10 rules for proper nutrition
Having a "correct diet is essential for our well-being, both physical and psychological. It is not just about keeping fit and losing weight quickly, but also about helping our body to prevent disease and strengthen itself: a" correct diet is the first health tool.
Let's find out together what are the 10 fundamental rules for a "correct diet, which must always be varied, healthy, balanced and well calibrated to the needs of our body."
1. Keep your calories in check
For a correct diet it is essential to take on a number of calories adequate to our daily needs, in relation to both our body weight and our age and lifestyle. Eating more calories than you need will result in inevitable weight gain. The "balance in a" correct diet is fundamental: diets that are too drastic, as well as a life that is too sedentary, must therefore be avoided.
Contact a nutritionist to calculate your ideal weight correctly and as accurately as possible, then remember to keep your weight under control, weighing yourself at least once a month and taking into account that 5% fluctuations are completely normal. Also always remember to carry out constant physical activity. If you don't have time to join the gym, try some simple home exercises like these that we recommend:
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2. In a "correct diet, there is never a shortage of fruit and vegetables!"
A "healthy and correct diet involves an abundant consumption of fruit and vegetables. These foods are rich in antioxidants, vitamins and phytonutrients, all essential substances for cell renewal. They also contain few calories and many fibers, ensuring good digestion and a high effect. satiating that will then avoid making you go wrong with unhealthy snacks.
Furthermore, fruits and vegetables with their nutrients play an "important preventive function for many diseases, from cancer to cardiovascular diseases. They are therefore highly recommended for both your diet and your health.
3. Reduce the salt
A correct diet foresees a decrease in the quantity of salt in our dishes. Salt should be used in moderation and, if it is not really necessary, it would be better not to add it at all, since that contained in food is already sufficient for our needs.
Try replacing the salt with spices such as pepper, curry or turmeric, or with aromatic herbs or fresh lemon juice. In this way you will be able to give flavor to your dishes avoiding the contraindications of salt ranging from water retention to problems of arterial hypertension, up to a malfunction of the gastrointestinal system.
4. Golden rule for a correct diet: drink lots of water!
We will never tire of repeating it: the basis of a "correct diet" is correct hydration. Drinking plenty of water is essential to help digestion, absorption and transport of the nutrients contained in the foods we ingest. It also serves to detoxify and purify us, helping in the elimination of waste.
Remember to always keep a small bottle of water on hand to sip during the day, little but often, up to about 2 liters per day. If you exercise, you may also need a higher quantity of water. to be reinstated for losses due to sweating.
5. Never skip meals
Having regular meals is very important for eating properly. You should have at least 3 regular meals throughout the day, although it would be better to add two snacks.
Always remember the importance of breakfast: it is the moment in which our body has a greater need to stock up on calories to face the rest of the day with energy. This meal should provide us with about 20% of the daily caloric requirement. A snack in the middle of the morning, then, he will have to provide us with 5% of the needs: bet on a fruit!
Lunch should then provide around 40% of the total calories, while dinner should provide around 30%. A mid-afternoon snack, perhaps accompanied by a good tea or an infusion, will guarantee the remaining 5%.
6. The foods to avoid in a "healthy and correct" diet
To eat properly, we should avoid excessive consumption of certain foods, first of all those rich in preservatives. Preferring fresh food is essential: therefore stop canned foods, which contain potentially toxic substances for our body.
Enough even those foods that contain too much refined sugar, full of calories and harmful to both the cardiovascular system and the liver. Attention: among the foods rich in sucrose there are also carbonated drinks, also full of dyes and sweeteners ... absolutely to be avoided! Stop also fried foods and excessive consumption of red meat: always prefer lean meat, it will help you prevent strokes and heart attacks.
7. Consume the right amount of protein
In a "correct diet, the right amount of protein must never be lacking: our body needs it for its own sustenance, to transport substances into the blood and strengthen the immune system. Consuming an insufficient or excessive amount of it can cause kidney problems and to the liver.
The proteins to be favored are those contained in fish, which is also rich in omega 3, and in legumes, which also guarantee a supply of fiber which is essential for the body. Instead, the proteins that come from meat, especially red meat, which has cholesterol, must be reduced. and saturated fat.
8. Moderate your consumption of condiments
Seasonings should never be excessive on our plates. Fatty oils should be completely abolished, while those of vegetable origin should be favored, first of all the extra-virgin olive oil, consumed raw on our dishes.
Also try to prefer not overcooking, limiting frying to the bare minimum and choosing steam and non-stick pans.
9. Avoid "empty calories"
There are some foods that should be completely avoided for "proper nutrition and a healthy diet, and they are those rich in the so-called" empty calories ", ie calories that do not provide any nutritional elements. Examples are all those foods produced with refined flour. and sugars in abundance, such as sweets of various kinds, snacks, jellies, white bread, polished rice, alcohol and sugary drinks.
All those foods particularly rich in animal fats and margarine must also be added. All these foods lack fiber, vitamins, minerals and essential amino acids, all those substances that our body actually needs.
10. Remember to chew slowly
For proper nutrition, not only what we eat is important, but also how. Chewing is essential to facilitate the digestion of food and the absorption of nutrients by our body. Chewing slowly helps to reduce the sense of hunger, to improve our digestion thanks to the action of saliva, relieving the work of the stomach.
A slow chewing would also help to reduce stress and limit anxiety: it is the so-called "slow food" culture. Poor chewing can lead to poor absorption of food with the consequence of negatively affecting our entire body, including the nervous system. And if you have sensitive teeth that can create problems while chewing, here are the foods to avoid:
