Consequences of an unbalanced diet. Unbalanced diet

Most popular weight loss diets in Russia are unbalanced. Such diets are dangerous long-term use and are not always useful even for a short period of time.

Unbalanced diets include those that do not allow you to get the necessary substances from food, a sufficient amount of calories and do not include all vital food groups in the diet. Unbalanced diets are dangerous if used for longer than one month (especially strict ones - longer than several days). Such diets, as a rule, provide for the exclusion of vital important products, serious calorie restrictions, etc.

Types of unbalanced diets

Mono-diets
The undisputed leaders among unbalanced diets are mono-diets, that is, diets that allow the consumption of only one product (or group of products). Buckwheat, kefir, rice, grapefruit, etc. - all these are mono-diets, poor in all products except those stated in the name of the weight loss methods. The imbalance of such diets is associated with a lack of basic products, vital nutrients and calories.

Radical vegetarian options
Unbalanced diets include veganism (allowed only plant food), fruitarianism (fruit only) and raw food diet (link to article). These power systems are also poor necessary for the body substances and calories. Besides raw foods are assimilated worse products, undergone heat treatment.

Diets with a Shifted Emphasis nutritional value
Many popular diets that do not meet the standard balance of proteins, fats and carbohydrates (Atkins diet, Dukan diet, Montignac diet, etc.) are considered unbalanced.

Express diets
All diets, which are recommended to be followed for no more than 7 days, are by default unbalanced, since they are not designed for long-term use. The proportions of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, sufficient calories and the presence of a full range of nutrients are not very important for these diets due to their short duration. The same applies to fasting, the benefits of which have not been confirmed, and to fasting days, which are useful only with one-day use.

Specific “single product” diets
All amateur diets that rely on the consumption of specific foods such as processed cheese, sausages, alcohol, chocolate, ice cream, etc. are unbalanced.

Features and risks of unbalanced diets

The features and risks of unbalanced diets are related to their specifics, but some common features can be highlighted.

Risk Factor #1: Insufficient Calories
Many unbalanced diets do not take into account standard indicators minimum required amount of calories. Excessively low-calorie diets can cause muscle dystrophy, hypovitaminosis, poor health, etc.

Risk Factor #2: Imbalanced Macronutrient Intake
Normally, the ratio is 15-20% proteins, about 30% fats, 50-60% carbohydrates. In unbalanced diets, these indicators are shifted in one direction or another (no-carbohydrate, low-fat, low-protein), which leads to negative changes in the functioning of the digestive tract (constipation, diarrhea, gas formation, etc.) and disrupts metabolism.

Risk Factor #3: Imbalanced Micronutrient Intake
Get a complete set of vitamins, minerals, minor and biological active substances This is only possible with a varied diet. Restrictions imposed on basic food groups (meat, fish, dairy, cereals, vegetables and fruits) will inevitably affect the intake of micronutrients. This entails the risk of hypovitaminosis, deterioration of the condition of the skin, hair, nails, and in the most severe cases - serious problems with the activity of the main systems of the body (hormonal, nervous, cardiovascular, etc.).

Slimness at any cost?

Although protein diets, mono-diets and other methods of quickly gaining weight are very popular, it must be remembered that physical and mental stress increases the risk of damage to health as a result of not balanced nutrition.

Many nutritionists consider this to be the apotheosis of imbalance
the so-called “Kremlin” diet, which allows without restrictions
consume sausages, mayonnaise and alcohol when strictly prohibited
for cereals, bread, many vegetables and fruits.

Photos used in this material belong to shutterstock.com

Only a few people who lose weight through diets achieve their goals. Moreover, half of them, after switching to a regular diet, gain the ill-fated kilograms again, and even in even greater quantities. For some, weight loss results in poor health and health problems. However, all these complications can be avoided if you use a balanced diet rather than diets. Moreover, figuring it out is not as difficult as it might seem at first.

What it is

A balanced diet is a diet based on the optimal balance of substances necessary for normal height, development and functioning of the body. At the same time, it is completely satisfied daily requirement in energy, are observed correct proportions BJU, saturation with vitamins and microelements occurs. This allows you to maintain normal weight at any age.

With an increased BMI (read what it is and how to determine the norm and deviations taking into account age), nutritionists and doctors advise not to go on a diet, but to use a balanced diet, which will allow you to lose weight without harm to your health and without regaining lost kilograms in the future.

The weight loss process starts thanks to a significant reduction in fat in the diet, a decrease in simple carbohydrates, proper redistribution of dietary fat, and adherence to a meal schedule. As a result, metabolism is normalized and accelerated, the body stops storing reserves, and digestion improves. In a week, no more than 1 kg is lost, but these are the indicators that are considered optimal for losing weight without harm to health.

