Common sense is surprisingly rare in nutrition, and there is way too much nonsense going around in nutrition.
People don’t seem to agree on anything and trying to make sense of it can be overwhelming. I am not a dietician or nutritionist nor would I ever claim to be one, however… eating healthy does NOT have to be complicated if you keep a few things in mind and ask yourself, "is this something I can live with and maintain?" If it is so strict and you cannot see yourself incorporating the food or plans into your daily life, then the answer is, NO. You are asking for trouble and setting yourself up to fail - your health and nutrition is more about a way than what you weigh.
Obesity and heart disease have been eating their way into our lives as two of the biggest health problems in the world and it seems clear that diet has a lot to do that. And for some reason, the health authorities started blaming them on natural foods like red meat, eggs and butter! These natural foods have been in our diets for thousands of years, while obesity and heart health problems are relatively new. Wouldn't it make more sense to suspect all the man made packaged goods, such as all the processed foods, added sugar, refined grains and vegetable oils??
4 simple rules to lessen the confusion:
- Eat, foods that contain protein, carbohydrates, fats that are macronutrients. Our bodies require others nutrients as well, such as vitamins and minerals. However, these are needed in much smaller quantities, and thus are referred to as micronutrients. Eating macronutrients in proper balance too, for example 25% fat, 25% protein and 50% carbohydrates - ask a dietician what is the best carb, fat protein breakdown for you. Being in a nutritional balance means that you consume just the right amount of calories, macronutrients and micronutrients from your diet. Maintaining a stable healthy weight, having low blood cholesterol and healthy blood-pressure levels are just a few signs of being nutritionally balanced.
- Get foods from different categories: meats, fish, poultry and legumes, dairy, whole grains, fruits & vegetables, healthy fats/oils - olive oil, coconuts, avocados, nuts and nut butters. Each food type has a recommended amount that you require daily and try to balance these foods.
- Foods contain a certain amount of calories and based on your BMI - BMI is a person's weight in kilograms (kg) divided by his or her height in meters squared - you can determine whether you are underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese. Calories in, must equal calories burned or you will gain or lose weight. Simply put the calories needed to maintain your weight are equal to the BMR value.
- underweight (BMI less than 18.5)
- normal weight (BMIs 18.5 to 24.9)
- overweight (BMIs 25 to 29.9)
- obese (BMI 30 and over).
- Eat food in correct portion sizes, what you eat vs. what you should be eating. If you do not recognize correct portions anymore, you need to figure out a way to recognize them and make sure your portions are not distorted.
Eating food need not be confusing and should bring us joy! Figuring out how much you need to eat, making wise food choices - from natural food sources and staying physically active are simple ways to avoid the nonsense maintaining a healthy weight.
#nutritionthursday #eatwise #cleanfood
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