps, but into segments, and they consist not of products, but of the five principles of proper nutrition.

• Diversity.
• Proportionality.
• Individuality.
• Moderation.
• Physical activity.

It is these principles that we propose to follow in everyday life in order to keep your body strong, healthy, and young for a long time.

What foods are best to exclude or limit?

1. Salt. The amount of salt a child needs is already contained in natural products.
2. Sugar. Similarly, as with salt, the baby gets a sufficient amount of sugar from fruits and berries.
3. Nuts are the strongest allergen. They should be given to a child in small quantities under the supervision of parents.
4. Raw eggs.
5. Chips, crackers.
6. Carbonated drinks, juices with a high sugar content.

Whatever the right food products you choose for your diet and your child’s diet, you should not forget about the cooking process. First of all, you need to exclude foods cooked in large amounts of oil. It is better to bake or steam dishes. Spices can be used to add flavor to bland dishes. Secondly, try to reduce the amount of processed foods. In particular, vegetables. After all, during cooking, fiber is destroyed, and with it, beneficial vitamins and macroelements are lost.

Basics of proper nutrition

We have already found out that proper nutrition is the basis for vigor, youth, and your well-being at any moment in life. Only a balanced diet rich in nutrients can provide the body with the necessary elements to delay the onset of old age. Therefore, it doesn’t hurt to understand the basics of proper nutrition for a healthy lifestyle, and put the menu aside a little.

Permanence

If a person eats right only from time to time, occasionally remembering some kind of healthy lifestyle, then he can hardly count on a good result. This can only be achieved if you adhere to the necessary rules and principles for a long time.

It is optimal to make this regime your real way of life. Moreover, proper nutrition does not mean tasteless or boring. Nowadays there are a lot of different products that will help make the menu varied. Only in this way, by giving preference to benefits over “wants”, can you really significantly improve your health and quality of life.

Correct mode

Another basic one is maintaining a proper eating regimen, which is no less important than everything else. It should be structured in such a way as to provide sufficient, regular meals. Many people do not understand that the regime should be developed taking into account individual characteristics, the number of years lived, physical activity, work and rest schedules, and this is really important.

An experienced nutritionist will help you create the right meal plan if it’s difficult to cope on your own. But first you need to visit your therapist, who will do the necessary tests and analyzes in order to understand what specifically suits you and what there are contraindications for.

The ratio of calories consumed and energy expenditure

A person’s nutrition should correspond to the energy he expends throughout the day. If you regularly consume more calories than you have the opportunity to burn, you will eventually notice unsightly folds of fat deposits on your sides and stomach. As soon as the body receives an excess amount of nutrition, it immediately begins to make reserves for a rainy day.

Moreover, getting out of food addiction can be difficult. After frequent “overeating”, your body, not receiving the usual volumes of food, also begins to accumulate fat, fearing that hunger has set in. This makes you want to eat more and more, and there is no less fat on your sides. Therefore, you need to act quickly and immediately, otherwise it will be very difficult to get out of the vicious circle.

Variety is very important

Nutrition should be rich and varied, this is very important. Every day, at least seven dozen different substances must enter the human body to ensure its proper, painless functioning. However, some cannot be synthesized by our body, although they are necessary for its functioning. Therefore, it doesn’t hurt to provide yourself with a variety of foods so that your body can get everything it needs.

Basic principles of proper nutrition

It is very important to follow the principles of PP, which are not as complicated as they might seem.

Fractional meals: scheduling

Scientists have long said that overeating does not bring anything good to the body. Even when you want to urgently make up for the lack of some nutrients, it is better to do it gradually. Therefore, it is worth paying attention to fractional meals. This means that all food for the day will need to be divided into standard, traditional three meals, and made 5-8. It’s not difficult to make a schedule, the main thing is to commit to it.

There are many useful programs on the Internet that will help simplify the task significantly. At the same time, do not forget about reducing the amount of food eaten at one time. Oh, with an increase in the number of meals, the amount of food absorbed should not increase, otherwise your “efforts” will lead to the opposite result.

