Healthy nutrition is in vogue and that’s a good thing. It strengthens organism as well as defense system and promotes the efficiency. Thanks to a continuously increasing selection of healthy foods, a healthy and balanced diet is becoming easier and easier nowadays.
It’s not just a matter of making sure the diet is as sugar-free as possible, because a certain amount of (natural) sugar doesn’t do any harm. The emphasis is more on "balanced nutrition".
As long as you eat a varied mixed diet with mainly plant-based foods, you can have some sugar and fat.
Nutrition plays a decisive role not only in muscle building, but also in targeted training.
The right diet can also go a long way during pregnancy or for various diseases such as rheumatism, gout, arthritis and diabetes.
But what exactly does a healthy diet look like??
A closer look at healthy eating
A balanced and healthy diet includes such basic things as sufficient fluid intake and regular food intake. Portion size and a healthy – i.e., not excessive – amount of calories are also important to consider if you want to eat mindfully. The German Nutrition Society (DGE) has drawn up a list of recommendations:
- Enjoy food variety and choose mostly plant-based foods
- Eat fruits and vegetables 5 times a day – this includes legumes
- Go for whole grains when it comes to cereal products
- Supplement your choices with animal foods
- Use vegetable oils and avoid oils hidden in processed foods
- Cut back on sugar and salt or. Reduce
- Mind. Drink 1.5 liters of fluid – preferably water – per day
- When cooking, pay attention to gentle preparation
- Eat mindfully and enjoy
- Watch your weight (BMI) and keep moving
So a healthy lifestyle also includes enough exercise. Exercise is not only good for building muscle, it is also good for the body in general. Speaking of muscle building: Here, too, the right diet plays an important role. The DGE recommends to cover at least half of the energy demand with carbohydrates.
Along with proteins and fats, they are the most important source of energy for our bodies. And the more you move and tend to be physically active, the more carbohydrates you should generally consume.
What to watch out for with carbohydrates
However, it is important to consider the type of carbohydrates, because there are two categories. Good or whole carbohydrates include all more or less unprocessed carbohydrate-rich foods.
These still have their original fiber content. At the same time, they have a low glycemic index.
This means they are less likely to upset blood sugar levels than the bad carbohydrates. Bad carbohydrates, on the other hand, are mostly found in (industrially) processed foods. They are therefore not known as refined or isolated carbohydrates for nothing.
During processing, the fiber content is minimized as much as possible in order to increase the shelf life of the respective food. Even if this simplifies the use in the food industry, it does not make the respective foods any healthier.
By the way, muesli is particularly suitable for an energetic start to the day: in addition to carbohydrates, it provides sufficient vitamins as well as minerals and fiber.
Porridge is also a good source of energy. In the evening, on the contrary, the consumption of proteins is recommended. This is based on the idea that our organism is active during the day and regenerates at night, when we sleep. This suggests that carbohydrates should be eaten in the morning to provide the body with enough energy.
Different diets and diets
Who would like to change its nutrition and/or concern itself with healthy food, is confronted again and again with more or less promising parliamentary allowance and different nourishing concepts.
Pretty much all claim to be the healthiest way to eat healthy, lose weight or build muscle. We want to take a closer look at some of these here, because there is no universal formula for healthy eating:
Alkaline diet
As the name suggests, the alkaline diet focuses on alkaline-forming foods. In addition to fruits and vegetables, these include herbs, some types of nuts, and sprouts and seeds.
For optimal metabolism, the body needs sufficient vital substances and minerals. Ready-made products, which are available on every supermarket shelf for quick cooking, contain a lot of additives, just like fast food.
In addition, the high content of protein and fat in our modern diet provides a hugely increased acid load in our body in the long term. The foods listed above, on the other hand, with their high density of fiber, nutrients and minerals, ensure a well-functioning organism.
By the way, oats are also an alkaline food thanks to their good mineral profile. With numerous vitamins, unsaturated fatty acids, minerals and antioxidants, oatmeal is a real little nutrient bomb. To conjure up a valuable, healthy breakfast from oatmeal, you can process the flakes into overnight oats.
Overnight Oats basic recipe – without added sugar
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons rolled oats (approx. 45g)
- 80 ml of water, milk or a vegetable alternative
- Toppings of your choice: berries, nuts, dried fruits, bananas, apples,…
Preparation
Nutritional values
The right diet during pregnancy
We all know the myth of cravings and cravings for such exotic combinations as pickles and chocolate during pregnancy. The need for food intake may actually increase – after all, a pregnant woman is feeding for two. Nevertheless – and even if there are some exceptions to be considered – the diet before and during pregnancy is based on the generally valid recommendations for a healthy diet.
Ideally, several meals a day are eaten to provide the pregnant woman’s body with an even supply of energy and nutrients. The exceptions mentioned above include abstaining from stimulants such as alcohol and nicotine (generally not part of a healthy diet). Raw milk products should also be avoided, as well as raw fish, raw eggs and raw meat.
Energy and nutrient requirements: In pregnant women, energy requirements increase by around 350 kcal per day from the second and then again from the third trimester of pregnancy onwards. The need for nutrients is also increasing – and more so than the need for energy. Deficiencies in certain nutrients, such as folic acid, can lead to complications for mother and child, such as growth retardation or premature delivery.
Folic acid, iron, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D and calcium, as well as protein and vitamin A, should be part of every pregnant woman’s diet as part of a balanced diet. And speaking of pregnant women and offspring: Once the little ones are born and growing and thriving, sooner or later they’ll want to get their own way too.
Choosing the right foods can be a tricky issue with children. Not every child tastes what parents think is good and healthy. That’s why we at VERIVAL have enlisted the help of representatives from both "parties" in creating our recipes: on the one hand, extensive scientific input from nutrition experts, and on the other, hands-on tastings from children ages 6-10.
Conclusion
The conclusion is quite clear: The one right way to eat does not exist. Many factors come into play, such as personal preferences, allergies and intolerances. What tastes good to one person may not be good to another. It is important – also with all diets and nutritional concepts listed above – to pay attention to a balanced mixture and not to neglect certain nutrients.
Carbohydrates, for example, should not be missing from any diet, even if it is based on the ketogenic diet. Whole grains score high on complex carbohydrates and a low glycemic index. In addition to a high saturation effect, they have a high nutrient density.
In addition, they are rich in vitamins and minerals, trace elements as well as secondary plant compounds that promote performance. The advantages and properties of whole grains can be summarized as follows:
- Complex carbohydrates that make blood sugar levels rise only slowly and keep you full for a long time
- low glycemic index
- Provides important fiber, vitamins and minerals
- important for concentration, attention, performance in the morning
- ideal for replenishing empty energy stores
As long as you adhere to the basic pillars of a healthy diet, which are sufficiently described here, the following simple principle actually applies: What tastes good is good. And so, in the end, you know best what suits you and your body and what you should rather do without. All nutrients in 1 bowl – this applies to our VERIVAL Porridge. Our porridge provides your body with all important nutrients already at breakfast.