The theory of balanced nutrition

It was formulated at the end of the 19th century. A great contribution to its development was made by I.P. Pavlov, who described in detail the physiology of the digestive system. According to it, eating is a way to maintain a single and constant molecular balance in the body. Any expenses must be offset by new food receipts.

The daily norm of vital consumption was established necessary substances, expressed in quantitative indicators. They are influenced by physiological characteristics (age and gender), physical exercise, climatic conditions and other factors. Over more than 100 years of the theory's existence, these data have been revised several times.

On this moment the statement of Academician of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences A. A. Pokrovsky is relevant, who defined proper balanced nutrition as the optimal balance of all food components that maximally satisfy physiological needs body. Moreover, this applies not only to beneficial nutrients, but also to those wastes that are filtered and eliminated by the liver and kidneys.

The daily requirement of an adult for substances and energy, according to the theory of balanced nutrition, is presented in the table below.

Most diets cannot provide this weight loss daily norm. The result is health problems and rapid weight gain at the end.

Kinds

1. Rational balanced diet

Takes into account the food characteristics of different populations of people in accordance with their geographical location. For example, for northern peoples it involves an emphasis on meat and fish, and for African tribes - on fruits and vegetables. For the former, the amount of fat consumed automatically increases, while for the latter, a protein minimum is characteristic. That's why plant based diet for a Nanai (for example) it will be not only useless, but also harmful. This factor must be taken into account when creating a diet for weight loss.

2. Functional balanced nutrition

This is food with health-improving effect, something like dietary supplements, but having a different status. As a rule, it undergoes long-term clinical trials and is supported by appropriate documentation. Created based on natural ingredients and is as close as possible to the products that nature offers. It can replace any meal. In particular, the most prominent representative in this niche is - trademark, offering smart food for weight loss.

Formula

The most important concept in the theory of balanced nutrition - the ratio of BZHU, i.e. in what proportion proteins, fats and carbohydrates should be present in daily diet person. Classic concept sets the standard at 1/1.2/4, although the second digit has recently been increasingly rounded to one. Other formulas are also suggested:

4/2/4 - experimental proportion, not yet scientifically confirmed;
2/1/2 - for employees mental work;
2/2/5 - during intense physical activity;
5/1/2 - universal formula for weight loss;
2.2/2/4.5 - for women;
3/2/5 - for men.

Using the formulas for calculating the daily ratio of BJU for your parameters, you can create a diet for weight loss without any harm to health.

Example. If we use the Mifflin-San Geor formula, for a 30-year-old man with a height of 180 cm, a weight of 90 kg and moderate activity, the optimal BJU ratio is 120/35.6/200 (in grams). You can see more detailed calculations of how these numbers turned out, and also find out how to balance your diet to lose weight.

The uniqueness of such nutrition is that absolutely everyone can practice it - both children and the elderly. Diets in most cases are contraindicated before 18 and after 55 years. For example, a teenage boy suffering from excess weight, you will have to focus on proteins and slightly limit carbohydrates. And for a woman after 60 years, when there should no longer be a problem overweight body, and the priority should only be to preserve health and prolong life, it is necessary to observe the classical proportion (taking into account existing diseases and doctor’s recommendations).

The variety of proportions indicates the mobility of this theory. She also has one more valuable property. As energy sources, BZhU are interchangeable for a short time.

Example. Normally, carbohydrates should be about 60 g for every 100 g of food, and proteins and fats should be about 20 g each. When deciding to lose weight with the help of some kind of diet (let’s take this as an example), for some time you can upset this balance without harm to your health. body, taking into account the interchangeability of these substances. At daily calorie content at 1,500 kcal the ratio can be redistributed in the following way:

Proteins must make up the majority of the diet to preserve muscle mass and maintenance carbohydrate metabolism. However, from the point of view of proper nutrition, such a balance is considered seriously disturbed and cannot last too long, otherwise at some point neither proteins nor fats will be able to cover the lack of carbohydrates, a lack of energy will appear, which will negatively affect not only the process of losing weight, but and to your health.

For this reason, a healthy, balanced diet excludes dieting as a way to lose weight. According to this theory, it is enough to reduce the daily calorie intake and reduce the amount of food consumed, but not to violate the BJU ratio.

Basic principles

To compose balanced diet When eating in order to lose weight, you need to follow certain rules.

BJU ratio

20% of daily calories;
60% of them are of animal origin, 40% are of plant origin.

20% of daily calories;
60% of them are of plant origin, 40% are of animal origin (better - easily digestible, found in fish and seafood).

Carbohydrates:

60% of daily calories;
95% of them are complex, 5% are simple (you can read about the differences in).

Meals

Breakfast (40% of daily calories): proteins, simple and complex carbohydrates.
Lunch (5%): proteins or complex carbohydrates.
Lunch (30%): soup, protein with vegetable side dish, fruit drinks.
Afternoon snack (5%): proteins or complex carbohydrates.
Dinner (20%): easily digestible proteins and carbohydrates.

