Food marketing can be very confusing. With so many overlapping health claims (“No fat!”…“Healthy essential fats!”) and constantly changing what to eat/not to eat (“Eat whole wheat!”…“Not really, eat less gluten!”), it can be difficult to get a clear picture and understand what it really means to eat well.
In fact, having a healthy diet doesn't have to be complicated, nor does it involve spending lots of money on expensive products that reach the consumer through carefully thought out marketing campaigns.
Here is a simple list of rules I recommend for consistently healthy eating.
1 - EAT REAL FOOD
There is a difference between real food and “edible food-like substances”.
Real food is something our great-grandmothers would recognize. We must be able to imagine real food in its natural form (eg a cow, an apple tree).
And for baked or prepared foods, we should be able to recognize all the ingredients and probably have them in our pantries (flour, oil, salt, etc.)… most of us don't have maltitol E965 in our kitchens.
2 - OPT FOR 'NAKED' FOODS
Foods that don't come in packets, like fresh fruit or vegetables; meat or fish that are bought at the butcher or market; and grains, nuts or spices are clean and natural foods.
3 - BIOLOGICAL When you opt for organic, you opt for the "cleanest" type of food, grown or raised without pesticides, insecticides, chemical fertilizers, hormones, steroids, etc.
4- PRIORITIZE PLANTS Vegetables are rich in minerals, vitamins, antioxidants and fiber - and virtually devoid of calories, sugars or toxins that cause weight gain and health problems.
5- ABDIATE THE WHITES Or at least avoid it as much as possible, and opt for the integral. This applies to white sugar or other disguised forms, but also to processed cereals, and instead opt for their whole forms.
6 - COOKING AT HOME Most ready-to-eat or restaurant meals are high in processed foods and sugars. When we cook at home we know exactly what is going into our body. 7 - ENJOY THE FOOD
Cooking healthy food doesn't have to be boring. Furthermore, eating real, healthy food is also a matter of teaching and training our palate. How many of us hated soup as a child and love it as adults? Teach your palate and you will quickly learn to truly taste and appreciate food.
Finally, remember that occasionally eating pizza or that cake you love is not a crime, on the contrary. We should seek to enjoy food and maintain a healthy relationship with it is also one of the essential points for a healthy eating style.
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Saúde & Beleza