GUEST POST BY LISA BIRCH

Happy and Healthy – The Basics of Nutrition

Eating and exercising; getting the balance between the two can be quite the challenge. The media constantly reminds us that we should be having five fruit and vegetables a day as well as exercising regularly to stay in good health, balancing our diets to suit our lifestyles. This is where the real challenge begins; knowing how to balance a diet with a lifestyle and the right amount of exercise can be tough but the challenge is well worth accepting, the benefits of having a healthy body make the time spent balancing your lifestyle more than worthwhile.

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What You Need to Know About Nutrition

Following a healthy, balanced diet – it sounds easy in theory, but in reality getting the balance right can be tough. Firstly, consider how much physical exercise you get in a day, this should determine your portion size, allowing you to have enough food to have continuous energy throughout the day, but not so much that your body is gaining weight from it, or too little to the point that you are losing weight. Keep your diet varied, eating the same healthy foods day after day will mean you are lacking in certain vitamins and nutrients; having a wide variety of food throughout the course of a week allows you to avoid this problem. The ideal balance for a healthy daily diet consists of five food groups;

• Fruits and vegetables – These should make up approximately one-third of your food in a day, giving you fiber, vitamins and minerals.
• Starchy foods – Again, these should make up approximately one-third of your daily food, ideal for giving you energy as well as fiber, vitamins and minerals. Good starchy foods to include are rice, pasta, potatoes and bread.
• Meat, fish, beans and eggs – These should make up a smaller section of your daily food, but are essential for giving you the necessary protein you need in a day, on top of the included vitamins and nutrients.
• High fat and sugar content foods – Candy, chips, chocolate and carbonated drinks are all great examples of these foods. They should make up a very small portion of your daily food intake, but they are included to give you energy.
• Milk and dairy foods – The portion size of milk and dairy products should be relatively small; these foods are useful for giving you both protein and calcium.

Including these foods in your daily diet allows you to be sure you are getting all of the vitamins, minerals and nutrients that you need. All that is left for you to do is to determine how large your portion sizes should be to keep your energy levels high without overeating.

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The Benefits of Exercise and a Healthy Diet

Having a healthy diet alongside some daily exercise can really help you to overcome obstacles that stand in your way, allowing you to grow as a person while you become healthier. A healthy lifestyle can reduce your risk of dying prematurely; it can help prevent diabetes and reduces the risk of high blood pressure and even some forms of cancer. A healthy diet and regular exercise can also help against psychological problems, in some cases it could even help to overcome serious addiction problems, however professional help is always advisable in these situations. Exercise and a healthy diet should not be relied upon solely to overcome an addiction; there are many treatment centers that can be visited for this, even professionals with an addiction can seek help as there are executive program options for their peace of mind and personal privacy. A healthy lifestyle can aid many forms of recovery as well as offering numerous health benefits; exercising regularly with a well-balanced diet can help both your mind and body function at their best.

The Warning Signs of an Imbalanced Diet

Getting the balance of your diet right can be really tough, especially if you’re following the general guidelines of how much food to eat per day. Recognizing that the balance may not be quite right in your diet can also be quite a challenge however your body will display some warning signs to try and show you whether your hard work is working. Some warning signs to look out for include;

• Weight gain – If you are gaining weight you are quite possibly making your portion sizes too large per mealtime or you are consuming too many high fat and sugar content foods.
• A lack of nutrients – You may notice your fingernails break easily or your skin is looking dry or unhealthy; this is your body trying to tell you that it is deficient in nutrients. If you are certain you are including enough of each food type, try consulting a professional for their opinion.
• Dental problems – Many people who are overeating sugary foods and overdrinking sugary drinks will find they have dental problems much more often than people who consume less of these items. Try drinking milk or water instead of sugary drinks as these are healthier and milk can even strengthen your teeth.

Should you experience any of these warning signs on a regular basis you may wish to try cutting back on certain items within your diet and replacing these with healthier options if you are not overeating.