Detailed instructions on how to switch to proper nutrition easily and simply

3366

Excess weight is a problem that almost every person faces in the era of physical inactivity and the Internet. Of course, there are many ways and techniques for weight loss, but not all of them can have a long-lasting effect.

Excess weight is a problem that almost every person faces in the era of physical inactivity and the Internet. Of course, there are many ways and techniques for weight loss, but not all of them can have a long-lasting effect. Most often, after some kind of diet or taking diet pills, a person, returning to the normal rhythm of life, regains the previous kilograms. At the same time, weight gain occurs quickly and for some reason the hated fat becomes much larger. This is all due to an unbalanced diet and typical mistakes that people make when deciding to lose weight at any cost.

How to switch to a healthy diet?

Each of us longs for change for the better, but does not know where to start. When switching to proper nutrition, it is important not to rush. You need to change your diet gradually, and it is advisable to consult a nutritionist.

Where to start:

• Make a list of healthy foods.
• Find as many recipes as you can or create your own.
• Think about your diet during the day.
• Keep a diary and write down all your achievements there.

Second courses

Many people often limit the variety of second courses. For example, side dishes in many families are very monotonous: potatoes, pasta, several cereals. And, unfortunately, these are not the healthiest side dishes. But there are so many different cereals and vegetables! To support my words, I will give examples of useful products for side dishes:

• Among the fairly well-known and popular cereals in our country are buckwheat, oatmeal, barley, brown rice;
• try to make a side dish more often with grains that are still rare among us: quinoa, kaniva, spelled, kamut, amaranth, sorghum;
• don't forget the legumes. These are not only beans and lentils, but also mung beans and chickpeas;
• Instead of potatoes, it is better to use sweet potatoes, they are healthier;
• The choice of vegetables for side dishes is very large, use any - from the familiar cabbage to its rarer types: cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and so on. Don't forget about zucchini, eggplant, and green beans.

The choice of protein products is also quite large. It's not just meat products and it's not just chicken or turkey. There is also a variety of fish and seafood, tofu and cheeses.

Stewed seafood

Photo: Shutterstock.com

For 2 servings:

• Seafood (scallops, shrimp or squid) 500 g
• Olive oil for stewing
• Capers 5-6 pcs.
• Mustard 1/2 tsp.
• Orange zest 1 pc.
• Curry to taste
• Black pepper to taste
• Provençal herbs to taste
• Soy sauce to taste
• Balsamic vinegar to taste

How to cook:

1. Simmer seafood in olive oil without adding water under the lid.

2. Before cooking, you need to add capers, mustard and orange zest, curry, pepper and Provençal herbs.

3. Once cooked, drizzle everything with balsamic vinegar and soy sauce.

Turkey

Photo: Shutterstock.com

For 2 servings:

• Turkey breast 1 pc.
• Curry to taste
• Black pepper to taste
• Provençal herbs to taste
• Soy sauce to taste
• Balsamic vinegar to taste
• Sesame seeds to taste
• Parsley, dill to taste

How to cook:

1. Boil turkey breast for 30 minutes.

2. Sprinkle the cooked turkey with curry, herbes de Provence, black pepper, sesame seeds, parsley and dill. Drizzle with soy sauce and balsamic vinegar and you're ready to eat.

Fish with capers and curry

Photo: Shutterstock.com

For 2 servings:

• Halibut 1 pc.
• Olive oil
• Capers 5-6 pcs.
• Mustard 1/2 tsp.
• Orange zest 1 pc.
• Curry to taste
• Black pepper to taste
• Provençal herbs to taste
• Soy sauce to taste
• Balsamic vinegar to taste

How to cook:

1. Halibut, adding olive oil, simmer until tender under the lid without water, adding capers, mustard, orange zest, curry, black pepper and Provençal herbs.

