Before it’s about what you eat, you should examine, like you eat.
- When you take time for your meals and eat slowly and mindfully, you can enjoy food more.
- You’ll also prevent overeating. Because: The feeling of satiety sets in only ten to 15 minutes after the start of the meal.
- Make sure to chew enough. It’s best to chew every bite 30 to 40 times.
- In order to achieve this, you should avoid disturbing external influences during the meal: The television or the cell phone have now radio silence.
Part of being mindful of food is not wasting food. We give you 10 simple tips, with which you can easily implement this.
2. Balanced nutrition is varied
A healthy diet makes use of the entire food spectrum, because no single food contains all the necessary nutrients. It should be colorful and varied.
- Vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, oils, seeds and kernels – make sure you have a balanced mix of all food groups .
- And even within the groups, you should vary as much as possible – for example, by eating the wide range of different vegetables.
- By eating Seasonal calendar This variety is almost guaranteed, because the regional offerings change constantly over the months. The seasonal-regional diet is not only good for you and your health, but also particularly sustainable.
3. Five a day: plenty of fruits and vegetables
The "five a day" rule is another guide. It says: three servings of vegetables (400 grams) and two servings of fruit (250 grams) per day should be consumed. In terms of quantity, fresh fruits and vegetables should make up the largest portion of a balanced diet.
Fruits and vegetables provide you with ample nutrients and Minerals, Fiber, Vitamins and secondary plant compounds. They also add flavor and visual variety to your plate.
You should try to include some fruit or vegetables in every meal – for example, by adding a fresh apple or banana to your cereal, eating a salad for dinner, or enjoying pasta with fresh tomatoes and carrots.
Nuts, oilseeds and dried fruit also count towards the portion of fruit. Due to the higher calorie content, the portion size here is about 25 grams. By the way Smoothie or freshly squeezed juice can occasionally replace a portion of fruit – but not too often, because these usually contain a lot of hidden sugar in the form of Fructose.
4. Minimize sugar and salt
Sugar is a calorie bomb and increases the risk of tooth decay. Increased sugar consumption is also indirectly linked to an increased risk of diabetes.
- The problem, however, is rarely the sugar deliberately added to tea or food, but the Hidden sugars in processed foods and beverages.
- Fruit yogurt, fruit nectar and muesli are examples of sugar traps. And even in ketchup, dressings and ready-to-eat meals like pizza, there’s often a surprising amount of added sugar.
- That’s why it’s worth checking the list of ingredients and the nutrient table. Better yet, avoid industrially processed foods altogether, and you’ll have full control over how much sugar goes into your food.
Too much salt intake is also dangerous for the body: Too much salt can increase blood pressure and thus the risk of cardiovascular disease.
- Guideline: no more than six grams of salt per day.
- Again, we often consume much more salt from processed foods than we realize.
- Fast food, meat products and cheese in particular are often particularly salty. But there is also a lot of salt in bread and most convenience foods.
- Even in our own kitchen, we often add more salt to our food than necessary. Tip: Flavor your food first with herbs and other spices before adding salt.
- Reduce the salt content in your food step by step. At first, meals with less salt may taste a little boring. But over time, your taste buds adjust and become more sensitive again. Then you benefit in the end even with a richer taste experience.
5. Healthy fats through vegetable oils
For a while, fats were generally considered hazardous to health. By now we know: Not all fats are the same, and depending on their type and origin, they have very different nutritional and physiological significance.
- To get the essential unsaturated fatty acids as well as vitamin E we should turn to valuable healthy sources of fat. In addition to vegetable oils, this also includes nuts and oilseeds.
- Rapeseed oil is highlighted by the DGE as a particularly recommendable oil. It has the lowest proportion of saturated fatty acids, but is particularly rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E.
- In addition, walnut, flax, soy and olive oils also have a good fatty acid profile. Especially virgin olive oil also contains a lot of secondary plant substances.
- On the other hand, saturated fatty acids should only be consumed in small amounts, as they are said to have a negative effect on blood values in particular. coconut oil, Palm oil and animal lard is particularly rich in these saturated fatty acids. To palm oil you should also avoid for the sake of the environment.
