Proper nutrition is key good health and lean figure. And it’s not for nothing that they say that “we are what we eat”.
That is why it is so important to strive to lead a healthy lifestyle. To get on the path of correction, you need to start with the introduction of healthy foods into the diet. If you think you'll never be able to turn down a juicy medium-rare steak or potato and onion, don't be discouraged. This amazing post contains simple tips on how to switch to proper nutrition without compromising the psyche and health.
1. Cook a large pot of whole grains or beans once a week.
During the day, you can replace some meals with healthy food. For example, one day, replace the usual toast for breakfast with quinoa seed porridge. And the next day, instead of fatty foods for dinner, eat beans with fresh or stewed vegetables. Gradually, the body will get used to it, and you will be able to eat exclusively plant foods.
2. Use only black tea and black coffee.
Forget about all the additional additives to tea or coffee. Get rid of the habit of adding sugar or milk to hot drinks. Of course, this will take time, but it's worth it. Soon, without “flavor substitutes”, you will be able to feel the entire flavor palette of black tea or coffee without harming your figure.
3. Follow the rules of ideal portions using your own hand.
If you constantly monitor the amount of food eaten while eating, you will soon feel the gratitude of your body. Try it and you will definitely like it!
4. Replace high-calorie and unhealthy foods with alternative and healthy ones.
Have you ever heard that almost every product has a less harmful counterpart that is not inferior in taste. Try turning your own meals into healthy masterpieces using your knowledge of substitutes. For example, mash potatoes with cauliflower in a 1:1 ratio. You will not be able to distinguish the difference between these vegetables, but the amount of starch will be many times less.
5. Bake food in the oven instead of pan frying.
If your dish can do without a harmful cholesterol crust, then bake it in the oven. Almost any food can be prepared in this way, saving the body from the harmful effects of vegetable oil.
6. Have fast Mondays every week.
Of course, it is best to start the work week with a fast day, but if it is too difficult for you to change your favorite diet on Mondays, then choose any day. Use during the week maximum amount vegetables, replacing some meals with them. Introduce a vegetarian diet gradually, listening to your own body.
7. Eat only homemade food.
Of course, the food industry now offers a wide range of dietary and low-calorie products, but most of the nutrients are missing from them. So arm yourself with patience and recipes and learn to cook on your own. Let your dish contain more calories, but the percentage of nutrients in it will be much higher than in any chemically processed food.
8. Drink a glass of water between drinks.
If you were invited to a bar to taste a glass of good beer or to a restaurant for a glass of red wine, then do not be afraid that healthy diet covered with a "copper basin". Follow a little advice and drink a glass of plain water between glasses of alcoholic beverages. This trick will help you avoid dehydration, speed up the feeling of fullness and save you from a “rumpled” look the next day.
9. Bring a full lunch to work at least once a week.
On the path to proper nutrition, it will be difficult for you to give up some of the things that you were inseparable from. But, if coffee with cream and store-bought food can be tolerated, then a snack in a dry bag at work is not. Train yourself to cook a full meal to take to work. Start with one day a week. Then add more. Over time, this will become a habit.
10. If snacking is unavoidable, then choose low-calorie options.
In this case, it doesn’t matter if you make your own snack food, buy it from a cookery, or collect it from various products. The most important thing is to be sure to monitor the number of calories in them. There are tons of low-calorie recipes for every taste and color. Choose for health!
11. Eat vegetables first.
If your meal includes several dishes, then be sure to eat the vegetables first and then proceed to the meat or side dish. Thus, you will be satiated faster by accustoming your own body to healthy and wholesome food.
12. Use whole grain flour.
Life without sweets is not life at all, so it can be almost impossible to refuse it. Exists great way prepare delicious sweets without harm to health. To do this, use whole grain flour, rich in fiber and protein. Don't try to switch from regular flour to whole wheat flour right away, as it will take time for you to get used to cooking with this bread changing flour. Experiment and you will succeed!
13. Try to buy vegetables and fruits only from people who grow crops on their own.
Train yourself to go to the market to buy natural products farmers directly. Choose only those vegetables and fruits that have been grown in the garden without the use of harmful chemical substances.
14. Instead of soda, drink regular non-carbonated water.
Everyone knows that soda is not the most healthy drink and it is better to refuse it once and for all, replacing it with ordinary water. But most people love soda because of the taste that ordinary water lacks. There is a great solution to this problem: before drinking, add lemon, mint, herbs or tinctures to water to give it a slightly sweet taste and aroma.
15. Eat vegetables and protein-rich foods for breakfast.
Refuse to eat sweets in the morning so that in the middle of the day you will not be overtaken by the desire to immediately gobble up a chocolate bar due to a sharp drop in blood sugar. Around the world, many people have long abandoned sweets and jams in the morning in favor of healthy and nutritious food.
16. Use small plates.
Scientists have proven that when you see a large plate and a small amount of food on it, the brain sends signals about dissatisfaction with food intake and the desired supplement. Deceive your own mind and replace large diameter plates with smaller ones. This way you can eat less food.
17. In egg dishes, add more proteins than yolks.
It is known that the yolk is a tasty, but harmful addition to the protein. Therefore, in order to comply proper nutrition will have to cut down on the consumption of yolks. No matter what dish you plan to cook, always use egg whites and yolks in a 2:1 ratio.
18. Eat as many colorful vegetables and fruits as possible throughout the day.
Most often bright color vegetables or fruits indicates the presence of concentrated nutrients (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants) in them. Therefore, the more vegetables and fruits of different colors you eat, the more nutrients you get.
