What is a balanced diet?
We hear mention of it all the time - a balanced diet is incredibly important in sustaining a healthy weight and for your overall health and well-being. All the same, not everybody understands what precisely a balanced diet means and how it is achieved.
Truth be told, it means different things to different people - not least because every person is distinct. Eg, vegetarians, vegans and those suffering from food allergies, sensitivities or intolerances will all have diverse nutritionary requirements. That said, the overarching meaning of a balanced diet is primarily one that consists of an appropriate amount of food from the numerous food groups, accompanied by lots of pure water. Moderation and variety are fundamental!
Unfortunately, in this modern age (with ever-increasing time and financial constraints), more and more people are relying on “fast foods” / “junk foods”, ready-meals, frozen foods and highly refined and processed foods.
Although without a doubt time-savers, these kinds of food products tend to be extremely high in refined carbohydrates, sugar, salt, unhealthy fats and nasty chemicals (such as food additives and preservatives). Not only do they fail to provide our bodies with the nourishing substances that they require, they actually trigger toxin build-up, which often can (for example) potentially end up in digestive problems, weak immune system, weight gain and all of the problems associated with it (like increased likelihood of health conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension etc).
One other frequent error is that people will habitually skip meals in an effort to shed weight - that is certainly counter-productive. Not only is this solution unsafe (and has the potential to harm your bodily organs), it could actually stop weight loss and even give rise to weight gain! Even though this sounds illogical, after you think about it, it makes sense.
How cutting out meals can bring about weight gain
It is important to encourage your metabolism with the ideal foods at particular of the day. Cutting out meals (in particular breakfast) can lead to weight gain in various ways.
- Whenever you don’t eat for a protracted length of time, your body can go into “starvation mode” and your metabolism then slows down to preserve energy. In other words your body will compensate for the insufficient calories by using less calories than it normally would. When your body adopts starvation mode, it doesn’t call upon its fat supplies for energy, causing it to be near impossible to shed weight.
- It tends to result in severe hunger later in the day, which might then lead to cravings, binging and weight gain.
- It gives you an irregular distribution of calories during the course of the day.
- It means you will be depriving your system of the energy it needs to effectively function, exercise, burn calories etc.
- It brings about low blood sugar levels and delays insulin response, which can lead to diabetes.
- It’s a short lived measure and won’t eliminate your long-term weight problems.
Not eating meals is therefore clearly not the answer to healthy weight loss. The most efficient means of dropping pounds and keeping off is using an informed weight management plan, i.e. making improved eating choices, training, drinking pure water and keeping your metabolism active. Metabolism plays a major role in how fast you burn off fat and shed weight; subsequently, it really shouldn’t be overlooked as part of your plan of action for weight management.
Precisely why is a balanced diet valuable?
It is important to recognise, exercising on it’s own will not make you healthy. As the saying goes, “you are what you eat”. A balanced diet is important as it gives you access to the broad spectrum of vitamins, minerals, salts and other nutrients needed by your body. Consequently, a balanced diet is commonly believed to be one of many critical factors in securing a healthier and longer life and, in particular, maintaining a healthy weight.
Learning to keep up a balanced diet is important for long-term weight management and health. Health professionals can help with this, if necessary. Or alternatively, get going with a good quality free meal plan, which can give you some direction during the early periods of your lifestyle change. Eating fresh, whole fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy foods, lean meats, seafood, whole grains and nuts is an effective starting point. This will help to make sure that your body obtains the micronutrients it needs and desires.
Why may you want to take health supplements?
As somebody aiming to manage your weight, you might choose to take health supplements for numerous reasons. For example:
1. As a result of depleted soil, long-distance importation, lengthy shelf-life, pasteurisation, cooking methods (such as microwaving) and chemical compounds in our food, it’s often short on nutrients, notably digestive enzymes. For example, the level of vitamin C in vegetables can reduce by half within 5 minutes of being cut and by up to seventy per cent after just 20 minutes. Likewise, heating food destroys approximately half of the protein content and a staggering 60% of vitamins and renders about 60% of the minerals non-absorbable. Superfood powders or multivitamins, for instance, can help you top-up on nutrients easily and conveniently, every day.
2.Reduced food choice can often make it more challenging to ensure you are receiving the full range of nutrients that your body needs. Lots of slimmers therefore elect to supplement their diets with nutrients-fortified meal replacement powders and protein powders. A good meal replacement drink or protein powder will be sugar, dairy, lactose, wheat and gluten free. They will also be low in calories.
3.Those troubled with long-standing digestive system health conditions will frequently find that it’s tougher for them to lose weight. Digestive tract problems are a common side-effect of being over-weight, in all probability due to poor diet over a number of years. Many slimmers therefore find that they benefit from, for example, colon cleansers and cleanse and detox supplements as part of their broader weight management programme. Others use probiotics and digestive system supplements to support their inner health and help to restore balanced levels of gut flora.
4.Often, slimmers find that they need just a little extra support in the early stages of weight loss. Weight management support supplements can be useful. By way of example, a herbal fat metaboliser / herbal fat burner formula (that contains no ephedra, gluten, wheat, lactose, added sugar, artificial colourings or yeast), may help you to optimise the results you accomplish from your weight management programme and training.
Specialist Supplements has a number of weight management products, which could help you to achieve your health goals in combination with a balanced diet and sensible exercise programme. Click on any of the links above to check them out now!
*Before changing your diet, undertaking a new exercise programme or taking health supplements, always be sure to consult your doctor or qualified health practitioner (particularly if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or on medications).