- Particularly problematic are the Trans fatty acids in hydrogenated fats. These are considered as Mitverursacher of heart cycle illnesses and affect negatively the Cholesterol levels from. The risk of stroke or heart attack increases as a consequence.
- These trans fatty acids are mainly found in industrially processed foods, especially deep-fried foods such as French fries, donuts or chips. Popcorn, margarine, sausage, crossaints, cookies, dairy products and many convenience foods also often contain these harmful fats.
6. Whole grain products are part of a balanced diet
Whenever you reach for grain products, whole grain is the better choice for a balanced diet: whether pasta, bread, rice or Flour – Foods from whole grains contain more Dietary fiber, which reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus, colon cancer, cardiovascular disease and dyslipidemia. In addition, foods rich in fiber make you feel fuller for longer and thus prevent binge eating.
Whole grain products also contain more nutrients than alternatives made from extraction flours. They provide valuable long-chain Carbohydrates as well as vitamins and minerals and thus an important component of a wholesome diet.
7. Animal products: Meat, fish, milk and co.
The DGE recommends milk and dairy products to increase the intake of protein, Vitamin B2 and calcium. It is also recommended to eat fish once or twice a week. Fatty fish in particular are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids, while meat provides iron, Selenium and Zinc supplies.
On the other hand, the DGE warns against the unhealthy ingredients of meat and Sausage: More than 300 grams to 600 grams per week should not be exceeded. Red meat (beef, pork, sheep, goat) is particularly dangerous, as it increases the risk of colon cancer.
In general, therefore, the DGE advises eating fewer animal products. This is not only better for your health, but also for the environment and climate. For: Milk and meat have the biggest impact on the planet.
In addition, the animals suffer enormously in the industrial animal husbandry. Therefore, you should buy animal products only in organic quality, preferably with a stricter quality control Organic seal of Naturland, demeter or Bioland. Here, not only environmentally friendly, but also species-appropriate animal husbandry is ensured.
With a vegetarian or vegan diet to cover the nutritional requirements is also possible. There is enough vegetable sources of protein like nuts, seeds and legumes. For Vitamins and Minerals like Calcium and Iron plant products are often the better option anyway. Only the much discussed vitamin B12 often comes with a vegan nutrition too briefly. Therefore it is recommended to substitute it accordingly.
8. Drink enough water
Sufficient fluid intake is essential for all bodily functions. According to the DGE, you should drink at least 1.5 liters per day, and up to 2.5 liters on hot days or when you do a lot of physical activity.
However, it is not only how much is important, but what: ideal thirst quenchers are water and unsweetened herbal and fruit teas. Thereby is Tap water usually the best choice: It’s the cheapest and doesn’t require any packaging or transportation – and in most parts of Germany, it has the best quality.
Lemonades, Cola, fruit juice drinks, nectars, iced teas or milk-based drinks such as iced coffee are not recommended. They contain mostly much sugar. Alcohol should also be avoided due to the numerous health risks and the risk of addiction if consumed only rarely and in small quantities.
9. Prepare food and meals gently
The ultimate nutrient content of food depends heavily on the method of preparation: the longer food is exposed to heat and water, the more nutrients are lost. Therefore, cook food as long as necessary, but as short as possible.
Particularly gentle cooking methods are Steam cooking and Blanching. But also raw food is often a good option: there are some vegetables that are are healthier raw than cooked.
In any case, you should avoid overheating and burning food. Carcinogenic substances develop in the process, which is why you should not eat burnt parts under any circumstances.
10. Balanced lifestyle with enough exercise
In addition to a wholesome healthy diet, sufficient exercise is also part of a balanced lifestyle.
Regular exercise reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, colon and breast cancer, and depression. Circulation and metabolism are stimulated, and well-being is enhanced. In addition, physical activity helps to regulate weight in a healthy way.
Neither overweight nor underweight is healthy. Therefore, it can be worthwhile to keep an eye on your body weight. However, if you take all these tips into account and eat a balanced diet, exercise enough and lead a healthy lifestyle, you will automatically reach your ideal body weight.
You can also easily incorporate physical activity into your daily routine – for example, by taking the stairs instead of the elevator or by riding a bike Bicycle to work or school. This is also sustainably better for the environment.