How Health and A Balanced Diet Go Hand In Hand

Today I’m sharing some tips to help you understand how health and a balanced diet go hand in hand towards a healthier & happier lifestyle. I don’t know about you, but I never lost those 20 pounds of winter weight from the winter of 2019 because of our current climate in the world. While I was able to lose about 5lbs doing at-home workouts, I’m still up 15lbs going into the winter of 2020.

Despite what many people think, you can’t just go to the gym and make up for a poor diet. You can’t expect yourself to eat a perfect diet, but if you want to say that you are a healthy person, having a balanced diet is a crucial aspect of this.

A balanced diet and your overall health and wellbeing go hand in hand – then you can consider adding exercise in. What you eat and how you choose to fuel your body is the most important thing. Let’s talk more about balanced diets below and what you should know:

Don’t Cut Out A Food Group

Many people think ‘if I want to get healthy, I should kickstart it by cutting out a food group!’ – the keto diet, for example, is a low carb low protein diet that is very high in fat. Many people do lose weight on it, but this is often a result of lower calories.

It’s also worth noting that the body needs protein, carbs, and fats in more balanced amounts to run optimally. Eventually, you’ll likely eat the food group again and you’ll probably feel out of control.

This happens to many people because it’s somewhat of an all or nothing approach. You shouldn’t be depriving yourself of food groups. We need all of them for different reasons!

Everything In Moderation

Now, you need to try to get into the mindset of ‘everything in moderation’. Moderation is key to living a healthy lifestyle and not feeling deprived. As soon as you feel deprived, you’ll likely rebel against your rules quickly and then wonder why you can’t seem to stick to a healthy routine. Allow yourself the odd chocolate bar, and don’t even call it a treat.

There are no ‘good’ foods or ‘bad’ foods. There are simply foods with a more optimal energy balance. Choosing foods with a good energy balance the majority of the time will help you to feel good and perform well. Don’t fret over things like the odd cup of tea or coffee with a splash of milk or a few biscuits!

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Snack On Vegetables

Having some sugary snacks can be a nice boost if you need them, but you’ll often feel like bingeing on them if your meals are too small and not filling you up. First of all, make sure your meals are filling and satiating.

Then, when you would like a snack, have vegetables alongside any sugary snacks to make sure you get full up. Gherkins, and the best pickled jalapenos make interesting snacks that some people like to pick out of the jar. Carrots and hummus are a great snack, as well as celery, cucumber, and tomatoes.

Eat Until You Are Full

Chew slowly, concentrate on your plate, and pay attention to when you are full and stop eating. Don’t eat past the point of feeling full or sick!

Try Macro Tracking For A Short While

If you want to make sure you’re getting enough protein, fats, and carbs into your diet and that you’re not consuming too many trans fats, try tracking for a short while. This will give you a better idea of where you’re currently at with your diet!