There are a lot of thoughts around diet and nutrition out there.\u00a0 It\u2019s hard to know where to begin and it seems to be changing constantly.\u00a0 Yet, the basics of a healthy diet are relatively simple, easily understood, and fairly consistent.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s start with what you\u2019re eating and what it does.\u00a0 Protein: there is more of it in your body than anything except water.\u00a0 You need it.\u00a0 You need lots of it.\u00a0 It builds healthy tissue and muscle.\u00a0 Without it, your body starts to shut down.\u00a0 You should be eating at least 0.8 grams per 1lb of body weight a day.\u00a0 It should be around 20% of your calories. If you\u2019re trying to lose weight and gain muscle (and you\u2019re working out) you can bring that up to 1 gram of protein per a pound of body weight a day.\u00a0 It should make up at least 30% of your diet.<\/p>\n
You need complete proteins that have all of the amino acids essential for muscle building, and other bodily functions.\u00a0 Animal products such as eggs, milk, cheese and well…meat are all complete proteins.\u00a0 If you\u2019re not into animal eating, you can complete the protein you\u2019ll find in vegetables and grains by combining it with eating protein from nuts and beans.<\/p>\n
Carbohydrates are not a bad thing.\u00a0 They\u2019re you\u2019re source of energy.\u00a0\u00a0 You need them to live too, but there are good carbs and bad carbs.\u00a0 Good carbs are complex carbohydrates and bad carbs are simple carbohydrates.\u00a0 Complex carbohydrates will make you feel full and burn slowly, giving you energy. They\u2019re great in the morning.\u00a0 Eat some whole grain bread, oatmeal, or healthy cereal for breakfast to keep your energy level up throughout the day.<\/p>\n
Complex carbohydrates keep you feeling well and can actually help you lose weight.\u00a0 That hunger you feel isn\u2019t your body just telling you it needs pizza. \u00a0It\u2019s telling you it needs lots of things, and eating junk won\u2019t give it what it needs.\u00a0 So, you feel full for a bit and then your body wants more food.\u00a0 You give it some junk and repeat the cycle.\u00a0 Break the cycle.\u00a0 Give your body what it needs.\u00a0 Treats are fine in moderation, but if you want to lose weight, feel full and be healthier, give your body what it needs.<\/p>\n
Simple carbohydrates are easier to identify.\u00a0 They\u2019re sugar.\u00a0 They give you a quick energy boost, then they wear off, then you eat more to keep your energy up. Same cycle of weight gain.\u00a0 Here\u2019s an easy diet hack.\u00a0 Avoid refined (white breads, pastas) and processed foods (anything that comes in a package or can).\u00a0 You will be shocked at how much weight you lose and how much better you feel when you avoid foods in packages.\u00a0 Stop by the produce section, eat whole grains (pasta too) and treat yourself to foods you love that are not processed.<\/p>\n
Fat used to be the enemy. Now it\u2019s our friend.\u00a0 We know that fat keeps us feeling full and provides with an excellent source of energy to supplement our complex carbohydrates.\u00a0 In general, polyunsaturated and monosaturated fats are what you need.\u00a0 These can be found in lean meat, nuts, avocados, coconut milk, olives salmon and tuna.\u00a0 All of these keep you feeling full, give you energy and lower your risk of heart disease etc..by protecting your vital organs.\u00a0 Try to get 15-20% of your calories from healthy fat.<\/p>\n
Saturated fat, on the other hand, comes with some problems.\u00a0 It is mostly found in fatty meats and it can increase your risk for heart disease and other ailments.\u00a0 You should be getting no more than 7% of your calories from saturated fats.\u00a0 It\u2019s not something you should go out of your way to eat.<\/p>\n
Trans fats occur naturally and artificially.\u00a0 The natural trans fats found in meat and dairy are less of a concern than artificial trans fats.\u00a0 Artificial trans fats are found in fried foods, cake, cookies, microwave popcorn and all kinds of packaged snack foods.\u00a0\u00a0 Artificial trans fats raise your bad cholesterol and lower your good.\u00a0 Yay one more reason to cut out junk food!<\/p>\n
Knowledge is power.\u00a0 Keep these things in mind as you do your grocery shopping or choose from the menu.\u00a0 It\u2019s fine to treat yourself now and then, but nothing tastes as good as healthy feels.\u00a0 I think you\u2019ll find that as you improve your diet, you\u2019ll crave junk less and less.\u00a0 Oh, and one more thing EAT!\u00a0 EAT LOTS!\u00a0 Just eat good food.\u00a0 You can eat well, eat lots and lose weight by making smart choices.<\/p>\n
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Too long didn\u2019t read.<\/p>\n
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Additional Reading:<\/p>\n
https:\/\/www.bodybuilding.com\/fun\/changingshape5.htm<\/a><\/p>\n https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/nutrition\/how-much-protein-per-day#section3<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.eatingwell.com\/article\/16138\/6-reasons-you-should-be-eating-carbs\/<\/a><\/p>\n