Basic principles of healthy nutrition

How to lose weight without diets – healthy nutrition principles

The main tip for making weight loss in the long term, rather than in the short time, is not to diet. Studies have shown that any diet, especially one that severely restricts calories, invariably slows down the metabolism. And this tendency is the more potent, the more prolonged and more severe the restrictions.

In this case, it may take weeks or even many months to restore the former metabolic rate fully. And if a person regularly subjects himself to such tests, it is almost an impossible task for him to bring his metabolism back to normal.

healthy nutrition principles
healthy nutrition principles

How to eat well to be healthy

Therefore, nutritionists advise adhering to the principles of healthy nutrition – that is, to make a healthy diet and eat that way for life. Not only when you need to lose extra pounds, but also after losing weight. It is the tactic followed by people who are not prone to fullness. They were either accustomed to doing this since childhood or began to follow the principles of rational nutrition intuitively, unconsciously. That overweight will need to master them purposefully, ideally within their power.

What foods should be limited in the nutrition diet

The main thing is that you must vary the menu. The food it includes must contain all macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats, and proteins) and micronutrients (minerals, vitamins, and other valuable substances). It is enough to follow the rule to meet this requirement: half of the plate should be allocated for “long” carbohydrates (fruits and vegetables), a quarter of it for cereals and grains, and the remaining space for protein. Of drinks, it is better to prefer the water, sour-milk products, or milk. You should eat a total of three meals a day.

basic principles of healthy nutrition
basic principles of healthy nutrition

If you can do without snacks, limit yourself to the main meals, and in general, you can snack up to three times. Try to use raw nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts – up to 15 g), dried fruit (up to 50 g), fruit (3-4 fruits weighing no more than 600 g), vegetables (tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage, turnips, carrots), unsweetened dairy products.

Food restrictions

If your goal is to lose weight, limiting yourself to some things is advisable.

Too fatty food

Obviously, these are primarily vegetable oils, mayonnaise, and creamy baked goods. But keep in mind that some products contain fat in an implicit form; most people are not even aware of it. It is not safe because, as a result, a person may unknowingly consume it in excess, simultaneously exceeding the norm in calories.

These products include:

  • all processed meat (wieners, sausages, dumplings, etc.);
  • almost all store-baked goods (which also contain trans fats, which have a terrible effect on metabolic processes);
  • fast food;
  • potato chips;
  • full-fat dairy;
  • seeds;
  • nuts.

Foods with trans fats

These dangerous substances damage the metabolism, disrupt the brain centres responsible for satiety, and contribute to atherosclerosis. They are synthesized during the industrial production of deep-fried foods, spreads, and margarine. There are also a lot of trans fats in store-baked goods and fast food. If you are trying to lose weight or maintain average weight, do not include such products in your diet.

how to eat right to be healthy
how to eat right to be healthy

Caloric beverages

It is necessary to give up sources of simple carbohydrates, which, being quickly digested, contribute to gaining extra pounds. It is desirable to prefer green, black, and herbal teas, coffee, and, of course, just water during the day. These are all sweetened drinks, sodas, drinking yoghurts with fillers, and even freshly squeezed fruit juices. Milk-based drinks are also acceptable, but no more than three times a day.

It would be best if you significantly reduced the consumption of alcohol. There are already a lot of calories in it, and people usually eat it with high-calorie foods – sweets, snacks, cheese (depending on the type of alcohol).

As a result, few people manage to meet their planned caloric intake. It is alcoholic beverages that make people gain weight, even if they try to eat healthily and not overeat.

Bread is acceptable and necessary

Bran, wholemeal, rye – you should eat at least three 30-gram servings of bread a day. But you should cut down the amount of wheat bread as much as possible. The bread is a good hunger quencher; it has fibre, valuable protein, and vitamins B-complex. Including this product in your menu will reduce the risk of overeating and have fewer cravings for sweets.

But some people are still better to give up bread for medical reasons. These have gluten enteropathy, wheat protein allergy, and gluten intolerance.

Sweets are also allowed, but only for dessert after the main meal. Just limit the number of such products to a maximum of 100 grams per day. And, of course, sweets should not be consumed by diabetic patients.

eating rules
eating rules

More water, faster weight loss

Water as such does not burn calories and does not speed up the metabolism. And yet its benefits are undeniable. For example, there are times when a person feels as if they are hungry, although, in reality, the body demands moisture. Often, as a result, the desire to eat disappears. That is why, when the feeling of hunger comes less than 3 hours after a meal, nutritionists advise simply drinking water.

Another recommendation is to drink water right before or during a meal. It causes the dietary fibre in foods to swell, thereby making the food more voluminous so that satiety occurs more quickly and reduces the risk of overeating.

It is possible to drink food not only with water but also with tea, which is not harmful to health, despite the claims of some doctors. So you can’t do without an abundance of fluids in losing weight.

What about sport?

If weight loss is the goal, physical activity is mandatory, but there is no need to sign up for a gym. You can walk, use outdoor fitness equipment, do morning exercises, dance, or practise yoga at home. The main thing is to enjoy the process – then you won’t give up after a few days.

Sources

  1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8228140/
  2. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241516648
  3. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/6/1827
  4. https://www.eufic.org/en/food-production/article/practical-tips-for-a-healthy-and-sustainable-diet
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Julia Lange

The food industry has poorly educated people about nutrition: it is still tough to find healthy foods that taste good. Foods that make you feel good now do not make you healthy in the long run. A wise eater knows how to find the right balance between good for you and good for the world.

That's because the food industry is built on profits, not health. You wouldn't need a dietitian to tell you what to eat if they did. You would know yourself and your body well enough to figure out what made you feel good and what made you sick.

However, a revolution in dietetics has taken hold in recent years, based on a scientific understanding of nutritional science and evidence-based nutrition. In other words, it's based on research, not marketing. By taking just a dozen ingredients and matching them to your body's needs, you can achieve perfect nutrition:
- No more illness.
- No more cravings for unhealthy foods.
- No more self-indulgent eating binges that spoil everything.

If that revolution had been around when most people were growing up, our food choices would have been different from what they are now. That revolution is based on understanding why we get sick and what makes us feel good. If you want to eat well, you need to ask yourself these questions: Why do I get sick? What makes me feel good? What are the effects of eating this food on my body, health, and the world around me?