Whether you have a weight loss goal you want to achieve or simply crave feeling healthier, it seems that the whole world is chasing the perfect diet.
From Beachbody to keto, new diets and supplements are emerging every year, each with their own unique promises of stripping away fat, giving you more energy, and helping you unlock whatever it is you want to unlock. Reviews of specific keto supplements will offer the best insight into this, such as the review you can find on this link: https://fitnstyle.com/keto-drive-review/. In short, some diets can be effective, while others are less so.
But underneath all the noise, there is one diet that results in major health benefits, time and again – a good old-fashioned balanced diet.
What is a Balanced Diet?
A balanced diet is the best way to provide your body with all the nutrients it requires to work effectively. If you fail to supply a good balance of nutrients, your body becomes open to disease and infection, while you are less likely to perform to your best.
Contrary to popular belief, there is no single ‘correct’ balanced diet. Ultimately, a balanced diet boils down to eating a wide range of foods in the right proportions, while consuming an appropriate quantity of food to maintain a healthy body weight.
The exact amount of food you eat will come down to factors such as your body type, age, and height. To explore this further, search for a free TDEE calculator online and you will be able to determine how many calories you are required to eat to maintain your ideal weight.
More Than Just Weight
But a balanced diet is more than simply about the size of your waistline.
As the World Health Organisation states, ‘Opting for a balanced, adequate and varied diet is an important step towards a happy and healthy lifestyle’ – and we couldn’t agree more.
This is because a balanced diet is able to deliver the mix of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that are crucial to cultivating a healthy body and mind. This means boosting immunity, preventing diseases (such as heart disease, cancer, stroke, and type 2 diabetes), and providing the energy you need to succeed in sports, work and play.
Serving Up a Balanced Diet
Sounds good, doesn’t it?
The pressing question now is: what does a balanced diet actually look like?
As mentioned, there is no one-size-fits-all balanced diet, although there are certainly similarities that all well-balanced diets share. These include:
- Eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables daily – aim to eat the rainbow, mixing fruit and veg of all colors
- Consume enough healthy protein from a mix of sources, including beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat, and either dairy or plant-based alternatives
- Base your meals around whole grains, including foods such as bread, pasta, potatoes, and rice
- Add some healthy fats from nuts, nut butter, avocados, and unsaturated oils and spreads – although use these sparingly
- Drink at least two liters of water a day (equating to around 6 to 8 glasses) and add around 500ml to 1 liter more per hour of activity you perform
- Avoid consuming too much sugar, salt, and alcohol
- Cut down on highly processed foods, refined grains, and processed meat
This general advice is echoed by many organizations around the world, usually set out in the form of a healthy eating plate to better illustrate how best to combine foods in a balanced diet.
In short, aim to fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables, around a quarter of it with grains, and a quarter with protein foods.
The finer details – like the exact foods you choose – will be down to you. But this is why following a balanced diet is actually enjoyable, as it allows for lots of experimentation and flavors as opposed to excess restriction.
Plus, with a balanced diet, there is always room for a little flexibility and some treats, whether that’s pizza or doughnuts. Providing you eat these things in moderation they will fit into a balanced diet!
Summary
As we have said, other less balanced diets such as the keto diet can deliver specific results, such as weight loss. But this is only achieved when you follow the guidelines of these diets very closely and supplement as required.
While other diets can work, they can also be complicated. Whether you are looking to lose weight or are simply wanting to live a healthier lifestyle, we always suggest starting with a balanced diet.
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