19. Replace unhealthy foods with healthy ones.
As mentioned above, each product has its own useful substitute. And this similarity can be used not only for complex cooking. Ordinary "snacks" can become more nutritious by replacing harmful ingredients in them. For example, avocado is great for the role of mayonnaise when making a sandwich. Dates can replace sugar in milkshakes. For pancakes, instead of syrup and butter, pulp from fruit compote is suitable. Fried zucchini will replace french fries, frozen grapes - candy, Greek yogurt - sour cream or mayonnaise, potatoes (cashews) - cream for mashed soups, etc.
20. Add healthy seeds to your meals.
Try to get used to adding healthy seeds in all meals. For example, chia seeds are rich in important micronutrients. Pumpkin seeds improve the value of muesli and desserts. Flax seeds are great for cereals and toppings in various dishes. Any seeds have a beneficial effect on the body and speed up metabolism.
21. Instead of a glass of orange juice for breakfast, eat a piece of fruit.
The most useful part of citrus fruits is the white veins, which contain a lot of vitamins and nutrients. So instead of a glass of orange juice, eat a whole slice of regular citrus.
22. Try to eat meals containing more vegetables.
At any meal, make sure that your meal consists of more than half of the vegetables. This will help to balance the diet and accustom the body to eat healthy food.
Eat right and be healthy!
Excess weight, folds, flabby body - almost every woman wants to get rid of all this. There are several ways to lose weight - diets, sports training, massage courses, swimming and much more. But the very first step on the way to ideal weight is proper nutrition. And right there, many women have the question “How to start eating right in order to lose weight?”. There are basic rules of nutrition that will help not only improve health, but also get rid of extra pounds. By following them, you can achieve good results.
Every woman would like to know how to eat to lose weight at home, is it real? In order to start eating right, there is no need to visit specialists. To begin with, it is worth understanding what it means to “eat right”? Proper nutrition is not a diet, but a style of eating for life! That is, it cannot be that today a woman eats only healthy and wholesome foods, and in a week she eats what she wants. The results of proper nutrition do not appear immediately, but after some time. To see these results, you need to eat right for at least six months.
Proper nutrition includes only healthy food, it does not have any specific time. You have to learn how to always eat! Once a person gets used to eating only healthy foods, calculates his diet for the day, only then he will be able to achieve some results.
Where to start?
First you need to determine for yourself "Why do I need proper nutrition"? When a person sees a goal, he begins to strive for it, he knows why he performs any actions. Without a goal, it is very difficult to achieve a result. It is a clearly defined goal that motivates a person to achieve results. Here are some answers.
- Slimming. Proper nutrition can help you lose weight excess weight. After losing excess weight, sports training will help the body become more toned and the skin elastic.
- Boost immunity. With proper nutrition, you can focus on some specific foods that can increase immunity and increase the body's resistance to disease. Proper nutrition is especially suitable for those people who often get sick.
- cure any disease. If a person has any diseases, then a well-designed diet will help cure the disease or reduce its symptoms. For example, with liver diseases, fatty, spicy and smoked foods should be abandoned.
- Buy the dress of your dreams. This simple but powerful goal will make any woman start eating right. In addition to the purchased dress, a woman will also gain lightness and a slender figure.
- Men like it (or return the husband). This is also one of the powerful points for which a woman will do anything to achieve her goal.
- Prevention of various diseases. Proper nutrition includes healthy foods (fruits, vegetables) that increase immunity. This is especially important during various epidemics.
- Psychological reasons(to envy, to be self-confident, etc.). Here the goals speak for themselves.
How to start eating right to lose weight without harm to my health
In order to start eating right, you will have to change not only your diet, but also your habits. If a person is used to snacking throughout the day, then with proper nutrition, such snacks will have to be forgotten. The same applies to those people who are used to eating in cafes. Proper nutrition means using only fresh products. If it is not possible to carry home-cooked food with you every time, you can take at least a fresh salad with you. The ideal would be to cook your own food at home and take it with you to work. The same applies to snacks, it is better to cook “fast” food on your own, choosing exactly those foods that will not harm the body.
Another change that is important in proper nutrition is spending money on healthy foods. Yes, now you have to spend more than before, but it is better to spend money on healthy products now than to spend it on medicines later. We'll have to forget about the habit of buying everything on sale, especially when it comes to products. “Well, if you think that the apple is a little rotten, I’ll cut it off and eat the rest.” Not! You need to think about your health and eat only healthy, healthy foods!
The next habit that should appear in a person who switched to proper nutrition is the rejection of fast food! Now soups, cereals, broths, dairy dishes should appear in the diet. Cooking them takes longer than warming up a sandwich in the microwave, but there will be more benefits for the body.
In order for the diet to be balanced, it is necessary to think about your diet in advance, about a few days in advance. It is also worth buying food in advance so as not to cook in the morning from what is in the refrigerator, and not what is needed.
Now that it has become clear how to start eating right in order to lose weight, you need to reconsider your lifestyle, your habits and your diet.
Connect sports
Without sports, one cannot achieve a slender and toned body. Do not forget that sports require strength. Eating one salad all day by the evening will not have enough strength for gym. Therefore, do not forget to include carbohydrates and fats in your diet. In a small amount, they will not harm, but only add strength and energy.
If there is no opportunity to visit the gym, it is worth adding physical activity. For example, walk more, take a light jog or walk before bed every evening, completely refuse the elevator.
