A balanced diet is extremely crucial for healthy and consistent weight loss and eventual weight maintenance. While a lot of people have heard this, not everyone knows what exactly a balanced diet means and how it is achieved. The problem is that with all the drastic, restrictive and eventually ineffective fad diets going around that promise to help you lose weight fast, correct dietary information often gets lost in the crowd. Well, here are a few suggestions.
The Meaning of a Balanced Diet
To begin with, you must understand that a healthy and balanced diet is a nutrient-rich diet, or, in other words, a diet consisting of food items that offer a relatively higher number of nutrients and fewer calories. It is also a varied diet, since every food item has its own nutritional limitations and ignoring any particular food group can cause serious nutritional deficiencies. When a diet is both nutrient-rich and varied, it is balanced. It is such a diet that will keep you feeling healthy for exercise, keep your metabolism high and lead to sustainable weight loss. Now, you might ask, if the problem of a good diet has such a simple and straightforward answer, why have complex fad diets become such a rage?
Why Fad Diets?
It is mostly because they offer a couple of irresistible attractions to most people. Firstly, they are short-term diets, so the sacrifices and trouble don't last more than a few weeks at best. Secondly, these diets promise very fast weight loss. What you may lose in 10 months with exercise and a balanced diet, you can lose in 6 weeks with one of these diets. As usual, there are a lot of people who fall for the gimmick. The risks are dehydration, severe health problems and, almost always, rapid weight gain when you come back to a normal diet.
The Essential Foods
Here are some of the essential food components of a healthy and balanced diet:
Fruits and vegetables - Fruits and vegetables are invariably filled with vital nutrients, are generally low in calories, and are rich in fiber, which has the amazing property of keeping you feeling full for longer. A healthy diet should consist of a bowl of fruit everyday and a reasonable serving of vegetables at every meal.
Lean Meats, Eggs, Beans and Lentils - All of these are vital sources of protein, and protein is a crucial requirement, especially if you are involved in some form of regular exercise and wish to strengthen your muscles. Besides, lean protein keeps you feeling full for longer and prevents you from overeating.
Milk and other dairy products - Milk and milk-based products like cheese and yoghurt, contain a substantial amount of vital proteins, and are also an important source of calcium and vitamins. To keep your calories in control, choose low-fat milk and milk products. It is ideal if you can consume a glass of milk, a small pot of yoghurt and a small portion of cheese everyday.
Cereals, potatoes and breads - These foods are essential sources of starchy carbohydrates, which keep your body's energy levels up. In simpler terms, the carbs from these food sources are like fuel for the body, and they should count for about a third of your everyday calorie intake. The healthiest foods in this group are the unrefined ones, including whole wheat bread and pasta and whole grains. These are high in fibre, keep you feeling fuller for longer and speed up your metabolism.
To sum up, there is no better way to lose weight fast than a healthy and balanced diet.
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