2. Then sprinkle with soy sauce and balsamic vinegar.

Salad

Salads are a must for lunch or dinner. And not just because they are delicious. Salads allow us to consume more vegetables, which is very healthy. In their composition we get not only vitamins, but also a lot of useful biologically active substances and nutrients. In addition, salads allow us to use healthy olive oil and other vegetable oils and seeds with important omega-3 fatty acids. And these oils, in turn, allow many of the bioactive components of vegetables to be better absorbed, since they are fat-soluble.

Fresh cabbage salad

Photo: Shutterstock.com

For 3 servings:

• White cabbage 1/4 pcs.
• Bell pepper 1/4 pcs.
• Onion 1/4 pcs.
• Carrots 1/2 pcs.
• Soy sauce to taste
• Balsamic vinegar to taste
• Provençal herbs to taste
• Curry to taste
• Black pepper to taste
• Olive oil to taste
• Sesame seeds 1-2 tsp.

How to cook:

1. Finely chop fresh white cabbage.

2. Cut bell peppers, onions and carrots into strips.

3. Season everything with Provencal herbs, curry, black pepper, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, sprinkle with sesame seeds.

4. Finally, drizzle olive oil over the salad.

Vegetable salad

Photo: Shutterstock.com

For 3 servings:

• Small tomato 1 pc.
• Fresh cucumber 1 pc.
• Bell pepper 1 pc.
• Chili pepper to taste
• Celery to taste
• Leeks to taste
• Parsley to taste
• Dill to taste
• Soy sauce to taste
• Balsamic vinegar to taste
• Olives 7 pcs.
• Grated ginger to taste
• Black cumin urbech to taste
• Spirulina powder on the tip of a knife
• Milk thistle meal 1 tsp.
• Rye bran 1-2 tbsp. l.
• Chia seeds 1 tsp.
• Flax seeds 1 tsp.
• Sesame seeds 1 tsp.
• Provençal herbs to taste
• Curry to taste
• Black pepper to taste
• Truffle oil for aroma
• Olive oil to taste

How to cook:

1. Cut all ingredients and mix.

Cheat meal diet: how does it work?

FOR PROS

Cheat meal - English cheat meal, translated means “cheat with food.” This trick was invented by bodybuilders, for whom every calorie, every gram of fat counts. Athletes regularly follow a low-carbohydrate diet, where energy is drawn first from glycogen, and then from fat and protein. This is not the most physiological way, and after a few weeks of such a diet, the process stalls - the metabolism slows down, fatigue accumulates, and it becomes difficult to train and think. And then “carbohydrate loading” comes into play - that same cheat meal, which is designed to spur metabolism and add strength. This is a planned loading of carbohydrates - primarily complex ones, but if you really want to, you can also eat a cake and candy. Then the athletes continue to “dry” with renewed vigor. The key word here is planned. The verified strategy is followed to the smallest detail.

EXPERT COMMENT

Elena Tikhomirova, nutritionist:

If you want to harm a person, tell him: you will never, never eat cakes and sweets! Sooner or later his soul will become sad and he will have a breakdown. A cheat meal is needed not to speed up metabolism (there are no scientific studies that prove this), but to “unload your head.” When you are on a diet, it is important to know that at a certain point you can eat what you like, and not what you need. I would like to note that only professional athletes know how to properly “load.” For ordinary people, a cheat meal means small indulgences on a certain day. Let's say on your day off you eat not an omelet for breakfast, but a sweet casserole or pie. For lunch – not chicken breast, but khinkali or a piece of pizza. Of course, it is important not to overdo it with fats and carbohydrates. I even recommend to my clients to arrange a fasting day after a “day off”. It quickly becomes a habit. In this mode and without breakdowns, people can live for quite a long time, even their entire lives.

FOR PEOPLE

From the pro crowd, the idea of ​​cheat meals leaked into the general public. Those who have tried to lose weight on low-calorie or low-carb diets know that at some point the weight stops falling and a plateau occurs. In addition, the stricter the restrictions, the higher the risk of psychological breakdown. We will not discuss now why strict diets are needed at all. Let’s take it for granted that for many this is a way, albeit not a very humane one, to keep themselves in good shape. And they need a legitimate “day off” that will prevent them from breaking down and keep them motivated.

