A healthy diet is the basis of a healthy life. If you have ever applied certain healthy habits in your life for the sake of feeling better in the body, while not paying attention to what you eat, then you have certainly understood how lack of proper nutrition can make up for nothing.
But I train regularly, I sleep eight hours a day…?
In fact, no workout has any effect if you eat unhealthily after it, and regular sleep, which stands out as very important for overall health, will not give you freshness in your face and a relaxed feeling if you miss them vitamins that are ingested exclusively through a healthy diet.
We explain in this blog what is a healthy diet and how it is related to all processes in the body, as well as with the overall feeling during the day. We explain why it is an indispensable part of the puzzle we call healthy life and of course - how to finally form and complete the puzzle that will bring you great results in all fields!
The food pyramid - a healthy diet in a picturesque way
Answer to the question What is a healthy diet? it can fit into one pyramid, which gives a visual, very pictorial representation of what proper nutrition entails. The food pyramid shows the types of foods whose consumption is desirable, as well as their mutual relationship in terms of frequency and amount of consumption.
The food pyramid is also known as the nutrition pyramid because nutritionists around the world generally agree with its structure and gradation, who make a professional diet plan for patients precisely on the basis of the nutrition pyramid, as well as on the basis of individual characteristics of each individual.
What is the structure of the food pyramid?
A proper food pyramid consists of foods 4 basic groups:
carbohydrates and grains
vegetables and fruits
proteins
fat
I - Whole grains, potatoes, and pasta: complex carbohydrates
At the bottom of the pyramid, which is also its widest part, there are foods that should be consumed on a daily basis. Therefore, this is the most important part of the pyramid that encompasses rice, potatoes, wholemeal bread, and pasta.
All of these foods are an important source of carbohydrates, but it should be noted that this is about complex carbohydrates that decompose more slowly into simple sugars, which is why you stay full longer. We are talking about a very important source of energy for the human body, with very low fat and a large number of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and aromatic plant ingredients.
II - Vegetables and fruits - vitamins and minerals
Just above whole grains, as the second most extensive part of the diet, it is located fruits and vegetables. Their primary role is to provide the body with all the necessary vitamins and minerals, which is why they should make up a large part of our diet.
It is recommended to consume up to 3 servings of fresh fruit a day, alone or in some combination, for example with yogurt, to make the intake of vitamins and minerals both tastier and more fun.
It means consuming vegetables during the day, as part of a meal or independently between them. It is important to consume fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables, as well as stone fruits, such as almonds, walnuts, and hazelnuts.
III - Dairy products and meat proteins
Meat, fish, eggs, and cheese are full of protein, and they are important because they provide the building and renewal of cells in the body. In addition, these foods are rich in calcium, vitamin D, and B vitamins. We also get proteins from some foods of plant origin, and what we especially emphasize in terms of nutrition and usefulness for the organism are dairy products.
In particular, yogurt and milk are extremely rich in calcium, which is the main benefit for bone and tooth health, but also the overall quality of the diet that should contain these products, at least to a certain extent on a daily basis.
For example, the clinically tested Balance + probiotic yogurt has been proven to improve many processes in the body, which is why it is recommended to take 500g of this yogurt on a daily basis.
However, the same could not be said for meat. It is recommended not to consume more than 600 grams per week, while fish should be eaten only twice a week.
A healthy diet and a strong immune system
Proper nutrition is also the path to better immunity, and better immunity leads to better defense against viruses, bacteria, and diseases in general while giving you a stronger feeling. In that sense, food rich in proteins is desirable because it helps build all the cells in the body, and thus the immune cells.
Balance + immune yogurt especially contributes to this process, whose natural formula has a positive effect on strengthening the immune system, and the product itself is very tasty and recommended for consumption with any meal during the day.
Vitamins and minerals, which are mostly found in fruits and vegetables, also contribute to the optimal functioning of the organism. On the other hand, as much as proteins stimulate the strength of the immune system, fatty foods reduce the body's resistance to diseases, viruses, and bacteria, presenting an obstacle to the optimal functioning of the immune system.