Rules

A balanced diet involves 5-6 meals in small portions.
IN normal conditions drink at least 2 liters of water. At active activities sports and in the heat - up to 3 liters.
The day starts with a glass of warm water. You need to drink it before each meal (about half an hour before).
You can't drink it down solid food drinks. They are allowed to be consumed no earlier than half an hour later.
Limit daily use salt up to 7 g.
Don't overeat before bed. Have dinner about 3 hours before.
Limit in the diet, and over time completely eliminate such harmful products, such as sweets, baked goods, fast food, chips, sauces, semi-finished products, meat by-products.
Remove frying from your cooking methods.
To lose weight, it is enough to reduce your daily calorie intake, but not eliminate any of the BJU components from your diet.

If you are planning to lose weight without harm to your health and want to achieve lasting results, you will have to follow these basics of a balanced diet.

The first balanced nutrition pyramid was developed by American nutritionists at Harvard School in 1992. In 2007 it was improved and received the status state program and was named MyPyramid.

Balanced nutrition pyramid

I stage(base of the pyramid)

For all:

complex carbohydrates: bread, pasta, cereals, rice;
vegetable fats: rapeseed, corn and sunflower oils;
oranges, watermelon, beets.

For those who play sports and lose weight:

wholemeal bread coarse, unpolished rice, durum wheat pasta, buckwheat, pearl barley;
vegetable fats: olive, flaxseed oils;
tomatoes, bananas, apples.

Consumed at every meal.

II stage:

vegetable proteins: legumes, nuts, seeds;
animal proteins: meat, eggs, fish, seafood.

Used twice a day.

III stage:

dairy products.

Use once a day.

IV stage(top of the pyramid):

animal fats: red meat, butter, margarine;
sweets: sugar, creams, sparkling water;
bakery;
alcohol.

Their use should be limited to a minimum.

Products for a balanced diet

Carbohydrates

legumes;
mushrooms;
bitter chocolate;
greenery;
oats, millet;
yogurt;
cabbage, zucchini, peppers, tomatoes;
kiwi, apples, tangerines, plums;
nuts;
bread;
cranberry, cherry.

fruits;
nuts;
dairy products.

Squirrels

Animals:

fish;
seafood;
beef, rabbit;
chicken, turkey;
eggs;
milk.

Vegetable:

nuts;
cereals;
legumes;
fruits;
mushrooms.

Fats

Vegetable:

cereals;
nuts;
oily vegetables and fruits;
Cold pressed oils: olive, linseed.

Animals:

fish;
fish fat;
seafood;
eggs;
meat.

Sample menu for the week

Recipes

Breakfast: baked cheesecakes

200 g 3% cottage cheese;
1 egg;
20 g honey;
4 dates;
100 g semolina;
50 g peeled flour.

Mash the cottage cheese with a fork and mix it with semolina. Beat in the egg. Knead the resulting dough. Wash, pit and finely chop the dates. Pour into the main mass. Add melted honey. Mix everything thoroughly, form thickened small cakes, roll in flour. Cover a baking sheet with parchment and place cheesecakes on it. Bake at 180°C for half an hour.

First for lunch: green cream soup

200 g broccoli;
100 g celery stalks;
100 g spinach;
50 g carrots;
1 liter of water;
2 processed cheese;
greenery.

Peel and cut vegetables into small pieces. Boil until ready. Drain off the water in which they were boiled. Pour in a new one and bring to a boil. Add cheeses. Keep on moderate heat for another 5 minutes. Cool and blend in a blender. Sprinkle with any chopped herbs.

Recipes for the lowest calorie and delicious soups for quick and effective weight loss you can find.

Second for lunch: vegetable stew with fish

200 g cod (you can take any fish of your choice);
150 g zucchini;
100 g bell pepper;
50 g carrots;
150 g cauliflower;
50 ml tomato paste;
water (“by eye” to cover the vegetables).

Grate carrots on a coarse grater, zucchini and peppers into cubes, cabbage into small slices. Place all the vegetables in a thick-walled saucepan, add water, boil for about 15 minutes. Cut the cod fillet into arbitrary pieces and add to the stew. Keep covered over moderate heat for about 40 minutes. Shortly before turning off, add the paste.

Dinner: omelette with vegetables

3 eggs;
1 tomato;
1 bell pepper;
1 onion;
50 ml 3% milk.

Cut the tomato into slices, the pepper into strips, and the onion into half rings. Place on a greased baking sheet. Beat eggs with milk. Pour them over the vegetables. Simmer in a preheated oven for 5-7 minutes.

Before choosing, try to organize a balanced diet and evaluate the benefits. Health benefits, sustainable weight loss and a varied diet - all this will allow you to feel great and look your best.

