Everyone asks me: "So, what do I eat?". The answer is: "A balanced diet!".
Ok! Ok! That's what everyone says, but it's so confusing! What IS a balanced diet?
The philosophy is simple - eat a BALANCED diet. Life is all about balance, and even when extreme measures lead to extreme results life always brings things back into balance.
Step 1: Destroy false Beliefs
A balanced diet is certainly not what we have been taught to eat with the traditional food pyramid. The traditional food pyramid focused on grains (carbohydrates) as the base of our nutrition, with fruit and vegetables (more carbohydrates) as a fresh addition. It also taught us to eat only a little bit of meat and fish (protein) and very little sweets (carbohydrates) and fats.
Step 2: Understanding Food Groups
Instead of following the traditional food pyramid, the key to eating a balanced diet is an equal combination of protein, carbohydrates, vegetables and some good fats at every meal.
There are four 'food groups' that you need to understand:
1. Protein
2. Carbohydrates
3. Vegetables( including salads and all greens)
4. Fats (good healthy fats)
Protein: Protein is essential for healthy cell production, organ health, hair, skin and nails (not just muscles). Protein also helps make you feel fuller and regulates the blood sugar fluctuations that people get from eating too many refined carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates efficiently replace the glycogen stores in the muscles and liver. If you don't eat enough carbohydrates, the level of glycogen steadily declines, leaving you tired and unable to exercise, work or think clearly.
Vegetables: Eat lost of vegetables and eat them often. They are low in calories and contain good fiber to help you feel full. Your body gets essential nutrients from this important food source and absorbs them better from vegetables rather than from synthetic supplements.
Fats: Fat is a rich source of energy and is important for carrying fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K and certain antioxidants. Fats also supply essential fatty acids (like Omega 3, 6 and 9) for healthy skin and play an important role in regulating body functions.
You need some healthy fats in your diet, but eating too much fat will make you fat!
Step 3: Combining Food Groups for a balanced meal
Instead of counting calories to try to figure out how much to eat, it is easier to divide your plate into three portions. Each Portion is equivalent to a fistful of food or the inside palm of your hand. There is a fourth portion which is for the good fats and it should be about the size of your thumb.
All four food groups should be included in a meal in the right proportions. Imagine a small plate, each 'portion' being equivalent to a fistful (or open hand) of Protein, a fistful of Carbohydrates, a fistful of veggies or salad and one 'thumbful' of good oils and fats.
Portion 1 Protein: An example would be a piece of fish, lean meat, chicken breast, Tofu or Tempeh about the size of the inside of the palm of your hand.
Portion 2 Carbohydrates: An example is a fistful of cooked brown rice (or Low GI rice such as Basmati or Doongara rice), a potato (about the size of your clenched fist), a piece of toast (the inside palm of your hand, fingers excluded!), a little bit of pasta (a portion the size of your palm) or a piece of fruit.
Portion 3 Vegetables: An example of this would be a fistful of steamed vegetables (non starchy vegetables, so no potatoes or pumpkin) or a nice big, mixed leaf salad. You don't need to be too concerned about the size of your vegetable serve - most vegetables are so low in calories that you can eat as many as you like.
Portion 4 Fats: Each meal should contain about one to two teaspoons of good fats. An example would be some extra virgin olive oil on your vegetables or salad, a quarter of an avocado, a couple of olives, or a few nuts.
Author Resource:-
Janna J. is the resident writer of the 50K Challenge, a campaign dedicated to educating people about their heart health and a healthy lifestyle.
Register for our free webinar series on health and wellbeing at http://www.50kin50daychallenge.com.au.
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