A healthy diet, contrary to what many think, is not a full power restriction or taste. A healthy diet is one that mainly ensures that your body is receiving all the nutrients it needs. To be a really healthy diet, you need to think about variety, balance, quantity and the safety of the foods that are being eaten. Healthy eating
In this text, we will talk about the importance of having a healthy diet, tips to eat better and some mistakes made by many people when it comes to food.
Importance of healthy diet
It is not news that inadequate nutrition is related to a series of diseases, is it not? Among the major health problems related to a poor diet are obesity, diabetes, hypertension and even some types of cancers.
We must not forget yet that a poor diet is a cause of malnutrition. All of these problems are serious and can lead an individual to death, so healthy eating is synonymous with health.
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Main errors in feeding
Poor diet is more and more common nowadays. The lack of time to enjoy the meal, the need for quickly manufactured foods and the wide variety of unhealthy products help to increase the number of people who do not eat properly. In the following, we will describe some very common mistakes we make when it comes to food.
Excessive consumption of salt can cause health problems and it is essential to consume in moderation.
- Put too much salt in the food. This error is related to the increase in blood pressure and also to an increase in fluid retention.
- Consuming too much sugar. Excessive sugar consumption is related to problems such as the development of obesity.
- Assemble dishes with little variety. Colored dishes have more nutrients and are therefore healthier.
- Do not eat greens, fruits, and vegetables. These foods are essential to provide us with vitamins and also fiber.
- Do not hydrate yourself properly. It is recommended to drink, on average, two liters of water daily.
- Skip meals. When skipping meals, a person goes a long time without eating and this can cause the person to overeat when eating.
Food pyramid Healthy Diet
The food pyramid, unlike what many think, does not show a diet that should be followed. The primary function of the pyramid is to guide the population about our food needs, alerting us to the need to think about variety and balance in our daily lives.
The food pyramid helps to guide us about the nutrients that must be present in our diet.
There are different food pyramids and here we will consider the pyramid proposed by Philippi, in 2013, in his work “Redesign of the Brazilian Food Pyramid for healthy eating”. It contains eight food groups that are distributed over four levels. The eight groups and their recommendations in kilocalories are:
- Rice, bread, pasta, potato, cassava: 900 kcal (6 servings per day)
- Vegetables: 45 kcal (3 servings per day)
- Fruits: 210 kcal (3 servings per day)
- Meat and eggs: 190 kcal (1 serving per day)
- Milk, cheese, and yogurt: 360 kcal (3 servings per day)
- Beans and oilseeds: 55 kcal (1 serving per day)
- Oils and fats: 73 kcal (1 serving per day)
- Sugars and sweets: 110 kcal (1 serving per day)
At the base, we have rice, bread, pasta, roots, and tubers. On the second level, we have vegetables, fruits, and vegetables. The third group includes groups of milk and dairy products, meat, eggs and beans and oilseeds. Finally, we have the top of the pyramid with oils, fats and sugars and sweets.
At the base of the pyramid, we observe the groups responsible for providing us with energy, since we have a group of carbohydrates. At the second level, we have foods rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber, and these foods are considered regulators. At the third level, we have protein-rich foods. In the final level, we have a group of the Alimentos that should be consumed in a moderate way, since they have a direct relationship with the development of obesity.
In addition to these guidelines, in the food pyramid, there is a recommendation for physical activity and the need to have 6 meals daily.
Tips for healthy eating
To have a healthy diet, some important actions must be taken. To help the population in this task, the Ministry of Health created the “10 Steps to Healthy Eating”. They are simple and easy to follow tips. Check out:
10 Steps to Healthy Eating – MINISTRY OF HEALTH
1. Eat at least three meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) and two healthy snacks a day. Do not skip meals.
2. Include six portions of the cereal group (rice, corn, wheat, bread, and pasta), tubers such as potatoes and roots such as manioc/cassava / cassava in your meals daily. Give preference to whole grains and foods in their most natural form.
3. Eat at least three servings of vegetables daily as part of meals and three or more servings of fruits for desserts and snacks.
4. Eat beans and rice every day or at least five times a week. This Brazilian dish is a complete combination of proteins and good for health.
5. Consume three servings of milk and dairy products daily and one serving of meat, poultry, fish or eggs. Remove apparent fat from meat and poultry skin before preparation makes these foods healthier.
6. Consume a maximum of one serving a day of vegetable oils, olive oil, butter or margarine. Pay attention to food labels and choose those with the lowest amounts of trans fats.
7. Avoid soft drinks and processed juices, cakes, sweet and stuffed cookies, sweet desserts and other goodies as a rule of food.
8. Decrease the amount of salt in the food and remove the salt shaker from the table. Avoid consuming processed foods with a lot of salt (sodium), such as hamburgers, jerky, sausage, sausage, ham, snacks, canned vegetables, soups, sauces, and seasonings.
9. Drink at least two liters (six to eight glasses) of water a day. Give preference to water consumption between meals.
10. Make your life healthier. Practice at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day and avoid alcohol and smoking. Keep weight within healthy limits.
