Dietitians’ 8 Secrets to a Healthier You
Have you ever wonder what is the secret to great health? Our expert Dietitian suggests that the only thing you need is a balanced diet! Here are 8 simple secrets to help you get started!
Diet refers to the food and drinks a person intake daily and the mental and physical circumstances connected to eating. In nutrition, diet is the total food consumed by a person. Nutrition is not only eating a good diet but also getting nourishment on every level. A balanced diet is very much important for your organs and tissues as they need proper nutrition to work and perform effectively.
This may seem simple, but since all our bodies are unique in their composition and metabolism, you would need to visit an expert dietitian who will devise a personalised balanced diet plan just for you!
Factors of balanced diet:
There are seven essential factors needed for a balanced diet. That is Carbs, protein, fat, fibre, vitamins, minerals, and water. If you consume high amounts of energy, particularly fat and sugars, but do not burn off the energy through exercise and physical activity then it will be stored by the body as fat.
There are many myths and misconception about Body fat, many of the misconception is that body fat is bad. In truth, somebody fat is needed to protect the person’s health as well as supplying a reservoir of energy for performing various functions of the body.
As any dietitian would tell you, besides exercise, changing what you eat is very influential in helping you get rid of body fat. Here is what you can do:
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Adopt a high – protein diet:
Protein provides our body with the essential amino acids that it cannot produce by itself. It also helps in muscle building and the growth of hair and nails. It helps you lose body fat and keeps you from putting fat again. Taking in protein makes you feel full, limiting your hunger and cravings. This is the most essential part of the diet. Some healthy sources of protein are meat, fish, whole eggs, beans, legumes, soy, and milk.
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Eat more fibrous foods:
Every meal you take throughout the day must include fruits and vegetables. They contain fiber that decreases your appetite and boosts metabolism and is very rich in nutrients. You could eat a lot of fibrous foods and barely gain any calories. Some examples of fibrous foods are papaya, bananas, broccoli, spinach, celery, tomatoes, cucumber, watermelon.
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Completely cut out refined sugar and processed foods:
Complex sugars promote increased levels of insulin and cause insulin resistance which affects the metabolism of our body negatively. Processed foods contain high amounts of sodium to increase their shelf life, sugar, and trans fats for taste. All these ingredients are associated with several diseases like diabetes, fatty liver problems, heart diseases, and some types of cancers. They increase the cholesterol level in the body and cause the deposition of body fat usually around the belly. It is only wise to cut down processed foods from your diet, little by little till you get there.
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Drink more water:
Water helps makes you feel fuller. Water is extremely important for the metabolic activity of our body. It is good to drink at least 3 litres of water every day. While this amount may work for some people, everybody has a different need. If your urine is yellowish in colour, it is basically an indication from your body that it needs more water.
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Fill up your stomach with healthy juices and smoothies:
Even though a dietitian will tell you to drink more water, they will also tell you that drinking water to fill up your stomach can get nauseating! You may need a little change of taste. Fruit and vegetable juices, soups, herbal teas, milk, smoothies, and controlled amount of caffeinated drinks (tea, coffee) are alternative to fluids which will keep your body hydrated and your stomach full. Besides, they don’t even add to the calorie count so you may drink as much as you want.
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Reduce your intake of carbohydrates:
Reducing the number of carbohydrates, you take in every day will cause your appetite to reduce and you will take in fewer calories. When you start eating fewer carbs, your body will have to use energy generated from other macronutrients like fats. Thus, more fats will be burned to satisfy your body’s energy requirements. Cutting down carbohydrates also lowers the insulin level which will reduce inflammation or bloating by making the body give up the water being retained.
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Eat healthy fats:
Yes, there is such a thing as healthy fat! If you’re unsure, you can ask your dietitian for more information and advice about healthy fats and how they can be a compliment to your diet. Adding healthy fats like avocados, coconut oil to your diet, and avoiding unhealthy trans fats usually from fried foods can help to reduce insulin resistance and regulate metabolism.
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Avoid smoking or drinking:
One of the first things any dietitian will tell you is to: quit smoking and drinking alcohol (or at least reduce your intake to a minimum)! Smoking and drinking are linked to major hormonal disturbances in both men and women which have drastic effects on both digestion and metabolism causing you to put off fat weight as a side effect.
Obesity does not happen overnight. It develops slowly because of poor diet and also the changes in your lifestyle. So, when you are thinking about a healthy body, a whole lifestyle change is a must with a proper diet plan.
There are various strategies and tools that persons can use to achieve a personalised healthy eating pattern, and nutritionists can provide support and customised diet plans as per the individual’s requirement. A proper diet is also counted as one of the important ways of boosting the immune system. Remember that it may be difficult, but it is not impossible.
There are many dietitians all around us, sometimes we get confused about which one is suitable for you, So, tune in to our community platform and connect to an expert dietitian who can help you get started on your wellness journey!
