No one can ever doubt the essential benefits a healthy diet can bring to our life. Knowing what to eat, how many times and when, are some things we need to learn. Balance is the key of a healthy life. This rule also applies to our diet. If we learn and study which the right amount of each type of nutritional value is, then, there is nothing else we need into our lives to be healthy and happy!
Everyone has his own variations of “a healthy diet”, but, in essence, it all comes to these 5, essential principles:
Balance your meals
Balance, balance, balance! We can’t get enough from repeating this meaningful word! The first principle everyone should keep in mind when trying to not waste his life, is the Balance principle! Balancing your meals is as essential as the diet itself. If you don’t balance the ingredients and elements you take, you should forget about the benefits of a diet including “healthy” foods. Try to always include complex carbs, lean proteins, veggies and fruits in every single meal! One of the best and simple rules you can follow when preparing your meal, is to fill at least half of your plate with veggies, ¼ with lean protein and the other ¼ should contain complex carbs such as pasta, brown rice, whole grains bread etc.
Eliminate processed foods
Yes, we know this principle seems impossible to follow, but, at least, we should all try and eliminate them as much as we can. Choosing an unprocessed version of a food type, means you will supply your body with the necessary nutrients so it can properly work, and eventually, you will eat less since the whole foods such as fruits, veggies etc. have high nutrient density that make us feel less hungry since we have already feed the system with what it needed. Wholesome foods are the ones to contain all the essential fibers, energy courses and tons of vital nutrients in their simplest, natural form, to maintain a healthy, balanced body and mind.
The principle of Alkaline and Acid
In order to maintain a healthy cardiovascular system and not only, our blood must be slightly alkaline. This means, the foods we eat play the most important part when it comes to a healthy blood. Our lifestyle and food choices must be oriented to make an impact in our body’s ability to maintain the alkaline state. The primary goal is to have a balanced diet in order to keep the alkaline and acidic state in order. If you make wrong food choices, such as for example, eating too many carbs and proteins, our blood becomes acidic and eventually, we become more susceptible to all kinds of illnesses and diseases.
The principle of 80/20
This principle includes two main concepts. The first one is about the quantity of our meal. Leaving about 20% room in our stomach in order for it to better and easier digest and process the food we eat, is a must. When overeating, we make our digestive system work too hard and put us in a big risk for many healthy-related problems.
Also, the second 80/20 rule is related to the balance of nutrients. It’s scientifically recommended to fill our plate with 80% ocean products and land vegetables and the other 20% with protein or grain.
Choose a variety of foods
The third, essential principle everyone should keep in mind, is related to food groups. We need to eat a wide variety of foods belonging to the major food groups. Doing this, will ensure that we are taking all the necessary nutrients our body needs. It’s never healthy to only stick into eating the same foods all the time which belong to one or two of all the food groups. The simple rule that best indicates this principle is trying to include as many colors as we can in our plate. Every color hides its unique elements. And our body needs all of them!