What to eat and when to eat
Breakfast. You can't skip breakfast. It is breakfast that will help the body to fully wake up and recharge with energy. After waking up, at least half an hour must pass for the body to wake up. Some doctors advise drinking a glass of water before breakfast. This will help the stomach wake up and start working. In the morning, you can afford carbohydrate foods, such as pasta, bran, cereals. You can also treat yourself to scrambled eggs or sandwiches.
Lunch. Between breakfast and lunch, you should have a small snack. For a snack, fruits or vegetables, natural juice, a light salad or dairy products are suitable.
Dinner. It's time for a hearty meal. During this period of time, you should not deprive yourself of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. During this period, you can eat everything, but in reasonable quantities.
afternoon tea. Second snack of the day. There comes a time when it is worth giving preference to protein foods. For example, cottage cheese or kefir.
Dinner. For dinner, light but hearty dishes are suitable. For example, fish or dietary meat. They will not add extra pounds, and the feeling of hunger will pass. Do not load your stomach with extra work before bed. A hearty dinner will keep your stomach working all night. This will affect the quality of sleep, mood and appearance since morning.
The most important thing in a healthy diet is the routine. You need to get used to a certain meal time. Do not skip snacks, do not forget about breakfast and lunch. If a meal is skipped, then the next meal will be eaten more than necessary. And the rules about how to eat to lose weight at home will no longer work.
What to give up
With proper nutrition, you should completely abandon the following foods:
- Margarine, butter (or otherwise, modified products);
- Smoked, spicy, salty foods;
- Semi-finished products;
- Salty crackers, chips, etc.
These products do not contain any vitamins. High content of salt, pepper, harmful substances negatively affect the body. They very quickly satisfy the feeling of hunger, but not for long. In addition, these foods have more calories.
How to make the right diet for weight loss: video
Everyone would like to switch to proper nutrition. Not everyone can do this, and even more so, not everyone can lose weight on proper nutrition. Sooner or later, people break down and start eating not the way they should, but the way it is convenient. Even if a person knows how to start eating right in order to lose weight, and remembers all the rules, it can be difficult to overcome yourself and take the first step. However, those people who were able to do this, after a while get the long-awaited results.
Sooner or later, we all think about our diet: problems with weight, skin, health in general make us open our refrigerator and examine its contents with skepticism. We ask ourselves the questions “what to exclude from the diet?” and “how can I start eating right?”, looking for our way to a healthy and beautiful body.
Meanwhile, a healthy and proper diet is not a strict debilitating diet, not a mockery of the body and not depriving it of its joys, it is just a series of rules, following which you can radically change yourself, acquire new healthy habits, a beautiful figure and significantly extend life.
Our body is a reflection of what we eat
It's no secret that obesity has become a huge problem. modern people– we move less, consume less a large number of fatty foods, high-calorie sauces, sweets. There are endless temptations everywhere, and manufacturers are competing to come up with the next super product that no consumer can resist. The result of this race can be observed on the streets of any metropolis - according to statistics, almost every second resident developed countries It has overweight. Obesity, unfortunately, leads to problems not only in aesthetics and self-esteem, but also to serious consequences for the body: the risk of many diseases is directly proportional to the amount of excess weight. Diabetes, problems with the heart, gastrointestinal tract, reproductive function - this is only a small part possible diseases arising from non-compliance with the diet.
Good news lies in the fact that last years taking care of the condition of one’s body has begun to come into fashion: more and more calls to go in for sports are heard from the state, public organizations, organic and diet foods, advice on how to eat right is distributed in the press.
Basics of healthy eating, or how to eat right
When compiling the menu healthy eating keep in mind a few general rules: Firstly, you need to eat often and in small portions. It is most convenient to get yourself a small plate, in which a handful-sized portion is placed. No need to be afraid of hunger! A healthy diet involves 5-6 meals a day. It is also good to accustom yourself to eat at the same time - this stabilizes the work of the stomach and will contribute to weight loss.
The second important rule is remember about calories. There is no need to scrupulously calculate them throughout your life every time after eating, it is enough to follow your diet for a week or two, and the habit of automatically “estimating” the calorie content of food will appear by itself. Everyone has their own calorie norm, you can find it out, for example, using a special calculator that is easy to find on the Internet. For example, a woman of 30 years old, weighing 70 kg with a height of 170 cm and little physical activity per day needs about 2000 kcal. To lose weight, you need to consume 80% of calories from the norm, that is, in our example, about 1600 kcal per day. Additionally, there is no point in cutting the diet - the body will simply slow down the metabolism, and the harm from such a diet is more than good.
The third rule - we keep a balance between "income" and "expenses", that is, the energy that the body spends on basic metabolism, work, sports, and caloric intake. Food includes four main components: proteins, fats, carbohydrates and dietary fiber - all of them are necessary for our body. The only question is which of them (fats and carbohydrates are different), in what quantities and proportions to use. Approximate recommended indicators are 60 g of fat, 75 g of proteins, 250 g of carbohydrates and 30 g of fibers. The fourth rule is to drink water. Often we do not want to eat, our body simply takes the lack of fluid for hunger and makes us eat what we do not really need. One and a half or more liters of clean drinking water help get rid of pseudo-hunger, make the skin more elastic, improve the general condition of the body, speed up the metabolic process.
And the fifth rule is to choose products wisely. Read the labels, composition and caloric content of products, exclude fast food, mayonnaise sauces, products with chemical additives, preservatives, dyes from the diet. You must know what you eat, and then the path to beauty and health will be fast and enjoyable.
healthy food
We will try to answer the age-old question "what to eat to lose weight?". The main thing when compiling a menu for a healthy diet is to maintain a balance between expenses and consumed products.
