05 Mar What Is Good Nutrition?
Maintaining a healthy weight is essential if you’re to look after your body and not put undue stress and strain on your joints.
Being overweight or obese can increase your chances of developing serious health conditions such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol, as well as putting strain on your joints and cartilage, which can lead to pain and stiffness, creating even more problems as you get older
We all know how important it is to get regular exercise each day, but you also need to make sure that you’re making the right choices where your diet is concerned and that you have a solid understanding of what constitutes good nutrition if you’re to really make your health and wellbeing a top priority now and well into the future.
Good nutrition simply means that you’re giving your body all the minerals, vitamins and nutrients it needs to work at optimum levels. Meal planning can really help you follow a healthy diet and organisation really is key as, without it, you’ll likely find yourself reaching for the unhealthy snacks and convenience foods as time goes on.
Eating lots of delicious fruit is an absolute must and this is an excellent way to get natural fibre in your diet. You can make fruit juices, of course, and these will count towards your five a day (although experts now say you should be aiming to get between eight and ten portions of fruit and veg each day), but remember that fruit juices won’t give you the fibre you need.
You’ll also need to make sure that you’re eating plenty of fresh vegetables on a daily basis, as well, and aim to eat as varied a selection as possible. They say that the more colourful your plate is, the healthier it is – so this is an excellent rule of thumb to stick to.
Wholegrains also form an essential part of any healthy diet, so where possible always choose the wholegrain versions of cereals, pasta, bread and so on. Wholegrains are high in nutrients and fiber, as well as antioxidants, protein and minerals like iron, zinc and magnesium, all helping to keep you in very fine fettle indeed.
In terms of protein, choosing lean meat and fish is generally better for your health as this has less fat and fewer calories, but you can also source protein from beans, pulses and tofu if you’re vegan or looking to reduce your meat intake.
They say that a Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest ones to follow so if you’re looking for some recipes and meal plans, do some research online to see what you can find. Apps like Whisk and My Fitness Pal are excellent ways to organise your daily meals and help you stick to your health goals.
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