A well-balanced diet What is a well balanced diet? We hear talk of it constantly - a balanced diet is very important in sustaining a healthy weight and for your entire health and well-being. But unfortunately, not everyone realises just what a well-balanced diet means and how it is attained. In actual fact, it means different things to different people - not least because everyone is distinct. E.g. vegetarians and vegans and people battling with food allergies, sensitivities or intolerances will all have diverse nutritionary needs. With that being said, the broad meaning of a balanced diet is basically one that comprises a suitable amount of food from the various food groups, accompanied by a great deal of pure water. Moderation and variety are very important! Sadly, in this modern age (with escalating time and financial constraints), a great number of us are relying on “fast foods” / “junk foods”, ready-meals, frozen foods and highly refined and processed foods. Despite the fact that they are obviously time-savers, these kinds of food products tend to be very high in refined carbohydrates, sugar, salt, unhealthy fats and chemical compounds (such as food additives and preservatives). Not only do they fail to present our bodies with the nourishment that they have to have, they actually encourage toxin build-up, which can (for example) potentially end up in digestive problems, an inferior immune system, weight gain and all of the problems that come with it (such as enhanced chance of sicknesses like coronary disease, diabetes, hypertension etc). One other wide-spread trend is that people will frequently miss meals in an effort to lose weight quickly - this is certainly counter-productive. Not only is this strategy bad for your health (and has the potential to damage your bodily organs), it could actually obstruct weight loss and even promote weight gain! Even if this appears to be illogical, if you think about it, it makes sense. How leaving out meals can cause weight gain It's important to encourage your metabolism with the ideal foods at specific times of the day. By-passing meals (notably breakfast) may lead to weight gain in several ways. • In the event that you don't eat for a prolonged length of time, your body can go into “starvation mode” and your metabolism then slows down to preserve energy. As a result your body will compensate for the deficiency of calories by burning less calories than it otherwise would. When your body goes into starvation mode, it does not call upon its fat supplies for energy, which makes it trickier to shed weight.   • It will lead to acute hunger later in the day, which can commonly then lead to cravings, binging and weight gain. • It gives you an irregular distribution of calories throughout the day. • It means you are depriving your system of the energy it needs to effectively function, exercise, burn calories etc. • It causes low blood sugar levels and delays insulin response, which can cause diabetes. • It is a short-term measure and will not resolve your long-term weight issues. By-passing meals is therefore clearly not the answer to healthy weight loss. The ideal means of dropping pounds and keeping off is adopting a sensible weight management plan, i.e. making improved eating choices, training, drinking pure water and keeping your metabolism active. Metabolism plays a central role in how quickly you burn fat and shed weight; thus, it really shouldn't be overlooked as part of your plan of action for weight management. Why is a balanced diet key to long-term weight loss? It should be noted that, exercise alone will not cause you to be healthy. As they say, “you are what you eat”. A well-balanced diet is imperative because it provides access to the broad spectrum of vitamins, minerals, salts and other nutrients needed by your body. As such, a balanced diet is generally considered to be among the key elements in securing a healthier and longer life and, in particular, maintaining a healthy weight. Finding out how to maintain a balanced diet is important for long-term weight management and health. Nutrition experts can help with this, if needed. As an alternative, start off with a high quality free meal plan, which can provide you with some instruction in the early periods of your lifestyle change. Eating fresh, whole fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy foods, lean meats, seafood, whole grains and nuts is an excellent starting point. This will help to make sure that your body gets the micronutrients it requires and demands. Why exactly might you want to take health supplements? As a person hoping to manage your weight, you may choose to take health supplements for many different reasons. For example: • As a result of depleted soil, long-distance importation, prolonged shelf-life, pasteurisation, cooking methods (such as microwaving) and chemical substances in our food, it is often lacking in nutrients, including digestive enzymes. For instance, the level of vitamin C in vegetables can reduce by half within five minutes of being cut and by up to seventy per cent after just 20 minutes. Similarly, heating food destroys approximately half of the protein content, close to 60% of vitamins and renders about 60% of the minerals non-absorbable. Superfood powders or multivitamins, for example, may help you top-up on nutrients easily and conveniently, daily. • Reduced food choice can frequently make it tougher to make sure you are receiving the full spectrum of nutrients that your body demands. A lot of slimmers therefore decide to supplement their diets with nutrients-fortified meal replacements and protein powders. A quality meal replacement drink or protein powder will be sugar, dairy, lactose, wheat and gluten free. They will also be low in calories. • Those troubled with long-standing digestive system health conditions will frequently discover that it is tougher for them to lose weight. Digestive system problems are a prevalent side-effect of being over-weight, most probably due to poor diet over a number of years. Many slimmers therefore find that they benefit from, for example, colon cleansers and cleanse and detox supplements as part of their wider weight management programme. Others use probiotics and digestive system supplements to support their inner health and help to restore healthy levels of gut flora. • Frequently, slimmers find that they need just a little extra support during the early stages of weight loss. Weight management support supplements can be beneficial. For example, a herbal fat metaboliser / herbal fat burner formula (that contains no ephedra, gluten, wheat, lactose, added sugar, artificial colourings or yeast), may help you to optimise the results you accomplish from your weight management programme and training. * Before changing your diet or taking health supplements, it is recommended to consult your doctor or qualified health practitioner (particularly if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or on medications).  © Specialist Supplements Ltd 2011 This is an information site only!  0845 094 3627 Weight Loss and Appetite Weight Loss and Appetite [Home] [Health Information Pages] [Balanced Diet] [Weight Management] [Metabolism] [Sitemap] [HTML Sitemap] [Weight Loss Links] [Resources Links] [Appetite Control] [Body-Fat] [Diet] [Health Information] [Herbs for Weightloss] [Slimming1] [Slimming Tablet] [Slow Metabolism] [Weightloss Diet] [Weightloss Tablet]