Consequences of an unbalanced diet. Unbalanced diet

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

Unbalanced should include those diets that do not allow you to get the necessary substances with food, enough calories and do not include all vital food groups in the diet. Unbalanced diets are dangerous if they are used for more than one month (especially rigid - for more than a few days). Such diets, as a rule, provide for the exclusion of vital important products, severe calorie restrictions, etc.

Types of unbalanced diets

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

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

Diets with a shift in focus nutritional value
Many popular diets that do not correspond to the normative balance of proteins, fats and carbohydrates are considered unbalanced (Atkins diet, Dukan diet, Montignac diet, etc.).

Express diets
All diets that are recommended for no more than 7 days are unbalanced by default, because 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 for these diets are not very important due to their short duration. The same applies to fasting, the benefits of which have not been confirmed, and fasting days, useful only with one-day use.

Specific “one food” diets
All amateur diets are unbalanced, based on the use of specific foods such as processed cheese, sausages, alcohol, chocolate, ice cream, etc.

Features and risks of unbalanced diets

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

Risk Factor #1: Not Calorie Enough
Many unbalanced diets do not take into account normative indicators the minimum required number of calories. Excessively low-calorie diets can cause muscle dystrophy, hypovitaminosis, deterioration in well-being, etc.

Risk Factor #2: Imbalance in macronutrient intake
Normally, the ratio provides for 15-20% proteins, about 30% fats, 50-60% carbohydrates. In unbalanced diets, these indicators are shifted in one direction or another (carbohydrate-free, low-fat, low-protein), which leads to negative changes in the digestive tract (constipation, diarrhea, gas formation, etc.) and disrupts metabolism.

Risk Factor #3: Imbalance in Micronutrient Intake
Get a complete set of vitamins, minerals, minor and biologically active substances possible only in the case of 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 skin, hair, nails, and in the most severe cases - serious problems with the activity of the main body systems (hormonal, nervous, cardiovascular, etc.).

Strength at any cost?

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

The apotheosis of imbalance is considered by many nutritionists to be
called the "Kremlin" diet, allowing without restrictions
use sausages, mayonnaise and alcohol when strict prohibition
on cereals, bread, many vegetables and fruits.

The material uses photographs owned by shutterstock.com

Only a few who lose weight with the help of diets achieve their goal. At the same time, half of them, after switching to a normal diet, again gain the ill-fated kilograms, and even more. For some, weight loss results in poor health and health problems. However, all these complications can be avoided if you do not use diets, but a balanced diet. And to understand it is not so 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 growth, development and functioning of the body. At the same time, it is fully satisfied daily requirement in energy, respected correct proportions BJU, saturation with vitamins and microelements occurs. This allows you to maintain normal weight at any age.

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

The process of weight loss is launched due to a significant reduction in fat in the diet, a decrease in simple carbohydrates, the correct redistribution of BJU, and adherence to the meal schedule. As a result, metabolism normalizes and accelerates, the body stops storing reserves, and digestion improves. It takes no more than 1 kg per week, but it is these indicators that are considered optimal for losing weight without harm to health.

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 her, eating is a way to maintain a single and constant molecular balance in the body. Any expenses must be reimbursed by new food receipts.

The daily intake of vital essential substances, expressed in quantitative terms. They are influenced by physiological characteristics (age and gender), physical exercise, climatic conditions and other factors. For more than 100 years of the existence of the theory, these data have been repeatedly revised.

On this moment relevant is the statement of Academician of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences A. A. Pokrovsky, who defined a proper balanced diet as the optimal balance of all food components that best satisfy physiological needs organism. And this applies not only to useful nutrients, but also to those waste products that are filtered and excreted 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 daily rate. The result is health problems and rapid weight gain at the end of them.

Kinds

1. Rational balanced nutrition

Takes into account the characteristics of the food of different populations of people in accordance with their geographic 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, 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 compiling a diet in order to reduce weight.

2. Functional balanced nutrition

This is food from health effect, something like dietary supplements, but having a different status. As a rule, it undergoes lengthy clinical trials and is confirmed by relevant documentation. Created based on natural ingredients and as close as possible to those 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

Most important concept in the theory of balanced nutrition - the ratio of BJU, i.e. in what proportion should proteins, fats and carbohydrates be present in daily diet person. Classic concept sets the norm 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 labor;
2/2/5 - with intense physical exertion;
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 make a diet for weight loss without any harm to health.