The idea, by the way, fits into the 90/10 fitness concept, popular in the West. It assumes that 90% of the time you strictly adhere to your diet and training plan, and the remaining 10% of the time you allow yourself to slightly violate this plan.

UPLOAD RULES

A cheat meal for ordinary people, of course, is different from a carbohydrate load for bodybuilders. If athletes clearly calculate everything and strictly tie it to the training plan, then those losing weight simply allow themselves to eat “as before” once a week. But even for such a simplified version of a cheat meal, there are rules that are important to follow so that it does not turn into banal gluttony:

• Don't call it chi , it sends the wrong message and makes you feel guilty after the fact. Treat it positively and consider it a legitimate day off.
• Plan your cheat meal in advance . Decide what exactly you will allow yourself this weekend. A slice of pizza? Sausage sandwiches? A plate of fried potatoes or an impressive piece of cake? Buy the products you need in advance and look forward to it.
• On your rest day, eat as usual . Just add to your usual healthy diet the product or dish that you most want. It is advisable not to have a cheat meal at night - let it be in the morning or afternoon.
• The optimal time for a cheat meal is after a workout . If you have wasted your glycogen reserves during fitness, then the carbohydrates that you receive with a cheat meal will be used to restore its reserves and will not be deposited in the fat depot.
• Don't eat at the movies, in front of your laptop or TV . Firstly, there is a chance that you will eat too much, and secondly, you will not be able to fully concentrate on food and enjoy the taste sensations. Is this what you've been waiting for so long? Try to eat slowly and mindfully.
• Combining a cheat meal and a party is a good idea . Many people who are losing weight refuse to hang out with friends in a cafe or bar because they are afraid of losing their mind. Try to combine a “rest from the diet” with going out, it will only benefit you.
• Be careful with alcohol . When going out to a bar with friends, you can drink a couple of cocktails as a cheat meal. However, after them it is difficult to keep yourself within limits, and by the end of the evening you may find that you have swept away all the snacks intended for the whole company.

EXPERT COMMENT

Armine Araratyan, psychologist, specialist in eating behavior:

A cheat meal helps to let off steam, coupled with a diet - this is a carrot and stick policy. This is a really useful tool, but it is only suitable for trained people who have been “in the know” for a long time and know how to control themselves. And if a person is just starting to work on himself, and still perceives food as a reward, punishment or cure for boredom, a cheat meal will most likely lead to another breakdown. He simply cannot realize the moment when he needs to stop. This is especially true for those who are prone to compulsive, that is, emotional overeating. First you need to learn to plan and control portions, distinguish hunger from appetite. And if a person then decides to go on a diet on the advice of a trainer or nutritionist, he will be able to stick to the plan. It is also very important to learn to eat consciously, slowly, enjoying the nuances of taste. Then you can enjoy the cheat meal to the fullest - and not feel guilty later.

Author: Elena LUGOVTSOVA Published: July 4, 2017 Health magazine No. 5 2021 Magazine title: “Deceive yourself if you can”

Diet for a week

Diet tips for 7-10 days are deservedly popular among followers of healthy eating. They contain approximate options for main meals and snacks. Options for dishes on the menu can be combined with each other, the only rule is: to provide the body with all the necessary substances, the replacements must be equivalent: for example, fish instead of meat, kefir instead of cottage cheese, broccoli - an analogue of other low-carbohydrate vegetables.

The table below shows examples of dishes for every day.

The table does not indicate drinks for each meal; nutritionists advise choosing them based on personal preferences. Sugar in tea or coffee is allowed only during breakfast in the amount of 1 teaspoon. It is not recommended to add milk to these drinks.

Proper nutrition is a way to maintain beauty and well-being. The correct transition and a reasonable attitude towards certain restrictions on the menu will help you avoid breakdowns and maintain your health.