So, be sure to include in the diet of a healthy diet for every day:
- cereals, in the form of cereals and muesli, rich in slow carbohydrates that will provide our body with energy;
- fresh vegetables (cabbage, carrots) provide the body with dietary fiber - fiber;
- legumes - a rich source of vegetable protein, especially necessary for those who rarely or do not eat meat;
- nuts, especially walnuts and almonds, have a beneficial effect on the entire body and are a source of omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, trace elements;
- fermented milk products: natural yoghurts (without added sugar), kefir, skim cheese provide calcium and improve the functioning of the digestive tract;
- sea fish contains protein and omega-3 essential fatty acids;
- fruits and berries are a storehouse of vitamins, heal the skin and protect the body from diseases;
- lean meat - chicken breast, rabbit meat, beef - a source of protein.
Useful products should not contain preservatives, artificial colors, palm oil. It is better to limit pickles - you can treat yourself to them from time to time, but you should not get carried away.
If you have a problem of excess weight, then sugar should be completely abandoned, even if you have a sweet tooth and cannot do without a cup of sweet coffee in the morning - sweeteners will solve this problem. Do not be afraid of them, high-quality natural-based substitutes are harmless, contain virtually no calories and taste good.
Under strict ban!
We have decided on useful products, let's look at the list of foods that are incompatible with a healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition:
- Sweet carbonated drinks. They do not quench thirst, irritate the gastric mucosa, as a rule, contain a monstrous amount of sugar - about 20 g in each glass, artificial colors and flavors, preservatives.
- Deep fried food. French fries, chips, crackers and everything that is fried in a lot of oil should be crossed out of the diet. Carcinogens, lack of nutrients and fat are not what a healthy body needs.
- Burgers, hot dogs. All such dishes contain a mixture of white bread, fatty sauces, meat of unknown origin, appetizing seasonings and a lot of salt. What do we get as a result? A real high-calorie "bomb", which instantly turns into folds on the body and does not carry any nutritional value.
- Mayonnaise and similar sauces. First, they completely hide natural taste food under spices and additives, forcing them to eat more, and secondly, almost all mayonnaise sauces from the store are almost pure fat, generously seasoned with preservatives, flavors, stabilizers and other harmful substances.
- Sausages, frankfurters and meat products. There is hardly any need for clarification at this point - just read the product label. And that's just the official data! Remember that under the items "pork, beef" in the composition, the skin, cartilage, fat are most often hidden, which you would hardly eat if they were not so skillfully processed and beautifully packaged.
- Energetic drinks. Contain a shock dose of caffeine combined with sugar and hyperacidity, plus preservatives, dyes and many other ingredients to avoid.
- Fast food meals. Noodles, mashed potatoes and similar mixtures, which are enough to pour boiling water, instead of nutrients contain a large amount of carbohydrates, salt, spices, flavor enhancers and other chemical additives.
- Flourish and sweet. Yes, our favorite sweets are one of the most dangerous foods. The problem is not only high calorie content: the combination of flour, sweet and fatty foods multiplies the harm several times and instantly affects the figure.
- Packaged juices. Vitamins and other useful substances almost completely disappear during processing. What would be the use of a concentrate diluted with water and flavored with a fair amount of sugar?
- Alcohol. Enough has already been said about its harm to the body, we will only once again note that alcohol contains calories, increases appetite, interferes with the absorption of nutrients, and if the minimum doses are not observed, it slowly destroys the body, because ethanol is a cellular poison.
The transition to a balanced healthy diet will not be a burden if you follow simple recommendations.
First, do not torture yourself with hunger. If you feel discomfort, eat an apple, some nuts, dried fruits or muesli.
Second, drink a lot and choose healthy drinks. Chicory contributes well to weight loss - it suppresses the feeling of hunger due to the large amount of fibers in the composition, it has a beneficial effect on the body. Green tea is also useful, especially with ginger.
Diversify your diet! The more different healthy foods you consume, the more the body receives various trace elements, vitamins, amino acids.
If you really want something forbidden - eat it for breakfast. Of course, it is better to give up harmful products altogether, but at first the thought that sometimes you can still treat yourself helps.
The less unnatural ingredients in food, the better. If you want to eat healthy foods, it is better to choose a piece of meat instead of sausage, fresh vegetables instead of canned ones, muesli instead of buns.
We compose the menu "Healthy food"
How to start eating right? First of all, you need to find out how many calories your body needs. Let's say it's 2000 kcal daily. In order to lose weight, you need to consume 1600 kcal per day, distributing them over 5-6 meals.
So, let's make a healthy food menu for every day:
Breakfast. Should be rich in slow carbohydrates and proteins, it can include:
- oatmeal, muesli or grain bread;
- kefir, unsweetened yogurt or a piece of cheese.
Second meal– light snack between breakfast and lunch:
- any fruit weighing approximately 100-200 grams, or some nuts, dried fruits;
- 100 grams of cottage cheese or unsweetened yogurt.
Dinner should be the most significant meal of the day:
- 100 grams of buckwheat or brown rice, durum flour pasta. You can add carrots, onions, peppers to the dish;
- boiled chicken breast;
- Salad of fresh vegetables dressed with yogurt, a small amount of soy sauce or linseed, olive oil.
afternoon tea, between lunch and dinner - another light meal:
- A small fruit or a glass of freshly squeezed juice, preferably from vegetables.
Dinner– light and tasty:
- 100-200 grams of lean beef, rabbit, turkey, chicken, fish or legumes;
- Salad of cabbage, carrots and other vegetables rich in fiber.
And finally a couple of hours before bedtime:
- A glass of kefir, chicory or drinking unsweetened yogurt.