Separate Power Basics

A very large number of newfangled nutrition systems are aimed at rapid weight loss. They have a very strictly regulated set of products approved for use. However, dietary restrictions are not beneficial for everyone. Therefore, it makes sense to pay attention to separate meals. This system makes it possible not to squeeze yourself into a certain framework, but simply clearly differentiate between foods, eating them separately.

The system is based on the fact that any product for processing requires special enzymes, which cannot be produced by the body at the same time. This makes sense, because carbohydrates require alkali to process, and proteins require acids. Therefore, it makes sense to consume meat, fats, vegetables, grains and fruits separately, allowing them to be completely processed.

A leisurely meal in a relaxed atmosphere

As a well-known humorous proverb goes, haste may only be required when catching certain unpleasant insects. When we eat on the run, somehow, between work or other tasks, the food simply does not have time to be digested correctly.

When sitting down at the table, even for a fifteen-minute afternoon snack, you must completely discard all current affairs, forget about problems, thinking only about digestion. Focus on eating, pay attention to the little things, the foods you consume, think about their usefulness. Stress is only useful when it triggers a super recovery mode, but not at the table, because the foods you absorb may simply not be used for future use.

Variety of products

We have already mentioned the principle of diversity, let us remind you of it again. This is very important to feel like a full-fledged person. After all, no one can eat the same thing for months and still feel happy. And it’s unlikely that you can “obtain” the nutrients necessary for the proper functioning of the body from the same products.

When creating a menu, we must not forget about the correct ratio of proteins (30-40%), fats (20-25%) and carbohydrates (40-50%). You should select products based on this. However, the products themselves can be varied as desired. For example, it is not necessary to eat zucchini every day when there are also eggplants, squash, cabbage, celery and a bunch of other healthy vegetables.

Refusal of fast food and harmful products

Followers of a healthy lifestyle recommend once and for all to abandon the consumption of harmful products, in particular that same treasured fast food, because of which the fate of more than one person has been broken. Indeed, nothing bad will happen if you stop eating sweets, and the desire for sweets can be easily curbed with the help of fruits, dried fruits, and sweeteners.

• Fast food in any form.
• Sausages and semi-finished products.
• Smoked meats and canned goods.
• Sugar.
• Refined foods (vegetable oils, bread, refined white rice).
• Lemonades and carbonated drinks.

Many nutritionists also recommend eliminating sweeteners from your diet. In fact, they do not bring any benefit to the body, and the harm from them has not yet been refuted by anyone. An exception is a plant called stevia.

It also doesn't hurt to limit your salt intake, as it retains water in the body. Because of this, edema may appear, creating additional stress on the cardiovascular system. In addition, salt causes disruption of the joints, overloads the kidneys, and also causes thirst, which is difficult to quench. Doctors advise consuming no more than 5-10 grams of this product per day.

Limiting or avoiding alcohol consumption

If we are not talking about a strict diet, for example, prescribed by a doctor, but only about proper healthy eating, then allowing yourself a glass of your favorite wine is quite possible. However, it is better to drink it after a meal. After all, it is known that alcohol not only causes appetite, but also significantly reduces self-control. Such frivolity can lead to the absorption of dishes that are in no way compatible with the principles of a healthy lifestyle.

There is never too much water: drinking regime

Everyone has repeatedly heard that for an adult healthy person, the consumption of two liters of clean water per day can be considered the norm. Many who have tried to follow this rule have discovered that it is not at all so simple, and drinking the coveted eight glasses is not at all as easy as it seemed. In fact, the figure is approximate, and the exact need for fluid can only be calculated individually. Everything here may depend on body weight, build, somatotype, age, activity during the day, gender and other factors.

You need to focus only on your own feelings and intuition. You will have to learn to recognize the signs of real thirst in order to prevent dehydration, which can have serious consequences. Water should be consumed throughout the day with pleasure, it should bring joy and pleasure. The amount of liquid you drink can include those juices, cocktails or teas that you “indulged” in while working or relaxing. In the matter of healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition, it is important to drink one glass of clean water early in the morning, almost immediately after waking up, even before breakfast. For the most advanced, it is recommended to make special water with lemon and ginger for this, which will give energy and good mood for the whole day.

