The ancients said: You are what you eat. Modern research confirms this statement.
Alas, in this century, people are less likely to distinguish proper nutrition from diets. However, many of the latter have no relation to a healthy diet, but can also seriously harm health. A balanced menu will help bring the weight back to not only healthy but also significantly improve well-being.
People currently consume more foods high in calories, fats, free sugars, and salt/sodium, and many people don't consume enough fruits, vegetables, and other fibre, such as whole grains.
The choice of products directly affects our health. Food is the source of our cells, tissues, and organs.
Those who want to lose weight should think about switching to proper nutrition and prefer to buy quality products that have a beneficial effect on the body.
Proper, healthy nutrition is an integral part of a healthy lifestyle, the basic rules that must consume them since childhood and whole throughout life.
This problem is currently most relevant for children and youth because almost 30% of the population suffers from excess weight and obesity; half of them are not 18 years old. The most common cause of this situation is alimentary.
For adults, a healthy diet includes the following components: fruits, vegetables, legumes (e.g., lentils, beans), nuts, and whole grains (e.g., unprocessed corn, millet, oats, wheat, and brown rice). People should eat at least 400 g (i.e., five servings) of fruits and vegetables per day, except for potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava, and other starchy root crops. Free sugars should be less than 10% of the total energy consumed, which is equivalent to 50 g (or 12 teaspoons without top) per person of average weight, consuming about 2000 calories per day. Ideally, to provide additional health benefits, they should be less than 5% of the total energy consumed.
Fats should be less than 30% of the total energy consumed. You must give preference to unsaturated fats (found in fish, avocados, and nuts, as well as in sunflower, soy, rape, and olive oil) as opposed to saturated fats (found in fatty meat, butter, palm and coconut oil, cream, cheese, GI, and lard). Trans fats of all kinds, including industrial trans fats (found in baked and fried foods, pre-packaged snacks and other foods such as frozen pizzas, pies, cookies, waffles, cooking fats, and sandwich mixes), as well as trans fats of natural origin (found in meat and dairy products obtained from ruminants such as cows, sheep, goats, and camels). Doctors are recommending to reduce the intake of saturated fats to less than 10% and trans fats to less than 1% of the total energy consumed. Avoid the consumption of industrial trans fats that are not part of a healthy diet - use of less than 5 g of salt (equivalent to about one teaspoon) per day. The salt must be iodized.
For infants and young children
Optimal nutrition during the first two years of life contributes to the healthy growth of the child and improves cognitive development. It also reduces the risk of overweight and obesity and the development of NCDs later in life.
Healthy nutrition guidelines for infants and children of other age groups are similar to adult guidelines, but the following components are also important:
- exclusively breastfeed children during the first six months of life;
- breastfeeding of children can be continued during the first two years of life and later;
- from the age of six months supplement breast milk with a variety of appropriate, safe, and nutritious foods;
- don't add salt and sugar when cooking meals.
Practical recommendations for maintaining a healthy diet
Fruits and vegetables
A daily intake of fruits and vegetables reduces the risk of developing NCDs and ensures daily fiber intake.
Consumption of fruits and vegetables can be improved. To do this, you must:
- always include vegetables in the diet;
- eat fresh fruits and vegetables as snacks;
- consume seasonal fruits and vegetables; and
- consume a variety of fruits and vegetables.
Fats
Reducing total fat intake to less than 30% of total energy consumed helps prevent unhealthy weight gain in adults. Besides, the risk of developing NCDs can be reduced by:
- reducing saturated fat intake to less than 10% of total energy consumed;
- reducing trans-fat consumption to less than 1% of total energy consumed; and
- replacement of saturated fats and trans fats with unsaturated fats, in particular polyunsaturated fats.
The consumption of fats, especially saturated fats, and industrial trans fats, can be reduced in the following ways:
- steam or boil, not fry or bake;
- replace butter, pork fat and GI with vegetable oils rich in polyunsaturated fats, such as soybean, canola (rapeseed), corn, safflower, and sunflower oil;
- eat dairy products with reduced fat content and lean meat or cut visible fat from meat; and limit the consumption of baked and fried foods, as well as pre-cooked snacks and other foods (such as doughnuts, muffins, pies, cookies, and waffles) containing industrial trans fats. Salt, sodium, and potassium people consume too much sodium coming from salt (corresponding to an average consumption of 9-12 g of salt per day) and not enough potassium (less than 3.5 g).
Reducing salt intake to the recommended level, i.e., to less than 5 g per day, could help prevent 1.7 million deaths per year.
Many people not aware of how much salt they consume. In many countries, the bulk of the salt comes into the human body from processed foods (prepared meals; meat products such as bacon, ham, salami; cheese; and savoury snacks) or foods that people are consuming in large quantities (e.g., bread). Many people are adding salt to during preparation of the meal (for example, by adding broth, bouillon cubes, soy sauce, and fish sauce) or during meals.
You can reduce salt intake can be in the following ways:
- limit the amount of salt and seasonings with a high sodium content (for example, soy sauce, fish sauce, and broth) added during cooking;
- do not put salt and high sodium sauces on the table;
- limit the consumption of salty snacks, and choose foods that are low in sodium.
Be aware of some food manufacturers alter the composition of their products to reduce sodium, and read the label for sodium content before purchasing or consuming food.
Potassium can mitigate the harmful effects of excess sodium intake on blood pressure. You can increase potassium intake by consuming fresh fruits and vegetables.
Sugar
Sugar consumption among both adults and children should be less than 10% of the total energy consumed. Reducing waste to less than 5% of total energy consumed will provide additional health benefits.
The consumption of free sugars increases the risk of dental caries. Excess calories from food and drinks containing free sugars also contribute to unhealthy weight gain, which can lead to overweight and obesity. Recently, evidence has shown that free sugars are affecting blood pressure and serum lipids. Reduction in the intake of free sugars reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.
Reduce sugar intake in the following ways:
- limit your intake of foods and drinks high in sugars;
- don't eat sweet snacks, sweets, and sweetened beverages;
- don't drink carbonated and non-carbonated soft drinks, fruit and vegetable juices and drinks, liquid and powder concentrate, flavoured water, energy, and sports drinks, prepared tea, prepared coffee, and milk drinks with flavouring;
- replace sweet snacks with fresh fruits and vegetables.
Develop good habits gradually. To start the attraction, start exercising in the morning, etc. And you can achieve goals that seemed previously unattainable.