Throughout the day, water, green tea and chicory drinks with natural extracts of rose hips, ginger or ginseng can be consumed in unlimited quantities.
Portion sizes are approximate and will depend on individual parameters - daily calorie intake, weight loss rate and other individual factors. In any case, it is better to consult a nutritionist.
You don't have to follow a strict diet. Based on my research in behavioral psychology and habit formation, I was able to develop some simple methods to force yourself to eat right and reinforce the habit of eating only healthy food without much effort.
You can follow any of the links below directly to the section you are interested in, or just read everything in order.
Almost all experts in the field of nutrition and nutrition gurus give advice on what to eat specifically and prescribe a menu that is difficult to follow in everyday life. I would like to discuss why we eat the way we eat, and how we can correct this, without drastic changes, and still get the desired result, whether it be reducing body weight or simply maintaining a healthy lifestyle in all its respects. This guide aims to introduce the science and strategies needed to achieve the desired results at home.
So the benefit of good nutrition obvious to most of us. Thanks to him, we are more energetic, our health is stronger and productivity is at its best. A rational approach to diet will help you stop overeating and maintain a normal weight, which will reduce the risk of type II diabetes, certain types of cancer, heart problems, high blood pressure and many other diseases.
But since we have so many reasons to stick to a balanced diet, why is it so difficult to do so? To answer this question, first let's figure out what attracts us so much in junk food.
Before we start talking about how to start proper nutrition, we will figure out what makes us eat junk food, overeat, neglecting health and quality of life.
Why do we love junk food?
Stephen Weatherly has spent nearly 20 years figuring out why one food is more desirable than another. Much of the data on this subject is contained in his excellent report Why Humans Like Junk Food.
In his opinion, when eating delicious food, there are 2 factors affecting the enjoyment of the process.
The first factor is how you feel about the food you eat. These include its taste characteristics (salty, sweet, etc.), its aromas, and the mouthfeel that comes from it. The last property is commonly known as "mouth perception" and is perhaps the most important. Food companies are investing in finding the most enticing crunch to consumers potato chips millions of dollars. Nutrition scientists are trying to find the ideal number of bubbles in soda. The combination of all these elements creates a sensation in the brain that it associates with a particular food or drink.
The second factor is the direct composition of macronutrients in food - the combination contained in it. To make our brains crave junk food over and over again, food companies have crafted the perfect balance of salts, sugars, and fats to fuel that craving.
And here's how they do it...
How scientists control our eating habits
There are a number of factors that scientists and manufacturing companies use to increase addiction to food.
dynamic contrast. This is the combination of several different qualities in one product. Weatherly writes that food with dynamic contrast combines “a crunchy shell followed by something tender or creamy full of flavor. It’s the same with a lot of our favorite foods—caramel creme brulee crust, pizza, or Oreo cookies—the brain perceives crunch as something very original and exciting.”
Salivation. Salivation is part of the process of eating, and the more saliva is released from the consumption of the product, the more it bathes your taste buds throughout the oral cavity. Take, for example, emulsified foods like ice cream, mayonnaise, butter, chocolate, and salad dressings induce a strong saliva flow that bathes the taste buds profusely. This is one of the reasons why products with added sauces or icing are so loved by many people. Food that stimulates salivation practically makes the brain dance with joy and is perceived by it as much tastier than other foods.
Rapidly melting food and volatile calories. Those foods that quickly dissolve or “melt in your mouth” send a signal to the brain that you supposedly ate less than you really did. These foods literally convince him that you are not full, even if you have already eaten a decent amount of calories.
In his famous book Salt Sugar Fat by Michael Moss, Michael Moss recounts his conversation with Weatherly which does a great job of explaining "calorie evaporating"...
He concentrated immediately on the Cheetos. "It's one of the most wonderful products on the planet in terms of sheer enjoyment," Weatherly said.
“I brought him two bags full of different flavors of chips. He immediately focused on the Cheetos. "It's one of the most wonderful products on the planet in terms of sheer enjoyment," Weatherly said. He noted a dozen Cheetos attributes that provoke the brain to say: "More!". Most of all, he focused on the amazing ability of the sticks to dissolve in the mouth. "It's called calorie evaporating," Weatherly said. “When something melts quickly, the brain thinks that it contains no calories ... you can continue to eat it just indefinitely.”
specific sensory response. The brain loves variety. If you eat the same food over and over again, the pleasure from it starts to decrease. In other words, the susceptibility to this particular food will decrease over time. This can happen in literally seconds.
However, harmful products are created in such a way as to avoid this reaction. They provide just enough flavor to be interesting (your brain doesn't get tired of eating them), but they don't stimulate sensory perception enough to dull it. That's why after swallowing a whole bag of potato chips, you may still be able to eat the next one. For the brain, the crunch and perception of Doritos is new and interesting every time.
Calorie saturation. Unhealthy foods are designed to make you feel like you're getting nutrition without feeling full. Receptors in your stomach and mouth tell your brain how satisfying a certain food is for your body and what complex of proteins, fats and carbohydrates it contains. Junk food provides enough calories for your brain to decide, "Yes, this will give me some energy," but not so much that it says, "That's enough, I'm full." As a result, you first of all want the food itself, but it will take quite a long time to eat it.
Memories of previous food experiences. In this case, the psychobiology of junk food works right against you. When you eat something tasty (say, a bag of chips), the brain remembers this sensation. And the next time you see this product, or when you smell it or just read about it, your brain will begin to recall the sensations that you experienced when eating this food.
Such memories can trigger real physiological responses such as salivation and the cravings we experience when we think about our favorite foods.