Example. If you 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, as well as find out how to balance nutrition in order 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 add on proteins and slightly limit carbohydrates. And for a woman after 60 years, when there should no longer be a problem overweight of the body, and the priority should be only the preservation of health and the extension of 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 another valuable property. As energy sources, BJU 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. organism, given the interchangeability of these substances. At daily calories in 1500 kcal the ratio can be redistributed in the following way:

Protein should make up the majority of the diet to maintain muscle mass and maintaining 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 be found, which will negatively affect not only the process of losing weight, but and on health.

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

Basic principles

To compose balanced diet nutrition 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 vegetable origin.

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

Carbohydrates:

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

Meals

Breakfast (40% of daily calories): proteins, simple and complex carbohydrates.
Lunch (5%): proteins or complex carbohydrates.
Lunch (30%): soup, protein with vegetable garnish, fruit drinks.
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 classes sports and in the heat - up to 3 liters.
The day starts with a glass of warm water. It should be drunk before each meal (about half an hour before).
You can not drink solid food drinks. It is allowed to use them no earlier than half an hour.
Restrict daily intake salt up to 7 g.
Don't eat before bed. Have dinner about 3 hours before.
Limit in the diet, and eventually completely eliminate such harmful products, like sweets, pastries, fast food, chips, sauces, semi-finished products, organ meats.
Remove frying from cooking methods.
For weight loss, it is enough to reduce the daily calorie content, but not to eliminate any of the components of the BJU from the diet.

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

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

Balanced Nutrition Pyramid

I stage(bases 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 grinding, unpolished rice, durum wheat pasta, buckwheat, barley;
vegetable fats: olive, linseed oils;
tomatoes, bananas, apples.

Consumed at every meal.

Stage II:

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

Used twice a day.

Stage III:

dairy products.

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

Take the cottage cheese with a fork, mix it with semolina. Crack an egg. Knead the resulting dough. Rinse, remove the pit and finely chop the dates. Pour into the bulk. Add melted honey. Mix everything thoroughly, form thickened small cakes, roll in flour. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, 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 the water in which they boiled. Pour in new water, bring to a boil. Add cheeses. Keep on moderate heat for another 5 minutes. Cool and beat in a blender. Sprinkle with any chopped herbs.

Recipes for the lowest calorie and delicious soups for quick and effective weight loss can be found.

Second for lunch: vegetable stew with fish

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

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

Dinner: omelet with vegetables

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

Cut the tomato into slices, pepper - into strips, onion - into half rings. Place on an oiled baking sheet. Whisk eggs with milk. Fill them with 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 gain weight by eating low content fats and high carbohydrates, which lead to more frequent fluctuations in blood glucose levels and stimulate the production of more insulin by the pancreas. In turn, increased insulin levels lead to a more rapid and significant drop in glucose levels and contributes to the preservation of more body fat. excess fat leads to an increase in insulin resistance, so that another hateful vicious circle is formed.

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

Your meal plan that combines proteins, fats and carbohydrates

Proteins 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 to a lesser extent contribute to the production of glucose. 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. Foods with a high glycemic index are rapidly converted into glucose, causing sharp rise blood sugar levels and the release of large amounts of insulin. These include, among others, bananas, fruit juices, alcohol, sweets, biscuits, crackers, white flour products and candies. Glycemic index You can find a variety of foods in paperback nutrition guides.

Water and Oxygen: Essential Elements Often Forgotten

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

Water

Water supplies the body with a fluid that bathes the outer walls of our cells and maintains 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 “fog in the head” caused by malnutrition is noticeably increased if your body is at least slightly dehydrated and the amount of fluid necessary for normal functioning does not enter the brain. 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 main "nutrients" needed to sustain life. You can go days without food and drink, but without oxygen, brain death occurs in four minutes! Oxygen is involved in the implementation of all chemical reactions in the body, necessary to maintain life and the successful implementation of metabolic processes aimed at burning fat. long, slow, deep breathing provide a fresh supply of oxygen and help get rid of excess carbon dioxide, by-product metabolic processes in the cells of the body. Diaphragmatic stress relief techniques, as well as exercises such as yoga, teach the body to breathe correctly for proper oxygen exchange.