Be aware that you will gain weight by eating foods with low content fats and high carbohydrates, which lead to more frequent fluctuations in blood glucose levels and stimulate the pancreas to produce more insulin. In turn, increased insulin levels cause glucose levels to drop significantly more quickly and promote the storage of more fat deposits. Excess fat leads to increased insulin resistance, so that another hated vicious circle is formed.

To avoid excess insulin production and maintain stable, optimal glucose levels throughout the day, follow the recommendations of a healthy diet that combines proteins, fats and carbohydrates. And although the optimal balance of these nutrients individual for each woman, their combination within certain limits will help reduce the level of excess insulin and prevent an imbalance of insulin and glucose, as a result of which food is stored in the body as fat, instead of being burned for energy.

Your meal plan combining proteins, fats and carbohydrates

Protein 35% (from 30 to 35%)

Fat 30% (from 25 to 30%)

Carbohydrates 35% (from 35 to 40%)

In order to further reduce the amount of insulin produced at each meal, it is also recommended to consume more products, which contribute less to glucose production. These are products of the so-called low glycemic index, which contribute to a more gradual increase in blood glucose levels and its stabilization over time. High glycemic index foods are quickly converted into glucose, causing sharp increase blood sugar levels and the release of large amounts of insulin. These include, but are not limited to, bananas, fruit juices, alcohol, sweets, cookies, crackers, white flour products and candy. Glycemic index various foods can be found in paperback nutrition guides.

Water and oxygen: essential elements that are often forgotten

Use clean water and the supply of oxygen to cells - two important element essential for health and successful fight With overweight. They are easily accessible and cost nothing, and yet many people simply don't pay attention to them!

Water

Water supplies the body with fluid that washes the outer walls of our cells and supports the microflora inside them, which allows the entire body to function fully and continue to live. The lack of nutrients in the body is largely caused by insufficient daily intake of water. Chronic mild dehydration leads to disruption of the functioning of the mechanism of action of cells, including those that help get rid of excess weight and those that are involved in creating healthy muscle and connective tissue. The “brain fog” caused by poor nutrition is noticeably worse if your body is even slightly dehydrated and the brain does not receive the amount of fluid necessary for normal functioning. So drink 2-2.5 liters of water daily!

Oxygen

We take breathing for granted and don't realize that oxygen is one of the essential "nutrients" needed to sustain life. You can go without food or drink for several days, but without oxygen, brain death occurs within four minutes! Oxygen is involved in the implementation of all chemical reactions in the body, necessary to maintain life and successfully carry out metabolic processes aimed at burning fat. Long, slow, deep breathing will provide a fresh supply of oxygen and help get rid of excess carbon dioxide, by-product metabolic processes in the cells of the body. A stress-relief technique that uses breathing in the diaphragm, as well as exercises such as yoga, teach the body to breathe correctly for proper oxygen exchange.

Equally important is the timing of meals.

Women who experience these unbearable hormonal changes Women with PCOS should have a better balanced combination of protein, fat, and carbohydrates before menopause to maintain consistent energy levels and the greater mental clarity needed throughout a busy day. Therefore, we need to pay attention not only to what we eat, but also to when we eat. For example, blood sugar levels tend to reach their maximum "daytime low" between 3 and 4 pm, resulting in sluggish thinking, lack of energy, and difficulty concentrating. Then you feel as hungry as a wolf, and to satisfy your hunger, you tend to overeat. A balanced combination of proteins, fats and carbohydrates based on proper nutrition will help you overcome slumps, maintain mental acuity and not jump on everything that comes your way.

You should also eat most of your daily meals when you are most active and when your metabolism is at its highest. If you abstain from eating late at night when your metabolic processes slow down to give your body a break, fat will not accumulate overnight and interfere with your weight loss efforts. You need to consume most daily norm calories (60-70%) before the evening meal.

And don’t forget that it’s best to exercise about two hours after eating, when glucose levels are at their highest and will maintain the required energy level during exercise. Low- to moderate-intensity exercise, such as walking, acts like “invisible insulin,” helping glucose enter the muscles and reducing high blood glucose levels.

And most importantly, do not skip meals, especially breakfast. To jump-start your body in the morning, you need nutrition that stimulates your metabolic processes. If you don't eat on time, it will affect your peace of mind, mood and mental abilities, which is characteristic of brain function during pronounced changes in glucose levels as a result of hyperinsulinemia, aggravated by a drop in estradiol levels and stress, call it what you want - “cotton head” or “brain fog”.

Pay attention to serving size

In recent years, Ukraine has seen an abundance of overweight people (more than half of the population), an abundance of sugar (about 70 kg per capita per year), an abundance of snack foods (the increase in snack bars occurs at a rate of 1% annually), many eat out (nearly 40% of our food budget goes to eating out, double what it was in 1970). We also eat larger portions (in some cases, portion sizes of restaurant meals, snacks, and processed foods have increased by more than 100%). Huge, gigantic portions are served in abundance everywhere, and all the extra calories go straight to the body fat around our waist.

