A healthy diet is beneficial in many ways. In addition to controlling a person’s weight, healthy diets protect against serious disease. They can also help people emotionally, as some foods are known to boost the body’s serotonin level. However, even in the midst of these benefits, many people fail at healthy eating because their regime is too boring or strict. To avoid this problem, you should form a diet plan based on two factors: your own personal health and the types of foods that you like to consume.
To form a diet based on your personal health, first you need to figure out how many calories you need each day. People of normal weight usually need around 2,000 calories, though there might be fluctuation depending on physical activity, height and age. In addition, people who are overweight usually need to consume fewer calories to jump start weight loss. In either case, there are a plethora of online calorie calculators you can use to get a specific figure.
Now you need to think about any physical conditions you might have. This is important, as there is no universal approach to eating healthy. Diabetics will need a diet plan that is different from those with cardiac problems. The same is also true when it comes to women who are pregnant or nursing.
The next step involves choosing a food pyramid and consulting with your doctor, (if necessary). If you are accustomed to the Western diet, the American food pyramid is the best choice. There are also food pyramids that recognize Asian, Latino, Mediterranean and vegetarian diets. Try to avoid fast diets as they tend to be unhealthy for the body. Just make sure that regardless of what you choose it meets your doctor’s recommendations.
Once you have decided which pyramid you are going to follow, you need to think about how you will manage cravings for “bad” foods. Sometimes this can be minimized with a healthy recommendation from a food pyramid. For example, instead of grabbing a cupcake for a desert, force yourself to eat your favorite fruit. Since it is something you like anyway, you will not feel like you are missing out.
You could also eat low-fat/low-calorie versions of your favorite sweets. True, you do not want to overdo things, as sweets are not a major component of a healthy diet plan. However, sometimes indulging on a healthier substitute can prevent a binge later on. The main key would be to limit yourself to one or two servings.
If this is not possible with a particular brand of sweets, stick to those that distribute food in a 100-calorie pack. Nabisco is one example. In their 100-calorie pack, you get dozens of small cookies to snack on. Psychologically, this may be more fulfilling than eating one large cookie.
Meat is another area of difficulty when you are eating healthy. People accustomed to the Western diet often develop a taste for large portions of fatty beef. Minimize this craving by eating more stir-fry meals, as their flavor comes more from the sauce than the meat. You should also try to put more emphasis on chicken and fish, as they are healthier sources of protein and are good examples of high protein foods.
Finally, you need to rethink the importance of carbohydrates. Thanks to Atkins, many people believe that carbs are bad. However, to form a healthy diet plan, you must consume a decent number of them. The key is to focus on good carbohydrates, like fruit and whole-grains. Sweets and carbs made from white flour are what you need to restrict.
No matter what diet plan you choose, keep in mind the side effects of fast weight loss and why it is often better to lose weight more gradually.
In conclusion, forming a healthy diet does not have to be an intimidating process. While nutrition is an important element of a healthy diet plan, you cannot abandon delectability. This is why you must think about both factors when forming your diet. By doing so, you will maintain success over the long haul.
No comments:
Post a Comment