Famous pectin and fiber

Fiber or cellulose, which is found in many vegetables, is practically not absorbed at all by the human body. It doesn’t give us vigor, energy, or stamina, but we definitely need to consume it. It needs to be consumed in order to stimulate the intestines to work more actively. At the same time, it works as a “broom”: it removes toxins, poisons, excess cholesterol and many other processed products of little use from the digestive system.

Regarding pectins, which are also recommended not to be overlooked, it must be said about their unique ability to swell in the intestines, absorbing “bad” cholesterol, and at the same time an excess of fats. In the presence of organic acids, the cleaning process progresses much faster. The most pectins are in apples, black currants, pears, cabbage and carrots, raspberries, apricots, and citrus fruits.

Short list of recommended products

If you think that PP is very difficult and boring, then you are deeply mistaken. In fact, modern research says that it is not at all necessary to sit on a strict mono-diet to keep your body in shape. The list of products allowed for a healthy lifestyle is so large that everyone can create a unique diet for themselves with simply royal dishes.

• Lean meat. It must be included in the set, since plant proteins do not contain the amino acids our body needs. They can only be obtained from meat. However, you can choose not overly fatty pork, but poultry, veal, rabbit or something similar.
• Seafood, fish. It is a source of useful minerals, fats, and large amounts of special protein. But here it’s also worth looking at the composition, for example, flounder will be too rich for proper nutrition. It is optimal to give preference to salmon, tuna, hake, salmon, pink salmon, halibut or pike perch. Don’t forget about shrimp, mussels, lobsters and other inhabitants of the aquatic spaces; they will bring a lot of benefits and also diversify your diet.
• Milk and lactic acid products. It is believed that milk itself is not as healthy for an adult as our mothers and grandmothers told us in childhood. However, the entire “arsenal” of fermented milk is necessarily included in the list of healthy dietary products. Kefir, fermented baked milk, yogurt, cottage cheese - not a single PP menu can do without this.
• Eggs. This product is controversial for many. It would be optimal to simply not abuse it in general, and also to focus on consuming proteins rather than yolks.
• Greens and vegetables. What proper nutrition could not do without was a large number of a wide variety of vegetables. All of them are useful in their own way, so you can eat them almost all indiscriminately. Cabbage, broccoli, spinach, celery, zucchini, cucumbers, carrots, eggplant, pumpkin, lettuce, arugula, asparagus, squash, artichoke, kale, tomatoes and much more are useful to eat every day, fortunately, there is definitely a choice.
• Berries and fruits. They are healthy by default, so eating them is encouraged even without any processing. It is fruits that will allow you to extinguish the irresistible craving for sweets. Cherries, sweet cherries, apples and pears, raspberries and currants, blackberries and watermelon - all this is necessary and healthy to consume while leading a healthy lifestyle. We must also not forget about dried options - dried fruits. Dried apricots, raisins, prunes, dates, figs, all this will allow you to enjoy real “snacks” without harm.
• Cereals. No balanced diet can do without this product. They contain slow carbohydrates that give you a feeling of fullness for a long time. It is optimal to give preference to quinoa, rice, buckwheat, oats and barley.
• Legumes and starches. Despite the controversy of all these products, they should be included in a balanced diet. Peas, beans, corn and potatoes all need to be eaten periodically.
• Nuts and seeds. These fruits are so rich in various vitamins, minerals, macro- and microelements that it is impossible to underestimate their benefits.

As you can see, the list of permitted and even desirable foods for proper nutrition is quite extensive. From them you can come up with and prepare a large number of different tasty and healthy dishes.

Proper cooking methods

While maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle, it is unacceptable to lose sight of the issue of cooking. Even the healthiest foods, if processed incorrectly, can turn into “deadly poison” for your health and figure. PP implies only two strict prohibitions: frying in oils and deep-fried cooking. But there are plenty of other options, so don't get upset right away.