For example, previously a bagel weighing 56-84 g, i.e. the size of a hockey puck, was considered normal. Nowadays, bakeries specializing in making bagels sell their products weighing 140-196 g, the size of a large baseball, which is equivalent to four pieces of bread. People are sure that if a bagel contains little fat, they can be eaten in unlimited quantities. Thus, the number of calories in the body increases, and your waistline gains extra pounds.

Normal, healthy portion A portion of meat or fish is considered to be 84-140 g (the size of a palm, not counting fingers), but most restaurants serve portions of 336, 448, 616 g and 1 kg at a time! It's no surprise that obesity is a national problem. As you can imagine, even a 616 g serving of meat or fish is too large, it is 3-4 normal servings. If you want to successfully fight excess weight, you should train yourself to eat smaller portions. The following list of portion comparisons for various items will help you better navigate your diet.

Computer mouse = one medium-sized baked potato.

One standard soap = one 84 g serving of meat, poultry or fish.

Hockey puck = one bagel or one serving of rice, flour or cereal.

Four dice = 1 ounce serving of 28 grams of hard cheese (equal to 1 serving of protein).

Tennis ball = 1 serving of fruit.

Golf ball = 1 serving (2 tbsp) peanut butter.

Two cassettes = 2 servings of bread.

Alcohol: It prevents you from losing excess weight

Women who regularly drink alcohol often do not realize that it undermines their efforts to combat overweight. First, alcohol adds extra calories to your body, especially when taken in the form of rum punches and margaritas. These calories are completely “non-nutritive”. They simply promote fat deposition. In addition, alcohol is quickly involved in metabolic processes, promoting rapid increase blood glucose levels, which in turn promotes the release of more insulin and increases its resistance. In addition, regular consumption of alcohol leads to increased content triglycerides in the body, which increases the risk of heart disease in women. The picture is not so happy, right?

Alcohol also acts as an independent risk factor for the development breast cancer. Moreover, alcohol leads to the development of breast cancer faster than anything found in estrogen, but the connection between alcohol and the development of cancer is not discussed in the media. Italian scientists found that women who drank alcohol daily were at risk of developing cancer 12 times more than those who did not drink alcohol. By "independent" risk factor for breast cancer, we mean that the risk of the disease is not increased due to changing general content calories, fat, fiber and vitamins.

The age at which you start using also plays an important role in this risk factor. alcohol. Drinking alcohol before the age of thirty increases the risk of breast cancer, regardless of the amount of alcohol consumed later. The main effect that alcohol has on the development of breast cancer is especially dangerous during the most vulnerable period of breast formation during puberty and is correlated with the effect of fats present in the diet. Wouldn't it be logical to reduce your alcohol consumption or give it up altogether? This is a risk factor that you can avoid.

Problem without alcoholic drinks

Many women. trying to lose weight, we stopped consuming dairy products, especially milk, because of the fat they contain. What do they drink instead of milk? Typically, these are soft drinks, regular or sugar-free and caffeine-free. Bad choice! All soft drinks contain large amounts of phosphates, which, when combined with calcium and magnesium ions in the digestive tract, help flush out more of both minerals from the body. This leads to the outflow of calcium and magnesium from the bones, which is so necessary to maintain their levels in the blood, which contributes to normal functioning nervous system and muscles. Therefore, the more soft drinks you consume, the more calcium and magnesium your body loses. Caffeine as a diuretic also contributes to this loss.

Judge for yourself. Low-fat milk contains fewer calories than regular soda water, and instead of leaching calcium from your bones, skim milk supplies your body with calcium and protein and is good for a healthy mid-meal without the fat.

Regular soft drinks not only leach those aforementioned minerals from your bones, they're also simply loaded with sugar. 0.36 l non-dietary soft drink contains about 7-8 teaspoons of sugar. If you drink 5-6 sugary sodas a day, you're getting serious because you're getting almost half of your daily caloric intake from a source that doesn't have any nutritional value. In addition, you put unnecessary stress on the insulin pathways. Even if you drink sugar-free drinks, your body perceives the sweetness of artificial sweeteners, which leads to increased insulin production and storage of more fat.

Nutrition as medicine

Nutrition is actually one of the most important tools for recovery. Our brain is not able to produce serotonin, which improves mood if he does not get enough tryptophan, for example. Without fat, our body cannot produce the hormones it needs to function. Without proteins, our body does not produce immunoglobulin. Diets don't help you lose weight, and they don't do anything at all. What you really need is a meal plan for weight loss and... wellness" Reasonable and proper nutrition will provide your body with healthy fuel for all cells and tissues, improving metabolic processes, reducing the risk of serious diseases, such as diabetes.