The combination of all these factors makes processed food for human brain tasty and desirable. The combination of the science behind these foods and their incredible ubiquity (cheap fast food is everywhere) makes it hard to follow healthy eating habits.
2. How to switch to proper nutrition easily and without pain
Most of humanity is sure that changing behavior and introducing good habits depends entirely on motivation and willpower. But still, the more I study this topic, the more I am convinced that in the first place, changes in behavior are caused by the environment.
What is around you can have an incredible impact on your behavior. There is no area where this is more true than in nutrition. What we eat on a daily basis often stems from what surrounds us.
Before I tell you how to get started with proper nutrition, let me tell you about an interesting experiment to illustrate what I mean...
The value of your environment for starting the PP
Anne Thorndike is a primary care physician at the Massachusetts Hospital in Boston. Thorndike, along with her colleagues, organized a study that lasted six months and was published in American Journal of Public Health.
With the help of this study, secretly conducted in a hospital cafeteria, thousands of people were able to develop healthy eating habits without the slightest involvement of their willpower or influencing their motivations. Thorndike and her team took advantage of a concept known as "Choice Architecture". It's a fancy phrase used to refer to changes in the placement of food and drink, but it turns out to have a lot of meaning.
The choice architecture was first applied to drinks in the canteen. Prior to the start of the study, there were 3 main refrigerators in which there was soda. The researchers made sure that water was added to each of the three, and also placed baskets with bottles of water throughout the room.
The image below shows the arrangement of the room "before" (picture A) and how it began to look after the changes made (picture B). Areas where water bottles were located are shaded in black.
Image taken from American Journal of Public Health, April 2012.
What happened? Over the next quarter, soda sales fell 11.4%. At the same time, water purchases increased by 25.8%. Similar adjustments were made to the power options. No one said a word to the visitors who ate in the dining room. The researchers simply changed the environment, and people quite naturally reacted to it.
The architecture of choice is especially important when you are overtaken by stressful conditions, fatigue or distraction. If you're already exhausted, you're probably not going to put in a lot of effort preparing a healthy dinner or exercising. You just grab or cook what is the easiest.
This means that, with little time to organize your room, office, kitchen, and other areas, these changes in choice architecture can help you make better choices, even when your willpower is waning.
How to stick to a healthy diet effortlessly
Cornell University professor Brian Wansink has done a lot of research on how environment shapes the decisions we make about nutrition. Many of the ideas below are found in his popular book Mindless Eating. Here are some of his best-practice strategies for applying the architecture of choice to simplify the healthy eating process.
- Use smaller bowls. The larger the plate, the larger the serving. Therefore, you eat more food. According to Wansink and his team's research, if you make a small change and start using a plate with a diameter of 25.4 cm instead of 30.5 cm, then over the next year you will reduce the amount of food you eat by 22%.
In this regard, it should be noted that if you thought: "I'm just going to put less food on my plate" ... it's not so simple. The figure below clearly shows why. If you eat a smaller portion from a large plate, your mind remains unsatisfied. At the same time, the same amount of food eaten from a smaller plate will feel more satisfying. The black circles in the image below are exactly the same, but your brain and stomach don't think so.
This picture shows how small portions can look satisfying on a small plate but meager on a large one.
- Want to cut down on alcohol or sugary sodas? Use replace low and wide glasses with narrow and tall ones. Take a look at the image below. Which line is longer, horizontal or vertical?
Like those two lines in the picture, an elongated glass will appear larger than a short one, and this will naturally help you drink less.
As it turns out, the lengths of both lines are identical, but our brains tend to exaggerate vertical lines. In other words, drinks in taller dishes seem more voluminous than in round, low cups. And since the height increases items much more than the width, you will drink less when using taller glasses. In fact, if you drink from a tall glass, the amount you drink is typically 20% less than when you use a low, wide glass. (Hats off to Daria Pino, who was the first to share this image and idea).
- Choose a plate color that contrasts with the color of your food. I already mentioned in my other article that if the color of the plate matches the food on it, we eat more, because the brain finds it difficult to determine the actual serving size. It is for this reason that dishes in dark green or dark blue are perfect, they will contrast with food. light shades, for example, pasta or potatoes (which means you will eat less of these foods), but will not set off much with greens and vegetables (hence, you will most likely put them on your plate more).
- Post useful products in a conspicuous place. For example, you can put a cup of nuts or fruit near the front door, or in a place that you will definitely pass through when leaving home. Being hungry in a hurry, you are more likely to grab the first thing that catches your eye.
- Wrap unhealthy foods in thin foil and healthy foods in cling film. In this case, the old adage “Out of sight, out of mind” works. Eating is not only a physical but also an emotional process. Our brain often determines what we want to eat based on what we see in front of us. Therefore, if unhealthy food is wrapped or hidden in less visible places, the likelihood that you will prefer it is much less.
- Choose large packages and containers for storing healthy food, and small ones for unhealthy food. Large boxes and containers will more often attract the eye, take up space in the pantry and in the kitchen, and get in your way in every possible way. As a result, the likelihood that you will notice them and eat them will be higher. At the same time, small packages can hide in your kitchen for months. (Look around right now. What is near you? Perhaps miniature jars and containers.)
And one more tip: if you bought a large pack of something unhealthy, you can repackage it into several containers or smaller ziplock bags, so you are less likely to drink or eat a lot of it at a time.
What is worth eating?
As I mentioned at the very beginning, this is not a guide to what foods to eat. This guide is about why we eat the way we do and what we can do about it. However, I will offer you two options on how to fill your plate.