Equally important is the timing of the meal.

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

You also need to take most of your daily food during the most active and during the period of acceleration of metabolic processes. If you abstain from food late in the evening when your metabolic processes slow down to give the body a rest, fat will not accumulate during the night and will not interfere with your efforts to lose weight. You need to consume most daily rate calories (60-70%) before the evening meal.

And do not forget that it is better to do physical exercises two hours after eating, when the glucose level is maximum and will maintain the necessary energy level during exercise. Low-to-moderate-intensity exercise, such as walking, acts like an "invisible insulin" to help glucose enter the muscles and lower high blood glucose levels.

And most importantly - do not skip meals, especially breakfast. In order to jumpstart your body in the morning, you need nutrition that will stimulate your metabolic processes. If you do not eat on time, it will affect your calmness, mood and mental capacity, which is characteristic of the work of the brain with pronounced drops in glucose as a result of hyperinsulinemia, aggravated by a drop in estradiol levels and stress, call it what you want - "cotton head" or "fog in the head."

Pay attention to serving size

In recent years, there has been an abundance of overweight people in Ukraine (more than half of the population), an abundance of sugar (about 70 kg per capita per year), an abundance of snack foods (the growth of snack bars occurs at a rate of 1% every year), many eat out (nearly 40% of our food budget goes to eating out, double the figure in 1970). In addition, we eat large portions (in some cases, portion sizes of restaurant food, snacks, and convenience foods have increased by more than 100%). Huge, gigantic portions are served in abundance everywhere, and all the extra calories go straight to body fat around our waist.

For example, a bagel weighing 56-84 g, i.e., the size of a hockey puck, was previously considered normal. Now bakeries that specialize in making bagels sell their products weighing 140-196 grams, the size of a large baseball, which corresponds to four slices of bread. People are sure that if the bagel contains little fat, they can be eaten in unlimited quantities. Thus, the number of calories in the body grows, and your waist gets extra pounds.

normal, healthy portion meat or fish is considered a portion of 84-140 g (the size of a palm, not counting fingers), however, in most restaurants serving portions of 336, 448, 616 g and 1 kg are served at a time! No wonder obesity is a national problem. As you understand, even a serving of 616 g of meat or fish is too large, it is 3-4 normal servings. If you want to successfully fight excess weight, you should accustom yourself to smaller portions. The following list of portion comparisons with various items will help you better navigate the norm of proper nutrition.

Computer mouse = one medium-sized baked potato.

One standard soap = one serving of 84 g 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 proteins).

Tennis ball = 1 serving of fruit.

Golf ball = 1 serving of peanut butter (2 tablespoons).

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 all their efforts to combat overweight. First, alcohol supplies additional calories to the body, especially when taken in the form of rum punches and margaritas. These calories are completely "non-nutritive". They simply contribute to the deposition of fat. In addition, alcohol is quickly involved in metabolic processes, contributing to rapid rise levels of glucose in the blood, which, in turn, contributes to the release of more insulin and increases its resistance. In addition, regular alcohol intake leads to elevated content in the body of triglycerides, 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, however, the association of alcohol with the development of cancer is not discussed in the media. Italian scientists found that women who consumed 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 developing the disease is not increased due to changing general content calories, fat, fiber and vitamins.

The age at which you start using plays an important role in this risk factor. alcohol. Drinking alcohol before the age of 30 increases the risk of breast cancer, regardless of how much alcohol you drink later on. The main influence 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 cut down on alcohol consumption or stop drinking altogether? This is the risk factor that you can avoid.

Problem without alcoholic beverages

Many women. trying to lose weight, stopped consuming dairy products, especially milk, because of the fat they contain. What do they drink instead of milk? As a rule, these are soft drinks, regular or without sugar and caffeine. Bad choice! All soft drinks contain a large amount of phosphates, which, when combined in the digestive tract with calcium and magnesium ions, 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 level 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 has fewer calories than regular soda, and instead of leaching calcium from your bones, skim milk provides your body with calcium and protein and is good for a healthy mid-meal without the fat.

