Becoming and remaining physically fit require you to pay close attention to what you’re eating and exercise more often. Doing so can help you live a longer, healthier, and more energetic life.
But what are the most important dietary changes you need to make in order to stay fit?
Caloric Reduction
In Western society, one of the most important elements of any dietary plan is caloric restriction. There’s an obesity epidemic among developed countries, in part because food is so plentifully available and made to be as delicious as possible. Additionally, our cultures support large portion sizes and self-indulgence while eating.
There are a variety of root causes of the obesity epidemic, but perhaps the most important underlying factor is the sheer amount of calories we consume each day. The average person consumes far more calories than they need, resulting in a caloric surplus; excessive calories are stored as fat in the body, and excessive fat storage can lead to a host of health complications.
The way to correct this is by introducing a caloric deficit. In other words, you have to eat fewer calories than you burn each day, burning off your excess fat in the process. Use a calculator to figure out how many calories you should be eating each day and start counting the calories in the food you eat. Simple changes, like reducing your portion sizes or changing the foods you eat, can easily help you achieve your caloric goals.
Meal Structuring
You’ll find mixed advice on whether it’s a better idea to eat smaller, more frequent meals or bigger, less frequent meals. The truth is, there are some pros and cons to each approach. Eating smaller, more frequent meals helps you resist the temptation to snack throughout the day and forces you to be conscientious about your portion sizes. It also helps you feel fuller longer and keeps your metabolism active throughout the day. Eating bigger, less frequent meals may also help you resist the temptation to snack throughout the day, and may help some people achieve their caloric deficit goals.
The most important takeaway here is that you should be conscientious about when and how you’re eating meals, rather than mindlessly indulging whenever you get the urge.
Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are excellent additions to any diet, and you should be eating multiple servings of these every day. Fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of micronutrients, including vitamins and minerals, and they tend to be high in fiber while low in sugar (with the exception of some fruits).
Balancing Your Macro nutrition
Human nutrition can be broadly subdivided into macro nutrition and micronutrition, which focus on macronutrients and micronutrients, respectively. Micronutrients include the vitamins and minerals you need to survive. Macronutrients can be split into different categories, each of which provides a different function to the body. For example, protein is used to rebuild tissue, carbohydrates are used for energy storage and transmission, and fats are used for a variety of important functions.
It’s important to get plenty of fat (especially unsaturated fat) and protein in your diet. Carbohydrates are also important, but it’s better to focus on complex carbohydrates and fiber while reducing your intake of simple carbohydrates like sugars.
Eliminating Problem Foods (and Drinks)
It’s also important to eliminate foods that are problematic for your health or fitness.
These are some of the most common offenders:
· Sugary beverages. Sugary beverages, like sodas and coffee drinks, tend to add many calories to your diet without making you feel full or providing much nutritional value.
· Desserts. It’s perfectly fine to indulge in occasional desserts with modest portion sizes. But most desserts are sugary junk foods, devoid of nutritional value.
· Processed foods. There’s nothing inherently wrong with eating processed food, but most processed foods are full of sugar, preservatives, and other ingredients that can be bad for your health.
· Other “empty calories.” “Empty calories” is a term that refers to foods with high caloric value, but little nutritional substance. Alcohol, chips, and candies are examples of empty-calorie foods.
Finding Things You Like
Finally, it’s important to find healthy and nutritious foods that you actually enjoy. If you like what you’re eating, and you like preparing those foods, you’ll be much more likely to stick to your eating regimen in the long term. Experiment with different foods and different preparation styles to find the best fit for your preferences.
You don’t have to be a perfectionist to make meaningful changes to your diet and feel better on a daily basis. Even small, relatively innocuous changes, like reducing your portion sizes or eliminating sugary sodas, can add up to have a massive positive effect on your health.
