Statistics show that more than one-third of people in the US are obese. This is mainly because many people are unaware of what is involved in a balanced diet. A lot of people are trying to lose weight and are, unfortunately, being unsuccessful. Mainly because of mistakes that they don’t even know they are making. We have put together a list of tips for a healthy, balanced diet that we hope will help you to not make these mistakes in the future.
Fruit and Vegetables
Fruit and vegetables may seem like an obvious thing to include in a balanced diet, but it’s not always as simple as you may think. For example, vegetables like cabbage, peas, onions and sweetcorn can all hinder your weight loss. Potatoes are another vegetable that can actually lead to you putting on weight, mainly because of their high starch content. So if you’ve been adding these to your diet and it’s not been working for you, they may well be the culprit. It’s always worth doing some research into which vegetables will help you lose weight. Try swapping those vegetables for ones like broccoli, cherry tomatoes, cauliflower and celery. This will help to aid weight loss much more.
Carbohydrates
Knowing the facts about carbohydrates is one of the best tips for a healthy, balanced diet. People these days are under the impression that carbohydrates are bad for you. But carbohydrates are the bodies main source of energy and trying to get by without them would be very difficult. So you need to know the true facts, which is that yes, some carbohydrates are bad for you, especially the ones which contain high amounts of sugar. However, there are plenty of carbohydrates that will not make you put on weight and are actually good for your body. Try including things like barley, whole wheat bread, black beans, oatmeal and wheat bran to your diet. These foods will not only help you in losing weight but also provide you with much-needed energy for the day.
Protein
Protein is an invaluable asset in any healthy, balanced diet. It provides your body with the basic fuel to make hormones, enzymes and other important bodily chemicals. It’s what your body uses to repair tissue. This is what makes it so good after exercise, as it rebuilds your muscle cells. It’s definitely not something to be overlooked when you’re making your diet plan. The great thing about it is that it is available in so many forms. You can get it from any type of meat. Fish especially is a brilliant source of protein. Also, there is some great protein shakes out there these days. Protein shakes a good because it allows you to get protein into your body straight after exercise. This is the best time to have it to maximize results. We have an article recommending some great protein supplements here.
Mix it up
One of the best tips for a healthy, balanced diet is to mix it up. When you are dieting having too much of the same thing is never good. You will get bored of what you’re eating and won’t enjoy losing weight. So mix it up, there are so many healthy choices out there that you don’t have to limit yourself to just a handful of meals. Try to be creative, look up ideas on meal plans and mix and match what you like about them. This will help to not only keep you interested in what you’re doing but it also gives your body a great variety of healthy, nutritional foods. The more nutrients you pack into your body the better you will feel.
Calcium
Calcium is crucial to maintaining strong bones. Calcium comes in many forms but most notably in milk. Having a glass of milk or mixing it with your cereal is a great way to get calcium into your body. Although you don’t need too much, too much calcium will cause you to gain weight, Which is obviously the opposite of what you want to achieve. Ideally, you should be looking to have a minimum of 1000mg every day. Calcium also prevents illnesses like colon cancer and kidney stones and helps to maintain healthy blood pressure. As well as that, it also helps in the transportation of nutrients around the body. So calcium is definitely an important part of a balanced diet.
Sugar
In recent years we have heard a lot about the problems caused by sugar. The problem is that many people are still having too much. This is either down to people still not looking, or misguiding product labels. If you take a 330ml can Coca-Cola, the label will tell you it has 10.6g of sugar per 100mls. This is what many people will look at and think that’s fine, whereas the whole can of 330mls actually has 35g of sugar. It sounds like a simple thing but the production company rely on you not spotting this to keep you buying their product. When you consider that you shouldn’t have more than 36g of sugar in a day, having 35g from one can of Coca-Cola is quite worrying. Try to make sure you always know how much sugar is in everything you eat.
Salt
Many people like to add salt to their food. This is a problem because generally, you should get enough salt from the food by itself without having to add to it. Salt can cause you to have high blood pressure. This is because excessive amounts of sodium cause the body to retain fluid. This can lead to severe problems such as having a stroke, kidney disease and heart failure. To maintain a healthy, balanced diet its best not to add too much salt if any at all.
Those are our top tips for a healthy, balanced diet. I hope you found the information useful.