Regular soft drinks not only leach these minerals from your bones, they're also just loaded with sugar. 0.36 L non-diet soft drink contains about 7-8 teaspoons of sugar. If you're drinking 5-6 sugar-filled sodas a day, that's serious, because you're getting nearly half your daily calorie needs from a source that has no nutritional value. nutritional value. In addition, you are putting extra stress on the insulin pathways. Even if you drink sugar-free drinks, your body tastes the sweetness of artificial sweeteners, which leads to increased insulin production and more fat storage.

Nutrition as medicine

Nutrition is actually one of the most important means of recovery. Our brains are unable to produce serotonin, which improves mood if, for example, he does not receive enough tryptophan. 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 provides your body with healthy fuel for all cells and tissues, improves metabolic processes, reduces the risk of serious diseases such as diabetes.

The key is gradual change. There is no need to abruptly quit established habits, as this proves to be ineffective in the long run. Here simple recommendations how best to start. If you are not eating enough, start increasing the amount of food to a reasonable amount. If you overeat, gradually reduce your portions. If you are eating unhealthy food hastily, start removing one of these dishes from your diet, replacing them with something more useful for the body. Distribute the main and intermediate meals throughout the day in such a way as to avoid wasting energy and cravings for something to snack on. If you currently have bad feeling, stop at these three measures. And then, when your body is ready, gradually introduce new changes into your diet.

A strategy to improve well-being

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

Reduce consumption of "white foods" - products made from white flour, bread, potatoes, white rice, etc. Stop on products made from wholemeal flour 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 irritable and feel very tired, which cannot but affect your mental and physical condition.

Try to ensure that with each meal your body receives required amount balanced fats, proteins and carbohydrates, indicated in your nutrition 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 dulls your alertness, and you allow yourself to relax and eat something extra.

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

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

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

Eating smaller amounts frequently and cutting out simple sugars from your diet can help you avoid cravings for something sweet.

Take only healthy foods with you to work or travel.

Stop using artificial sweeteners and diet drinks and drink water or 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 any changes are worth making. For three days, write down everything you eat. Then compare your diet with 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 already ready to make.

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

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

Basic principles of a balanced diet

Energy consumption

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

How to properly balance nutrition

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 great plastic value, since they contain phospholipids, vitamins, and fatty acid.
Squirrels - the basis of the entire building system of the body. Assistants 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. How well the body as a whole will function depends on their number. But this does not mean that you need to quickly use everything that is described above. It is the ratio of all substances and trace elements that is very important for the body.

Remember! A balanced diet is not a diet, but a way of life!

In one day, the protein content in the plate should not exceed 15% (of which half are animal proteins, and the other half are vegetable proteins). You can calculate something like this - 1 g of protein should fall on 1 kg of weight. So, if you weigh 70 kg, then 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% by types of fats then percentage looks like that:

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

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

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

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

As a result, a rational balanced diet involves 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).

Eating mode

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,
Breakfast after half an hour and preferably cereals,
Drink a glass of water before every meal
Don't drink food.

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

Golden rules of 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;
animal protein should be consumed only at lunch and dinner, but not at bedtime;
it is forbidden to eat both the first and second in a row;
exclude fried foods from the diet;
drink at least 1.5 liters of water per day. Don't drink before you go to bed!
drink coffee and tea as little as possible, it is better to replace them with cocoa, chicory, natural juice, compote;
do not use expired products;
do not eat carbohydrates along 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, sausages, ice cream, chocolates from the menu.

The menu for a balanced diet 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 curdled milk.

Sample menu for a balanced diet for a week

For breakfast you can cook the following dishes: cottage cheese, various cereals with honey, 3 slices of cheese, scrambled eggs, cottage cheese casserole. They need to be divided into seven days. Drink the best 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 need to give preference to gray and black bread, but not more than 2 slices per meal.
For dinner it is advisable to cook low-calorie dishes, such as stewed vegetables, green salad, boiled chicken meat, boiled fish, stew, sea kale and seafood, carrot casserole. It is best to drink green tea.
Before going to bed, you need to drink 1 st ryazhenka, kefir or yogurt.

Fasting days can also be included in a balanced diet. They help normalize digestive system. It is best to unload your body about once a week. On this day, you need to use more water You can afford only fruits and vegetables.

