Do we really know what a balanced diet consists of? We tell you what it is and what foods should be included to have a healthy diet.
May 15, Food Revolution Day is celebrated, an initiative promoted for a few years by the British chef Jamie Oliver that has spread throughout the world and with which it is intended to promote access to nutrition education for the entire population, starting with the schools. These campaigns arise as a measure to fight against the increase in recent years of health problems related to an incorrect diet.
The objective of this year's campaign is precisely to ask that there be a compulsory subject in schools to teach us to eat in a balanced way and taking care of our health.
Although it seems that we all know what a balanced diet is - after we put it into practice it is another matter -, sometimes it is heard that if this person or another has started to eat better, more balanced. Or even, even in the nutritionists' consultations, you hear “if I don't eat that bad either”. In all cases, if you do a little research, what you are really doing is eating a little more vegetable and, many times, eating less bread. Conclusion, we are not so clear about what a balanced diet is. So, we are going to put some clarity on the matter and tell in a summarized way what a balanced diet consists of.
What is a balanced diet?
The first thing to clarify, what is "diet "? Diet is usually understood to be a special way of eating to lose weight. To understand this concept in this way is wrong. If we have to give a definition of walking around the house and that we all understand, diet is the food that each one eats. That is to say that with diet we do not understand something special, but simply what we eat; you don't have to chase forcibly lose weight. On the other hand, we can put a surname to the concept of "diet", for example, a hypocaloric diet, which is telling us that it is a diet that has certain characteristics and that it is used to lose weight. Another example would be the astringent diet, which due to its characteristics is what we use to control diarrhea.
Once we are clear about the concept of "diet" we are going to put the surname that concerns us today, balanced. The balanced diet is one that is capable of meeting the individual's nutrient needs. That is to say, it is the one that will not produce any disease "due to lack of" either in the short, medium or long term. But, in addition, the balanced diet supposes an adequate contribution of energy, carbohydrates, proteins and fats, that is why a balanced diet can also be called balanced.
Now some may think, "then a hypercaloric diet, is it balanced?" The answer is that it may or may not be, it all depends on the composition of the diet. The first thing to clarify is what is understood by hypercaloric: by hypercaloric we understand that it is one that has certain characteristics and contributes a certain number of kilocalories. As for whether they are balanced or not, we will explain it to you with an example:
Let us suppose the case of a person who is obese. Normally, these people have a low intake of fruit and / or vegetables and a high intake of simple carbohydrates (sugar, for example), because they usually drink soft drinks regularly or other beverages that have a high sugar content. They also frequently consume pastries (mainly industrial) and tend to abuse fatty foods and foods, such as cold cuts, fried foods ... This makes their diet hypercaloric but, in addition, provides them with less vitamins and minerals than a balanced diet, hence They may have some deficiency diseases due to a lack of one or more minerals and / or due to a lack of one or more vitamins. In other words, in this case, the hypercaloric diet is not balanced.
What foods should a balanced diet include?
According to nutrition experts, the calories ingested throughout the day should come from:
· Carbohydrates: 50-55%. They must come mainly from whole grains, fruits, legumes and vegetables.
· Fat: 30-35%. The consumption of extra virgin olive oil is recommended, due to its content in monounsaturated fatty acids (oleic acid). It should also include foods rich in omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, necessary, among other things, for the proper functioning of the brain and which are present in oily fish and nuts.
· Proteins: 10-15%. It is recommended to maintain a balance between animal protein sources (meat, fish, eggs) and vegetables (legumes, cereals, nuts).
Regarding the number of daily meals, nutritionists recommend having 3 main meals and 2-3 snacks.
Belly fat is the accumulation of abdominal fat that results in increased waist size. It is also known as central adiposity or abdominal obesity. Body fat, also known as adipose tissue, serves essential functions. For example, it cushions and insulates the body from extreme temperatures. Due to its function in hormone production, adipose tissue is considered an endocrine organ.