• Baking.
• Cook in water or steam.
• Extinguishing.
• Blanching.

In addition, even for the most inveterate healthy lifestyle enthusiasts, there are recipes for dishes that involve so-called dry frying. This means cooking the product in a frying pan, but without using any oil. This way you can cook vegetables, seafood, fish or meat.

Rule without rules

If you stay active and change your diet a little, you can lose weight without dieting. You just need to adhere to the following nutritional commandments - they will help burn excess fat:

1. It is much more important to limit carbohydrates in your diet than fats. Especially easily digestible: sodas, juices, compotes, jelly, ice cream, baguettes, biscuits. You can drink tea and coffee, but without sugar.
2. Eliminate not only sweets, cookies, pastries, cakes, but also practically give up bread. If you can’t, eat 1-2 pieces a day, and it’s better not white bread, but made from coarse flour.
3. Instead of cereals, pasta and potatoes, make vegetable side dishes. It is ideal to steam them, without fat. Instead of side dishes, you can eat vegetable salads.
4. Take your time while eating and chew your food thoroughly.
5. Do not overuse fatty foods, although they are not as dangerous as carbohydrates. Therefore, choose lean meat and poultry.
6. Do not drink milk, but consume fermented milk products daily (1-3 servings), only without sugar or other flavorings.
7. It is better to eat more often, but in small quantities. To satisfy your hunger, you can eat more vegetables; they do not contribute to weight gain at all.
8. Don't eat a lot of fruits, they contain a decent amount of sugars. At first, it is better to give them up completely for 3-4 weeks, then eat 1 fruit a day.

A nutritionist's terrible dream. How to combine products correctly? More details

Recommendations for creating a balanced diet

Absolutely anyone can leave bad habits in the past and switch to proper nutrition, the main thing here is desire. If you follow simple tips and recommendations, the process can go unnoticed, which is what we strive for.

• You can’t abuse your body by starving. Giving up food completely or minimizing it as much as possible will not bring you anything good. If you are hungry, eat an apple, a handful of nuts or dried fruits.
• You should drink a lot, but not necessarily plain water. There are a large number of healthy drinks, for example natural juices, green or herbal tea, chicory, compotes without sweeteners.
• The more varied the diet, the wider the list of dishes that you regularly prepare, the easier the process of transition from habitual to healthy eating will be.
• Choose natural over super-processed foods. It is better to choose a piece of meat rather than sausages, as well as fresh tomatoes, leaving canned ones until better times. It is better to always follow these criteria.

Don’t forget that if you really want something, it’s better to eat it for breakfast than to suffer and torment yourself. Excessively strict prohibitions sometimes lead people to annoying breakdowns, which can negate all previously made efforts. Therefore, if you want a piece of unhealthy cake, it is better to eat it before lunch to minimize the harm and calm down, rather than walk around it like a predatory shark around a small fish.

Healthy lifestyle nutrition menu for the week: universal template

Many people want to adhere to the rules of PP, but can’t figure out where to start. First, you should calculate how many calories your body needs for normal functioning. In addition, you can create a menu using a universal template that can be varied from day to day.

Breakfast

It should be rich in carbohydrates, which give an energy boost for the whole day.

• Cereals (oatmeal, quinoa, rice).
• Muesli or bread.
• Unsweetened yogurt, kefir or fermented baked milk.
• Hard or soft cheese.

Lunch

Between breakfast and lunch, you need a light snack, which can be had at about ten o'clock in the morning.

• Any fruit weighing from one hundred to two hundred grams.
• A handful of nuts or seeds.
• Dried fruits.
• Cottage cheese or yogurt.

Dinner

This meal should be the most satisfying, which makes it the main meal.

• Porridges of various types (buckwheat, brown or brown rice), pasta made from durum wheat.
• Vegetables.
• Boiled or baked meat.
• Fish or seafood.
• Vegetable salads.

Afternoon snack

After lunch, it is difficult to endure until the evening, especially if you eat healthy foods, which for the most part do not give a long-term feeling of fullness. Therefore, you can “stick” another one between them.

