
Today there are hundreds of types of diet that have as their ultimate goal to reduce the weight of the person who decides to follow it. Within them, there are many that are really harmful and harmful to the body, while there are others that seek the balanced intake of all kinds of nutrients and are really healthy for the body. A balanced diet will help you boost your health and maintain a healthy weight. We tell you what exactly it consists of and what are the foods that compose it.
The balanced or balanced diet: what does it consist of?
When talking about a balanced diet, reference is made to a type of diet that contains the nutrients that the body needs to be able to function perfectly. These essential nutrients are proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, fiber and water.
It is very important to follow a totally healthy type of balanced diet as it will help you prevent diseases such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes and osteoporosis among others. As long as you keep an eye on the quality of the nutrients.
In addition to this, a balanced diet allows the person who follows it to have a better quality of life with all that that entails. On the other hand, any balanced or balanced diet must follow four basic premises:
+Healthy and equitable: Your diet should include foods that are healthy and nourish you. In this way, you will provide the body with the specific nutrients it needs to function properly.
+Frequency: frequent and regular intake of healthy foods is essential to maintain a hormonal and energy balance.
+Moderation: the frequency of meals is important because in the small intestine we have cleaning mechanisms that are usually activated every 3 or 4 hours, so if we continuously consume food they stop activating and gastrointestinal disorders may appear, such as abdominal bloating among others. Therefore, consume food spaced out in time.
+Hydration: you will have heard a thousand times to talk to specialists about the importance of drinking two liters of water a day. It is true that hydration is very important, because all the chemical reactions that regulate our metabolism occur in an aqueous medium, but this is very variable. There are external factors (temperature, humidity, physical exercise, sweating …) that can modify the amount of water. Therefore, drink water when you are thirsty.
What foods should be included in a balanced diet
In a balanced diet, the quality of those healthy foods that provide us with the necessary nutrients for the body must prevail, always respecting values, culture and religion. Here are the recommendations of nutrition experts:
+Consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables: uA fundamental characteristic of the balanced diet is the consumption of vegetables with a daily intake since they are foods with a large dose of vitamins and minerals, F ibra and phytochemicals with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory character.
+Proteins: proteins, as we have said before, are essential and we can provide them in our diet through legumes, nuts, fish, seafood, egg, meat and some vegetables in smaller quantities. The contribution of amino acids (proteins) that they generate is essential both for the protection of our tissues and for the functioning of our metabolism.
+Fats: weshould choose to consume healthy fat such as monounsaturated (extra virgin olive oil, avocado, almonds and hazelnuts …) and polyunsaturated omega 3 (oily fish and walnuts).
+Whole grains (carbohydrates): rice, pasta and wholemeal bread, quinoa, oats, rye… and little processed. When we talk about integral we are providing fiber, vitamins and minerals. This group also provides us with energy and we must consume in relation to our daily activity.
What foods should NOT be included in a balanced diet
There are certain types of foods that are discouraged in a balanced diet. Which? Well, mainly those that do not enhance our health. That is: sugar or products rich in sugar such as sugary soft drinks and industrial juices, pastries and pastries. These products work by causing large rises in blood sugar which stimulate the hormone known as insulin. What this hormone does is introduce sugar into the muscles.
A priori this could be positive, however, when the rise in sugar is very abrupt and in large quantities, insulin can also cause the introduction of that energy into another type of cells called adipocytes which are linked to the increase of fat tissue. In addition, refined oils and red and processed meat (sausages) would not be considered in a balanced or healthy diet.
Tricks to boost your health and complement your balanced diet
+Energy balance
The great secret to maintaining a healthy weight and following a balanced diet lies in creating a balanced energy balance. How is this achieved? Very simple: consciously consuming enough energy, that is, not overeating.
These calories should come from real (unprocessed) foods with high nutritional quality. Of course, it is also important to emphasize that, if we subject our body to an exaggerated calorie restriction, the body can end up having negative effects. One of them is known as the “rebound effect”: the body recognizes the lack of energy and reacts by accumulating the little it obtains in the form of fat.