- Eat more greens. There is no consensus on the ideal diet, but almost everyone agrees on one thing: eat more vegetables. It's pretty hard to find even one diet that doesn't agree that having more vegetables in your diet is a good idea.
- Eat varied. As mentioned earlier, the brain is obsessed with novelty. While you may not be able to replicate the crunchy/creamy Oreo combo, you can diversify your diet enough so you don't get bored. For example, you can dip crunchy carrots in creamy hummus for a fresh twist. In addition, finding new spices and flavors for your meals will help make a balanced diet more desirable.
A healthy diet doesn't have to be tasteless. Mix foods to get different sensations, and you may find it easier than eating the same food day in and day out. (Although, at some point, you may have to fall in love with boredom.)
Two Simple Techniques for Switching to PP
The basic idea behind most quality diets is the same: eat unprocessed foods that have been grown or grazed outdoors. Some of them may vary - no animal products, grains, etc., but most of them correspond to the general concept of "real food".
But, if you are like me, then you will feed on everything that is nearby, regardless of whether it came from mother nature or not. Therefore, the best strategy is to surround yourself with useful products.
- Use the Outer Ring method. During my trips to the store, I only move along the "outer ring". I don't walk between the aisles. Usually it is along the perimeter of the store that healthy products are located: raw meat, fish, nuts, fruits, vegetables and eggs. It all lived or grew in nature. This is what I eat.
The shelves between the rows are filled with boxes and processed food. Do not go there and then you will not buy these products. Without buying such foods, you will not find them nearby to eat. Try this method on your next trip to the grocery store and try not to make exceptions.
Of course, there will be times when you will need to walk between the aisles to buy some spices or a bottle of olive oil, but this will be extremely rare. During my last three visits to the grocery store, I followed this strategy with ease, and I'm sure you can too.
How to eat what you want and not feel guilty
- Never break 2 times in a row. I think life means living with pleasure. I have no desire to judge myself for eating a slice of pizza or feeling guilty about drinking a glass of beer. But I also know very well that by eating healthy food I am feeling better.
To balance these two things, I made a simple rule for myself that I try to stick to: whenever I eat something unhealthy, the next meal will consist of healthy food.
skip one useful reception food is not a problem, but I never feel like doing it twice in a row. Even those who achieve the best results make common mistakes, but they get back on track faster than many others. I try to do the same with my food. I don't worry about having a good time and trying to enjoy life, but I also use this simple rule to get back to eating right as quickly as possible.
3. Maintain proper eating habits without disruption
Solving the main problem of unhealthy eating
There is a reason many people use food as a stress reliever. Stressful situations provoke the release of chemicals in certain areas of the brain (in particular, opiates and neuropeptide Y). These substances are able to activate a mechanism similar to cravings for sweet or fatty foods. In other words, when you're stressed, your brain has a habitual craving for fatty or sugary foods, and you lash out at junk food.
Stressful situations happen in everyone's life. Learning other stress relief techniques can help you deal with this junk food craving. It can be simple breathing techniques or a short guided meditation. Or something more active like exercise or creative pursuits.
How to say "no" to temptations
The ability to say “no” is one of the most useful skills in a child’s learning and development, especially when it comes to a healthy lifestyle. Research results indicate that small changes can help you say no more easily, resist temptation, and stick to healthy eating habits.
A study was published in the Journal of Consumer Research in which 120 students were divided into two different groups. The difference was that the participants of one of the groups said: "I can't", and the other: "I won't."
The students in the first group were told every time they were tempted to say to themselves, "I can't do X." That is, if they wanted to eat ice cream, they had to say: "I can't eat ice cream."
The second group was instructed to use the phrase "I will not do X" in such cases. Again, in the case of ice cream, they would say, "I won't eat ice cream."
After repeating these phrases, each student was given a questionnaire with a series of non-research questions. Having finished answering, the students went to turn in their sheets in full confidence that the study was over. But in fact, everything was just beginning.
Each subject who left the room and turned in his answer sheet was offered a free meal. You could choose a chocolate bar or a healthy cereal bar. After they left, the researcher recorded the selected treat on the answer sheet.
Participants who spoke to themselves; "I can't eat X" preferred chocolate 61% of the time. At the same time, among those who were in the group with the “I will not eat X” attitude, only 36% chose chocolate. This slight difference in terminology greatly increased the likelihood that everyone would opt for a healthy product.
But why did such a small thing lead to such a big difference?
Phrase to help you eat right
Your choice of words helps to articulate your feelings of autonomy and control. What's more, the phrases you use create a loop in your brain. feedback influencing your behavior in the future.
For example, every time you say “I can’t” to yourself, you create a feedback loop that is a reminder of limits. This choice of terms indicates that you are forcing yourself to do something you don't feel like doing.
By comparison, if you tell yourself, "I won't," a response is created that is associated with control and power over the situation. This phrase can encourage you to fight bad habits and maintain good ones.
Heidi Grant Halvorson is director of Motivational scientific center Columbia University. Here's how she explains the difference between "I won't" and "I can't" statements...
"I won't" is perceived as a choice and therefore this wording is felt to be empowered. This is a confirmation of your determination and willpower. "I can't" is not a choice. It's a limitation, it's something imposed. So thinking in terms of "I can't" undermines your sense of power and personal authority.
"I won't" feels like a choice, and so the wording feels empowered. This is a confirmation of your determination and willpower. "I can't" is not a choice. It's a limitation, it's something imposed.