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

Unbalanced diet

Most common eating habits in middle age (excluding pregnant and lactating women, heavy workers physical labor- porters, athletes, etc.), as well as the elderly. It's about about the imbalance of nutrition according to the main indicators.
Imbalance in calories consumed. The most popular mistake is the excess of total calorie content of food over energy losses.
Imbalance in fat intake. The amount of fat consumed exceeds 30-35% of the daily caloric intake of food (at a rate of 25-30%). Animal fats predominate (with a lack of vegetable oil in food, the proportion of unsaturated fatty acids to saturated ones is below 0.5), key 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 that are part of cereals, cottage cheese, cod, etc.
Disruption of carbohydrate intake. An increase in the portion of refined simple carbohydrates - more than 50 g per day, a decrease in the intake of indigestible dietary fiber, complex and complex carbohydrates- below 20 g per day.
Violation of protein intake. If the protein of animal and vegetable 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 the food consumed.
Violation of the intake of vitamins. Lack of vitamins of groups A, B, C in the diet, folic acid, carotenoids, tocopherol, choline, which leads to latent beriberi.
Violation of the intake of minerals. 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 lavish receptions food (less than 3 times a day). Too fast absorption of food, poor chewing. Irregular diet, with excessive food intake in evening time(after 21:00).
Improper food preparation.
It is impossible to fry with animal fats, they must be added to cooked food, and fry in vegetable oil. Passion for frying (although it is quite possible to refuse this method of cooking, it is better to bake in the oven, stew, boil).
deficit raw vegetables, fruits, fresh herbs - they should be on the table all year round! Otherwise, their place is taken by flour products, sweets, dairy products with high fat content.
Lack of public awareness. About how to specifically draw up a daily ration for each family member, inability and ignorance of the possibilities of taking into account features in the diet. nutrition associated with age, health status, workload and at home, or its absence.

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.
During a stay in the classroom at school, a student's energy consumption usually does not exceed 600 kcal. Therefore, a school breakfast is from the total caloric content daily ration 12-15 %.
It is not recommended to overload the children's menu with excess fatty foods, flour products, sweets. Onions, parsley, dill, celery should be added to the first dishes to improve the taste (2-3 g per serving). Very useful vegetable dishes.
Great importance has a well organized drinking regimen child. Children, especially younger age, very difficult to tolerate restrictions on drinking. 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 in the summer recreational period. Physical activity children in the summer is significantly increased, as a result of which their metabolism increases, the need for food increases. Considering the increase in children's energy expenditure in the summer, the energy value of the diet should be increased by 10-15%, include more protein, carbohydrate and vitamin food(dairy products, fresh vegetables, fruits, berries, greens).
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, children's institutions, the energy value of the diet is distributed as follows: breakfast - 25%, lunch - 40%, afternoon tea - 15% and dinner - 20%. After dinner, 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 content of the diet is 3600-4000 kcal. The distribution of the daily ration: breakfast - 25%, second breakfast - 10%, lunch - 35% and dinner - 30%.
About the nutrition of people of mental labor. Moderate, full-fledged, somewhat limited in quantitative terms, food that preserves nutritional and biological value. Limiting the intake of animal fats and refined carbohydrates.
Meals 4 meals a day: breakfast - 25% of daily calories, lunch - 35%, afternoon tea - 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 the elderly 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 - vegetarian, dishes - boiled and stewed. It is important to keep anti-sclerotic orientation food ration.

About the nutrition of pregnant women

Nutrition for pregnant women only dairy-vegetable food is irrational, since the body does not receive enough high-grade proteins and fats necessary for the growth of the uterus and the development of the fetus. Milk (together with lactic acid products) in the daily diet is 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, in order to avoid swelling, it is necessary to reduce fluid intake to 4-5 glasses per day. For the same purpose, it is undesirable to eat salty, spicy, spicy dishes. Increasing demand for proteins, vitamins and minerals, therefore, in the second half of pregnancy, the diet is based on the introduction into the body daily of up to 2 g of protein and 1.5 g of fat per 1 kg of body weight. 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 have harmful effect not only on the woman's body, but also on the fetus, penetrating into his blood through the placenta.
Reception of meat in the 2nd half of pregnancy should be limited to 3-4 times a week, although boiled fish can be consumed more often. Soups in 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. Once a week, an egg dish is recommended. Pregnant women are very useful vegetables, fruits and juices. Wholemeal bread, oatmeal and buckwheat dishes (providing with 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.