The main thing is gradual changes. There is no need to abruptly quit established habits, as this turns out to be ineffective in the long term. Here simple recommendations how best to start. If you are not eating enough, start increasing the amount of food you eat to a reasonable extent. If you overeat, gradually reduce your portions. If you eat unhealthy food a quick fix, start removing one of these dishes from your diet, replacing them with something more beneficial for the body. Distribute main and intermediate meals throughout the day in such a way as to avoid loss of energy and the desire to snack. If you currently have bad feeling, focus on these three measures. And then, when your body is ready, gradually introduce new changes to your diet.

Strategy to improve your well-being

Eliminate simple sugars from your diet. (those sweets that just stick to your hands!)

Reduce your consumption of “white foods” - products made from white flour, bread, potatoes, white rice, etc. Stick to wholemeal products to provide the body with carbohydrates.

Limit your salt intake. Salt leads to swelling and a feeling of fullness; Due to the fact that salt retains fluid, you become more irritable and feel more tired, which cannot but affect your mental and physical well-being.

Try to ensure that with each meal your body receives required amount balanced fats, proteins and carbohydrates as outlined in your meal plan.

Forget about alcohol, because it interferes with successful weight loss, causes headaches and lethargy, and in addition, it stimulates insulin production and stimulates appetite, making you eat more. It also lowers your alertness, allowing you to relax and eat something extra.

Stop excessive caffeine consumption. It promotes increased irritability and slows down normal process burning fat! Limit yourself to two to three cups of tea or coffee per day.

Don't use nicotine. It affects the body in the same way as caffeine.

Distribute the total daily consumption six or seven small meals will help you maintain constant glucose levels, stimulate fat burning, maintain optimal energy levels, improve memory and increase mental clarity.

Eating small amounts of food frequently and eliminating simple sugars from your diet will help you avoid “attacks” of an all-consuming desire to eat something sweet.

Take only healthy foods with you to work or travel.

Stop consuming artificial sweeteners and diet drinks and drink water or regular mineral water instead.

To avoid dehydration, drink at least 2 liters of water per day.

Keep a food diary for every three days

First, observe your eating habits and evaluate whether you need to make any changes. For three days, write down everything you eat. Then compare your diet to the recommendations below. Are there any improvements towards more healthy eating? If yes, then good. Now add to them 3-4 more changes that you are ready to make.

Balanced diet (or as it is also called - balanced diet), does not require enormous effort, and does not contain a lot of restrictions, unlike many diets. The most important thing in a balanced diet is the schedule and inclusion of only nutritious foods in the menu.

A balanced diet directly depends on many indicators: gender, type of activity, and even the place where a person lives. But there are basic principles on which rational nutrition is built that can support human body in great shape.

Basic principles of a balanced diet

Energy consumption

The energy that is consumed during the day must be compensated by the energy value of food. Energy consumption depends on the age, gender of a person and his physical activity. So athletes or people engaged in heavy physical labor need to consume from 4000 to 5000 kcal. But for office workers no more than 2600 kcal. Also, a lot depends on age - after 50 years, it decreases by 7% every ten years.

How to properly balance your diet

The human body needs various substances daily. Each element has its own tasks and functions.

The body cannot be saturated with one and completely exclude another useful substance.

Fats the most energy-rich substances in the body, they also have enormous plastic value, since they contain phospholipids, vitamins, and fatty acid.
Squirrels - the basis of the entire building system of the body. Helpers in the synthesis of hormones, enzymes and vitamins.
Carbohydrates - the main fuel for life. This also includes fiber, which has a main function in the absorption of food.
Vitamins and minerals. Their quantity determines how correctly the body as a whole will function. But this does not mean that you need to quickly consume everything described above. The ratio of all substances and microelements is very important for the body.

Remember! A balanced diet is not a diet, but a lifestyle!

In one day, the protein content in the plate should not exceed 15% (half of which is animal proteins, and the other half is plant proteins). You can calculate something like this: per 1 kg of weight there should be 1 g of protein. So, if you weigh 70 kg, you should consume 70 g of protein per day, of which 35 g vegetable proteins(for example, mushrooms, pasta, rice) and 35 g of animal proteins (fish, cottage cheese, cheese, etc.).

The amount of fat should be no more than 30% of the total diet.

If you divide 30% into types of fats then percentage looks like that:

to 10% - saturated acids;
up to 15% - monounsaturated acids;
up to 7% - polyunsaturated acids.

IN large quantities saturated acids are found in butter and in hard margarines. Monounsaturated acids – in sunflower, soybean, corn oil and in fish, but peanut and olive oil sources of polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Carbohydrates account for no more than 70% of the total daily diet. Of these, the lion's share is allocated to complex carbohydrates and only up to 10% is allocated to simple carbohydrates, which are quickly digestible substances (sweets, sugar, jam, etc.).

Carbohydrates that are not digested include cellulose. Without fiber, the digestive system cannot function as it should (this is bread and all its types, cereals, potatoes, vegetables, fruits and nuts).