• Small fruit.
• A glass of natural juice.
• A handful of nuts or seeds.

Dinner

According to an old saying, dinner should be given to the enemy, but this is a very controversial statement. A light, tasty dinner two hours before bedtime will help you get rid of the obsessive feeling of hunger.

• Boiled or baked poultry.
• Rabbit, beef.
• Fish or seafood.
• Legumes.
• Salad made from vegetables that contain a lot of fiber: carrots, cabbage.

Having such a template guide, you can make a list of dishes for the week in advance so that the meal plan does not seem bland and monotonous.

How to Instill Healthy Eating Habits

Before you start switching to proper nutrition, ask yourself why you are doing it in the first place. Answer quickly and be honest with yourself. Only the truth will allow you to understand and help yourself form the right eating habits. The priority in such cases is the issue of the general condition of the body; only health can motivate incredible achievements and victories.

• Keep a food diary where you make any changes in your diet. It doesn’t hurt to write down your feelings, mood and other factors that can help you analyze your behavior. There are options for programs for the phone, they are also very functional, but the old fashioned way, with pen on paper, you can still write down much more useful information.
• You cannot suddenly switch to PP. It is worth giving yourself the opportunity to gradually get used to it, for which healthy new dishes will have to be introduced in stages.
• Keep in mind that boring, monotonous food will definitely lead to a breakdown. It’s good if you start again after it, because some people lose interest in PP forever. This can lead to various diseases, and we do not need this at all. Let your menu be varied; ideally, you will have to learn how to cook. But this is a small sacrifice for longevity, health and beauty.
• Forget about strict diets and severe food restrictions, as these too can quickly cause you to give up on your attempts to become healthy.
• Avoid eating out as you cannot be sure of the quality of the food served to you. And the risk of ordering something harmful, but so desirable and tasty, will then be reduced to zero.
• From now on you will only go to the store on a full stomach. This is one of the rules for facilitating the formation of true food attachments. A hungry person will easily fall for the bright packaging of something extra, so this is out of the question, you must be completely full.
• Use the achievements of modern science and technology, set reminders on your phone for drinking water, eating patterns and other necessary things.
• Sport is a good continuation of proper nutrition. Only by leading an active lifestyle can you remain strong, beautiful, and fit for many years. In addition, according to scientific research, physical education helps to form correct eating habits faster and easier.

It would be nice to find like-minded people. In the company of people who think exactly like you, it is much easier to overcome difficulties. It's good if you have the support of your family, friends and loved ones. If not, you will have to look for people like you in hobby clubs, fitness rooms and other similar places. You should also not pay attention to attacks, ridicule or unfounded criticism, which often prevent a person from developing the right habits. Learn to firmly say “No!”, and calmly continue doing your job, then your life will become much easier.

How to eat right to be healthy - menu for children

A healthy nutrition menu for children must include all healthy nutrients: proteins, fats and carbohydrates. As well as vitamins and minerals. The entire diet of babies can be represented as a formula 5-3-2, where 5 is the amount of carbohydrates and fiber, 3 is dairy products and 2 is protein. Don't forget to focus on calcium-rich dairy products. After all, they are responsible for bone growth and dental health.

Breakfast: any porridge of your choice (buckwheat, rice, oatmeal, barley), cooked in water or low-fat milk with fruits or vegetables.

Lunch: any protein product (meat/fish/seafood/eggs) + carbohydrates (cereals or white bread) + fiber.

Particular attention should be paid to snacks and afternoon snacks. An excellent option would be kefir or yogurt with healthy cookies or cottage cheese casserole.

A simple recipe - cottage cheese casserole for an afternoon snack

We will need: cottage cheese 2-5% 500 grams, 3 eggs, 2-3 tablespoons of sweetener (honey or sugar), 2 tablespoons of semolina. Mix all the ingredients and let the “dough” stand for 15-20 minutes. During this time, the semolina will swell, the casserole will turn out fluffy and tender.

Dinner: a little boiled chicken fillet or steamed fish, vegetable salad or baked vegetables.