A healthy diet is one that contains a wide variety of foods and all the necessary nutrients. It should include products of plant origin, such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, cereals, nuts, olive oil and seeds, and, to a lesser extent, foods of animal origin, such as red meat, fish, eggs, cheese and other dairy products.
It is not only important what we eat, but how much of each thing we eat and how we prepare the food that we put on the plate. In this sense, the hustle and bustle of today’s life, with the permanent feeling that “we don’t have time” to consciously shop and cook, threatens a good diet.
“The lack of time means that we increasingly move away from healthy eating and we opt for patterns that impact our eating habits. This leads us to quickly and quickly consume foods that generally have poor nutritional quality, are processed or precooked, and are high in caloric density, full of salt, sugar, and fat,” said Diego Querze, head of the Nutrition section. in Fleni Neurological Diseases.
develop good habits
The formation of good eating habits is an excellent tool for disease prevention. A poor diet can promote not only obesity, but is also a risk factor for the development of associated diseases.
“Diets with foods high in salt, fat and sugar contribute to the development of chronic non-communicable diseases, with the consequences that this brings and its negative impact on our health,” warned Mr. Querze. “These behaviors, added to physical inactivity and sedentary lifestyle, intervene in the formation of metabolic risk factors such as overweight, obesity, cerebrovascular disease, hypercholesterolemia, vascular risk and arterial hypertension, among others,” he indicated.
To achieve a healthy and balanced diet, it is essential to organize and plan our meals and also take a few minutes to enjoy them. “Being more aware when we eat helps us control what we eat, how we eat and the amount we eat,” explained the specialist.
Some tips for
Eat well
For all this, Mr. Querze recommends following these guidelines for a healthy diet:
l Choose seasonal fruits and vegetables
l Opt for whole grains
l Incorporate fish into the diet
l Eat lean, low-fat meats
l Choose low-fat dairy
l Drink plenty of water throughout the day
l Prepare food at home to have more control over ingredients
l Choose healthier cooking methods (steaming instead of frying, for example)
l Use natural herbs and spices to flavor foods
l Watch portion sizes
l Read food labels
l Avoid salt, sugary drinks and foods high in salt, fat and sugar
The good news is that there is always time to put aside harmful habits and incorporate healthier ones. “Fortunately, there is a high percentage of the population that is beginning to take into account and worry regarding a healthier diet and incorporates good habits,” said Mr. Querze.
He added that it is key to take care of what you eat at all stages of life, but especially in childhood, since it is the moment in which a person acquires the eating habits that they will follow throughout their lives.
More information: www.fleni.org.ar