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Would you like to prolong your youth and health? Then you just need to know how to eat right. It is worth starting the study of the basics with the words of Hippocrates: "Food should be our medicine." Plus, proper nutrition allows us to stay healthy, which means beautiful, young and not face the problems of excess weight, cellulite or premature aging.
A balanced diet energizes the body, and physical labor or sports make it strong, able to resist. viral infections and other sources of disease.
In youth, the foundation of health is laid. It can be strong as a stone or fragile as sand, then in adulthood people become weak and sick. If you are dreaming about healthy life without illness, learn to eat right.
3 rules of proper nutrition
- First rule: proper diet The diet consists of many different foods from each level of the food pyramid. Monotony in food does not provide the body with all the necessary nutrients. The menu for every day should include products of all colors (the more of them, the better for health).
- The second rule: the menu for each day includes the correct amount of products from each level of the food pyramid. Only in this way can you get all the calories and nutrients necessary for normal growth and development.
- Rule Three: You can't eat too much of one kind of food. This leads to digestive disorders or other complications.
What is a balanced diet
How to eat properly to provide the body with everything it needs? Let's start with the main one. Fruits and vegetables provide vitamins and antioxidants, dairy products provide minerals, meats, beans and beans provide protein, and grains provide fiber and healthy carbohydrates.
A balanced diet for every day includes 30% vegetables, 20% fruits, 20% carbohydrates (starch such as wheat, rice and corn, etc.), 20% protein (which is found in meat, beans, legumes, etc.). .) and 10% dairy products.
Bad and good eating habits
Don't skip breakfast. In the morning, the body needs food in order to provide it with energy. If you do not eat in the morning, your metabolism slows down, which means that you gain excess weight (not in the form of muscle tissue, but of body fat).
Learn to drink plenty of water and a glass - two freshly squeezed juice, such a habit will have a positive effect on health and appearance. Still, other drinks are harmful, especially store-bought fruit juices, in which there are only dyes, sugar and a lot of other chemicals.
Do not buy chips, margarine, frozen foods, White bread, candy, etc. All of them lead to weight gain and destroy health.
How to eat right - menu for 1 day
A successful day starts with a good breakfast, which should include a healthy source of protein and plenty of fiber. This combination will help satisfy your hunger and keep you feeling full until lunch. Protein can come from low-fat dairy products, nuts. Eggs are a good source of protein. High fiber content is found in foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. The best source of fiber is oatmeal.
Menu for breakfast.
- Hard-boiled egg.
- Whole grain toast.
- Mug of fruit juice.
- Oatmeal with skimmed milk and strawberries (banana).
- Tablespoon or two chopped nuts.
- Orange juice.
When there is no time for breakfast, drink a glass of yogurt at home, and an hour later, at work, have a snack with an apple and a handful of nuts (walnuts or pecans).
Menu for lunch.
- Sandwich of two slices of grain bread stuffed with a small piece of turkey fillet, lettuce, mayonnaise, tomato sauce or mustard.
- Grated carrots (200 - 300 gr.)
- Fruit juice 1 tbsp.
If you feel like eating between lunch and dinner, snack on one apple and a glass of milk or drink water (1 to 2 glasses).
Menu for dinner.
If during the day the diet was poor, then there is a high probability for overeating during dinner. To prevent this from happening, mentally divide a small plate into four quarters.
1. One part of it should be filled with a protein source (baked chicken breast);
2. Second part: one small baked potato with low-fat sour cream;
3. The third and fourth parts: green and colored vegetables or vegetable salad.
4. Eat fruits for dessert.
5. Kefir - before going to bed.
The interval between meals for an adult should be 4-5 hours, and for children - 3 (4) hours.
To implement the idea of proper nutrition in your life, you need to make a menu for every day. For those who have not yet succeeded in this matter, we offer a ready-made plan for 5 days.
Healthy diet: menu for 5 days.
| Monday | |
| Breakfast |
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| Dinner |
gourmet salad, 1 glass of green tea. Gourmet Salad Recipe. Ingredients: arugula and goat cheese, almonds and pears, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and apple cider vinegar (about half a glass). Cut the pear into small pieces and chop the almonds, place them in the pan, adding a spoonful of oil. Simmer for about 5 minutes (pears should remain crispy). Transfer to a plate with cheese and arugula. Prepare the sauce: take apple cider vinegar and pour it into a pan, add some oil. Cook over low heat for 1 minute. Pour this dressing over the salad and add the chopped turkey pieces. |
| Dinner |
Dinner should be light to eat right, it is recommended to eat 5 to 6 hours before bedtime. If you can't sleep because you feel hungry, drink a glass of hot tea. Assorted salad - Try to include as many different vegetables and fruits as you can, such as spinach, arugula, cabbage, tomatoes, cucumber, fresh basil, apple or pear, etc. Also add a piece of beef, chicken, turkey or fish to the dish. One decaffeinated coffee or green tea. |
| Friday | |
| Breakfast |
Omelet recipe. Half a cup of oatmeal, two eggs, two tablespoons of olive or coconut oil, salt to taste. Heat a skillet over low heat and add a tablespoon of coconut oil. Place cereals and fry them for about 5 minutes, stirring until they are golden brown. Salt them and move them to the edge of the pan. In the vacant place, add the rest of the oil and break the eggs into it. Do not immediately mix the eggs with the oats, let them absorb the oil first. Then, after 2 - 3 minutes, they can be mixed, closed with a lid and simmered over low heat until cooked. |
| Dinner |
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| Dinner |
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A balanced diet using the example of the given menu samples for every day will help maintain the health and beauty of the body, affect weight, improve mood and increase immunity. Try eating right for just a few days to see the big difference in how you feel and look great.