There are several clear criteria that can help determine whether your nutrition is in order. Or, conversely, indicate problems. These signs are relevant regardless of your clothing size and weight.
How to Recognize an Improper Diet
The main drawback of many diets is that they quickly lead the body into a state of chronic hunger and a lack of essential nutrients. As a result, this leads to characteristic problems known to dietitians:
1. Constant desire to eat. This is a signal of a significant calorie deficit.
2. Frequent dietary breakdowns. The body tries to compensate for the missing calories.
3. Severe weakness and apathy. Without sufficient fats and carbohydrates, the body has no source of energy.
4. Bad mood caused by constant hunger and discomfort, as well as a lack of B vitamins.
5. Painful sensations in the abdomen due to gastrointestinal disturbances.
6. Insomnia arising from undernutrition and hunger stress.
7. Menstrual cycle disturbances, also related to hunger stress.
8. Skin, hair, and nail problems due to a lack of fatty acids and animal-derived vitamins.
9. Painful sensations in the back. This may be a signal from the kidneys, which are overloaded on a high-protein diet.
10. Feeling cold due to thermoregulation disturbances from a lack of carbohydrates.
11. Frequent and prolonged colds due to a lack of important nutrients and a weakened immune system.
Four Principles of Proper Nutrition from a Nutrition Specialist
Eat When Hungry, and Stop When Full
This sounds simple, but in a world where restrictive diets are popular, the idea of listening to your body may seem unusual. We all possess the skill of intuitive eating, which manifests in the ability to sense hunger and satiety; however, many people adhere to diets for so long that they forget what normal eating is. The same happens due to other stresses that disrupt the body's rhythms.
Diversify Your Diet
Healthy eating implies a wide variety of foods, including those that are usually condemned for their high calorie content. There is no good or bad food — all products can be part of a healthy diet. The key is to remember moderation and balance: if you eat a candy, add a carrot to it. And it doesn’t have to be immediately; you can do it later. Harmonious eating is assessed not by one day, but by everything you have eaten over the week.
* There are days when you consume only carbohydrates, but then you prepare a large portion of salad and meat, providing the necessary combination of fats, proteins, carbohydrates, fiber, micro- and macroelements.
Enjoy Your Food
Food is one of the most accessible pleasures, and depriving yourself of it is harmful to health. When you calmly and unhurriedly enjoy a dish, your brain finds it easier to perceive natural signals of satiety. This is in contrast to the situation when you have to force yourself to eat something unappetizing, which disrupts the connection between "food — satisfaction".
Ensure Sufficient Food to Meet Basic Body Needs
Satisfying hunger is a sign of healthy behavior: regular meals help keep the body in a calm state. When you consume enough food at regular intervals, it is easy to avoid severe hunger and, consequently, overeating.
Source: Tch
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