As a result, a rational, balanced diet means consuming no more than 80 g of protein, 80 g of fat and no more than 400 g of carbohydrates per day (of which simple carbohydrates are about 40 g, fiber up to 24 g).

Meal schedule

Another answer to the question of how to balance nutrition is how and when to eat.

As soon as you get up you need to drink 1 tbsp of warm water,
Have breakfast after half an hour and preferably porridge,
Before each meal, drink a glass of water,
Don't wash down your food.

Ideally, you should eat four times a day, without snacks! Each meal should be 4 to 5 hours apart, but have dinner about three hours before bedtime.

Golden rules for a rationally balanced diet

eat more fruits and vegetables. One apple a day removes all poisons and toxins from the body;
eat at least 2 hours before training;
after physical activities eat after 1 hour;
consume animal protein only at lunch and dinner, but not before bedtime;
It is forbidden to eat both the first and the second in a row;
exclude fried foods from the diet;
drink at least 1.5 liters of water per day. Don't drink before going to bed!
drink coffee and tea as little as possible, it is better to replace them with cocoa, chicory, natural juice, compote;
do not consume expired products;
do not consume carbohydrates together with proteins (dumplings, meat with bread);
it is advisable to forget about various sweet flour products, sweets, etc.;
exclude fast food, various sodas, chips, mayonnaise, ketchup, various sauces, sausages, ice cream, chocolates from the menu.

A balanced diet menu should look like this:

Breakfast: up to 25% carbohydrates, fiber and fats;
Lunch: up to 35% carbohydrates and proteins
Dinner: up to 25% proteins, fats and carbohydrates
Before going to bed: drink 1 tbsp of kefir or yogurt.

Sample menu of a balanced diet for a week

For breakfast you can prepare the following dishes: cottage cheese, various cereals with honey, 3 slices of cheese, omelette, cottage cheese casserole. They need to be divided into seven days. It's best to drink natural juices, coffee and green tea.
For lunch cook fish (boiled or baked), broths based on lean meat or chicken, mushroom soup, spaghetti with herbs and tomatoes, cabbage soup, steamed cutlets, boiled potatoes or boiled beans. You can create a menu for yourself from the listed dishes for the week. You should give preference to gray and black bread, but no more than 2 slices per meal.
For dinner it is advisable to prepare low-calorie dishes, such as stewed vegetables, green salad, boiled chicken, boiled fish, stewed meat, seaweed and seafood, carrot casserole. It is best to drink green tea.
Before going to bed, you need to drink 1 tbsp of fermented baked milk, kefir or yogurt.

You can also include fasting days in a balanced diet. They will help normalize digestive system. It is best to unload your body about once a week. On this day you must consume more water you can only afford fruits and vegetables.

Remember, a rationally balanced diet is not a diet, it is a lifestyle that contributes to the normal functioning of all systems of our body.

Unbalanced diet

Most common nutritional mistakes among middle-aged people (excluding pregnant and lactating women, people employed in heavy physical labor- loaders, athletes, etc.), as well as the elderly. It's about about nutritional imbalance according to basic indicators.
Imbalance in calories consumed. The most popular mistake is an excess of the total calorie content of food over energy losses.
Imbalance of fat consumption. The amount of fat consumed exceeds 30-35% of the daily calorie content of food (with the norm being 25-30%). Animal fats predominate (if there is a lack of vegetable oil in food, the proportion of unsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids is below 0.5), the most important features fatty acid composition of food. Excessive use of cholesterol (more than 500-600 mg per day). Lack of lipotropic substances in the diet - choline, methionine, phospholipids, sterols, lecithin and others included in cereals, cottage cheese, cod, etc.
Impaired carbohydrate intake. Increasing the proportion of refined simple carbohydrates - more than 50 g per day, reducing the consumption of difficult-to-digest dietary fiber, complex and complex carbohydrates- below 20 g per day.
Violation of protein intake. If protein of animal and plant origin exceeds 1.2 g per 1 kg of body weight in the daily diet. The predominance of animal proteins in food (more than 50%), lack of amino acids methionine and cysteine, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, glycine. Imbalance of lysine - arginine in consumed food.
Violation of vitamin intake. Lack of vitamins A, B, C in the diet, folic acid, carotenoids, tocopherol, choline, which leads to hidden vitamin deficiencies.
Violation of mineral intake. Lack of calcium in the diet, deficiency of magnesium, iron, zinc, manganese, copper. Abuse table salt- more than 5 g and even 10 g per day.

