If you turn to the internet to explore nutrition plans or the latest and most popular diets, you could spend hours reading through conflicting information. There is a lot of material out there talking about nutrition plans, healthy diet plans, and how to eat for muscle growth or weight loss. It can definitely be overwhelming to know where to start and find out the true information about eating healthy and providing your body with the most nutrition.
Despite whichever diet you may choose to follow, one of the most foundation concepts to understand is that you must feed your body enough of the right foods. It sounds pretty simple, but this can be a hard balance to follow. The key to nutrition and a healthy life is balance though. It all depends on your height, weight, age, and your activity level. Even your metabolism may factor into what nutritional decisions are best for you. We all know someone who can eat whatever they want and not gain a single pound, and then there are those of us who think about a french fry and gain 3 pounds. We are all uniquely made and so we have to understand our diets and base our nutritional choices on the premise that not every diet works for every person.
Nonetheless, there are some basic tenets that work for all body types and sizes. It is crucial that everyone drink enough water. Water is super important to healthy digestion and keeping your body functioning. Fruits and vegetables are a great way to ensure that your body receives enough water as well as important nutrients, vitamins, and antioxidants which can help flush out any toxins in your body.
Lean meats are also a great way to pack enough protein into your diet to assist with muscle growth. Protein also takes a lot of energy to break down in your body, so you burn more calories trying to digest proteins you consume. Lean meats are foods like chicken, turkey, or fish, meats that don’t have a lot of fat naturally on them. Not all fats are bad, however, and your body can actually benefit by consuming healthy amounts of the right fats. Peanuts, almonds, natural oils, and avocados are considered healthy fats.
Fiber is also needed for a well-rounded diet. Foods high in fiber will aid with digestion and help keep your body regular. These foods also make you feel fuller for longer, so you’re at less risk for over-eating or going beyond your daily calorie goal.
All of this is good to pair with exercise. Keep your body moving and your muscles engaged. Just having muscle mass on your body can help burn more calories, which can be great for anyone looking to lose a few pounds.
Remember that fitness and health break down to about 80% your diet and 20% your physical exercise. You cannot outrun your fork, so be mindful of not only what you are eating but also how much you are eating in order to achieve a nutritional and healthy lifestyle.