A healthy diet and effective weight loss
A healthy diet is one of the preconditions for successful and healthy weight loss, and as we stated at the beginning, every other healthy activity will not give results if you do not take care of what you eat in parallel with them.
What brings the best weight loss results is a combination of a healthy diet and training. A healthy diet in the context of weight loss includes up to five smaller meals a day, of which breakfast should be the most extensive.
For breakfast, it is also allowed to take carbohydrates, or foods with a higher proportion of fat, and what is almost obligatory is a supplement that will positively affect the overall good feeling in the body. Imlek products have great benefits for the body, whether it is strengthening the immune system, regulating digestive problems, or a positive effect on mood and reducing stress, which they also indirectly regulate.
A healthy diet and beautiful skin
Healthy food has multiple effects, and some of them are felt on the skin. Namely, when you supply the body with a sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals, it is also reflected on the skin, which looks brighter, younger, and fresher.
Only when a balanced diet becomes a part of your life, and when you see which foods are optimal for your health, you will notice it on your face, which will look more beautiful even without cream. Only when you reach this step, then you can apply cosmetics and expect some effect.
Otherwise - if the skin lacks the necessary vitamins, no cream will restore the freshness you strive for. Therefore, proper nutrition is a prerequisite for health, as well as for the beauty of the body and skin.
Proper nutrition and water - inseparable prerequisites for health
We will start the part dedicated to the importance of water with an already known fact - almost 70% of the human body is made up of water. Water is necessary for the organism, which does not retain its excess as it does with fats, which is why it is necessary to consume a certain amount of water every day, which will compensate for all that. However, people mostly do not practice it.
By a certain amount of water that is necessary for the body, we do not mean one or two glasses a day, but an amount of 2 liters that is considered optimal and desirable on a daily basis. In order to drink this amount of water, it is necessary to create a habit that most people, unfortunately, do not have.
Therefore, it is recommended that you consume water with your meals, as well as between meals, during work breaks, training, or during lunch. The absence of water is completely justified only if you have a great alternative like Balance + yogurt, which will nicely complement your meal and at the same time have a great effect on many processes in the body and the overall mood.
A healthy diet, training, and rest
Proper nutrition, rest, and exercise are the three main allies for good health and good looks. What makes it sometimes difficult to lose weight or keep your health stable and strong is the interdependence of these three factors.
There are many people who eat properly but neglect exercise, or on the contrary, actively train and sleep regularly, but neglect their diet. In that case, the results are certainly lacking.
The ideal combination is a regular physical activity and a healthy diet, which is also the most difficult to achieve without adequate discipline.
In addition to the previously mentioned tips on a diet before and after training, it is important to note that keeping a strict diet is undesirable during intensive training. Training as a more or less strenuous physical activity requires energy, which you get exclusively by ingesting various foods in the body, and as we have stated, this includes carbohydrates.
In addition, children are strictly prescribed the amount and type of food, which is difficult to apply to all its users. There are no people with identical characteristics in terms of health status, (in) tolerance to certain foods, and in general, the need in terms of diet and meal size.
A healthy diet is not a complicated and expensive diet
One of the most common excuses for carelessness in terms of diet refers to the price of a healthy lifestyle and generally healthy foods that have acquired the label of expensive and even rare things. We would not agree with that. Healthy food is primarily nutritionally rich food that you can really find in every market, at affordable prices. If you want.
A healthy diet starts with eliminating unhealthy foods that you already have on your daily menu, and not by buying expensive and rare products. Proper nutrition requires your will, not your money!
Beware of fake healthy foods
Very often, you can find products on the shelves of supermarkets that you would conclude from the specifications to be truly healthy and useful. However, not everything is always as pointed out.
The best example is sweets, mostly chocolates whose specifications guarantee much less sugar and unhealthy ingredients compared to the classic ones, which is certainly a double-edged sword because many studies have shown that these products do not differ significantly in their composition and essence.
A healthy diet requires a certain discipline and awareness of what is and what is not good for your body, health, and appearance. The good news is that the body gets used to the new diet after a certain period, which is why a healthy life becomes a habit and a need, and not something that you have to strictly and forcibly adhere to. Adjust a healthy life to yourself and your needs, so that it is beautiful, tasty, and pleasant at all times!
Good one