Diet

The most common eating disorders: Rare, but generous receptions food (less than 3 times a day). Absorbing food too quickly, chewing it poorly. Irregular eating, with excess food intake evening time(after 21 hours).
Improper cooking.
You cannot fry with animal fats; they must be added to prepared foods and fried in vegetable oil. Passion for frying (although it is quite possible to abandon this method of cooking; it is better to bake in the oven, stew, or boil).
Shortage raw vegetables, fruits, fresh herbs - they should be on the table all year round! Otherwise, their place is taken by flour products, sweets, and high-fat dairy products.
Lack of public awareness. About how to specifically create a daily diet for each family member, inability and ignorance of the possibilities of taking into account features in the diet. nutrition related to age, health status, stress at work and at home, or the lack thereof.

Nutrition for children and adolescents.

Schoolchildren's diet: breakfast 7.30-8.00. 2nd breakfast at school 11.00-11.20. Lunch 15-15.30. Dinner 19-19.30.
While attending lessons at school, a student's energy consumption is usually no more than 600 kcal. Therefore, school breakfast accounts for the total calorie content daily ration 12-15 %.
It is not recommended to overload children's menus with excessive amounts of fatty foods, flour products, sweets. Onions, parsley, dill, celery should be added to first courses to improve taste (2-3 g per serving). Vegetable dishes are very healthy.
Great importance has a properly organized drinking regime child. Children, especially younger age, it is very difficult to tolerate drinking restrictions. Children's need for water is higher than that of adults. You should not quench your thirst in the hot season right away big amount water: preferably a few sips every 10-15 minutes.
Special attention it is necessary to pay attention to the nutrition of children during the summer health period. Physical activity children in the summer is significantly increased, as a result of which their metabolism increases and their need for food increases. Considering the increase in energy expenditure by children in the summer, the energy value of the diet should be increased by 10-15%, more proteins, carbohydrates and carbohydrates should be included in it. vitamin food(dairy products, fresh vegetables, fruits, berries, herbs).
Since fatigue negatively affects the excretory functions of the digestive glands, children should rest before eating after walking and hiking.
For children recovering in pioneer camps and children's institutions, the energy value of the diet is distributed as follows: breakfast - 25%, lunch - 40%, afternoon snack - 15% and dinner - 20%. After lunch, children should be allowed to rest in bed for 1.5-2 hours.

What adults need to know.

On the diet of persons engaged in physical labor. The daily calorie intake is 3600-4000 kcal. Distribution of the daily ration: breakfast - 25%, second breakfast - 10, lunch - 35 and dinner - 30%.
About the nutrition of people of mental work. Moderate, complete, somewhat limited in quantity nutrition, preserving nutritional and biological value. Limiting the consumption of animal fats and refined carbohydrates.
Meals 4 times a day: breakfast - 25% of daily calories, lunch - 35, afternoon snack - 10 and dinner - 25% (lunch at work). If lunch is at home, then: 1st breakfast - 20%, 2nd breakfast - 25, lunch - 35 and dinner - 20%.
About nutrition in old and senile age. The energy value of food rations for people over the age of 50 is on average 2500-2600 kcal. At the age of 60-74 years (men) - 2300 kcal, women - 2100 kcal. For men over 74 years old - 2000 kcal, women - 1900 kcal.
Soups are vegetarian, dishes are boiled and stewed. It is important to save anti-sclerotic orientation food ration.

About the nutrition of pregnant women

Nutrition for pregnant women only dairy and plant foods are irrational, since the body does not receive sufficient quantity complete proteins and fats necessary for uterine growth and fetal development. Milk (together with lactic acid products) in the daily diet ranges from 0.8 to 1 -1.2 liters. It is better to replace milk with sour cream. It is useful to eat lean meat (120-200 g per day) and fish (150-260 g per day). The total energy value of the daily diet should be 3100-3400 kcal.
In the second half of pregnancy, to avoid edema, it is necessary to reduce fluid intake to 4-5 glasses per day. For the same purpose, it is undesirable to eat salty, hot, spicy foods. The need for proteins, vitamins and minerals Therefore, in the second half of pregnancy, the diet is based on the introduction into the body of up to 2 g of protein and 1.5 g of fat per 1 kg of body weight daily. It is also important to increase the energy value of the daily diet by 300-500 kcal, and increase calcium intake to 2 g per day.
Pregnant women are strictly prohibited from drinking vodka, wine, beer and other alcoholic beverages that cause harmful effects not only on the woman’s body, but also on the fetus, penetrating into its blood through the placenta.
Meat intake in the 2nd half of pregnancy should be limited to 3-4 times a week, although boiled fish can be consumed more often. Soups with meat broth only 1-2 times a week. In the last month of pregnancy, meat should be eaten no more than 2 times a week or completely replaced with fish. An egg dish is recommended once a week. Vegetables, fruits and juices are very beneficial for pregnant women. Coarse bread, dishes made from oatmeal and buckwheat (providing B vitamins).
Avoid overeating. It is best to eat 5-6 times a day. Recommended 25-30 g vegetable oils per day, since they contain unsaturated fatty acids and tocopherol acetate, the latter prevents pregnancy failure.