+Physical exercise
Another of the fundamental factors that complement the balanced diet, stimulate caloric expenditure and optimize the absorption of nutrients is the performance of physical exercise.
+Sleep well
In this case, quality matters more than quantity. It is useless to sleep ten hours if you have been staying awake continuously throughout the night. The quality of sleep decisively influences our health and, of course, our weight. Sleeping properly makes the hormonal system work properly avoiding situations of metabolic stress.
+Snacking between meals, yes or no?
Normally, the fact of “snacking between meals” is associated as something negative. Nothing could be further from the truth. Snacking is not appropriate, it is that it is a smart tactic for people who need more energy, which cannot cover in three meals as athletes, or who want to avoid arriving hungry to those meals.
The real problem is created when that snacking includes undesirable foods and becomes something improvised and very unhealthy. The balanced diet is characterized by a planning of the main meals of the day, so, just as we organize what we are going to have for breakfast, lunch or dinner, we must also program those products that we are going to consume between meals. A healthy snack can include, for example: fruit, nuts, dairy, small snacks or whole-grain bread sandwiches.
+How many meals a day to maintain a balanced diet?
In general, to follow a balanced diet it has always been recommended to make five meals a day, although what really defines the number of daily meals that should be made are personal characteristics, schedules, daily activity, pathologies, etc.
Below we propose a weekly menu ideal for a balanced and balanced diet. You can adapt according to your life. Notes:
Example of weekly menu for a balanced diet
You should keep in mind that this diet is indicative. Before starting to perform it, it is recommended to consult with a specialist. In addition, the products will also depend on the season of the year, the food season, etc.
MONDAY
+Breakfast: A toast of whole wheat bread with oil and tomato. A banana smoothie.
+Mid-morning: One apple.
+Food: Salad of canons, walnuts, goat cheese and lemon vinaigrette. Baked sea bream with potato cubes and sweet potato.
+Mid-afternoon: Natural yogurt with dark chocolate 85% cocoa.
+Dinner: Sautéed broccoli, onion and carrot with grilled chicken. A tangerine.
TUESDAY
+Breakfast: A toast of whole wheat bread with oil and tomato. An apple.
+Mid-morning: A natural yogurt with nuts.
+Food: Macaroni with zucchini. An orange.
+Mid-afternoon: Tea and homemade oatmeal biscuits.
+Dinner: Baked salmon with potatoes and vegetables. Natural pineapple.
WEDNESDAY
+Breakfast: Coffee with milk. A cereal bread toast with a slice of banana and cinnamon.
+Mid-morning: Mini sandwich of fresh cheese with vegetables.
+Food: Bean salad with corn, tomato and prawns. A pear.
+Mid-afternoon: Tea and a handful of nuts.
+Dinner: Mushrooms with brown rice garnish. Fried eggs with parsley. A natural yogurt.
THURSDAY
+Breakfast: Bowl of milk with muesli and raspberries.
+Mid-morning: Homemade cereal bar.
+Food: Gazpacho with stumbles and croutons of whole wheat bread. Grilled mackerel. A slice of watermelon.
+Mid-afternoon: Whole grain fish+ nuts.
+Dinner: Vegetable stew. Textured soy meatballs. An apple.
FRIDAY
+Breakfast: Leche or vegetable drink with cocoa. Homemade oatmeal cookies.
+Mid-morning: Yogurt and a tangerine.
+Food: Chickpeas with spinach and crumbled cod. Bowl of strawberries.
+Mid-afternoon: Nuts.
+Dinner: Toast with escalivada. Two-egg omelette with wild asparagus. Natural pineapple.
If you want a variation of this menu, then we propose another equally rich in essential nutrients and perfectly balanced. You can combine both:
In the diet you will see that there are many concepts that you may not know. EVOO is extra virgin olive oil, while bread is recommended whole meal or whole grain bread. In a vegetarian or vegan diet, replace animal protein with vegetable protein: legumes and derivatives (tofu, tempeh, textured soy …) In this case, milk can be substituted for vegetable drink.
With this type of balanced diet you will boost your health, but always remember to seek help from a professional. What do you think of this diet? We read you in the comments!