When people think of fitness. the usual imagery that springs to mind is that of brightly lit gyms and various forms of exercise. Yet, how many of us really stop to consider the essential component to fitness of providing the body with a healthy supply of nutrient dense foods?
If you have recently made the decision to pursue a greater level of all round fitness, body shape and well being then you need to learn the important differences between healthy food vs unhealthy food.
In discussions about healthy food vs unhealthy food, there are those who espouse the benefits of eating raw food, believing that it is a lot healthier than food cooked in any way.
Eating a healthy Diet is a huge part to the overall state of your health. There are many aspects to eating healthily which must be considered though:
Placing food into categories of purely healthy or unhealthy is not as straight forward as you may believe.
Follow this general overview of the healthy food vs unhealthy food debate:
The following foods are generally listed as healthy choices: fresh fruits and vegetables, raw seeds and nuts, Vegetables, Lean Meat and extra virgin oils.
Without question, the above list is obviously just a general guide. Depending on your individual aspirations you will need to adjust accordingly. For example, those of us whose goal is the development of greater muscle mass will need to consume far greater quantities of both Protein for muscle building and Carbohydrates to provide the energy needed to power them through the intense workouts they will be performing.
Nonetheless, the above Foods are certainly healthy in all respects and should be consumed on a regular basis,
Hey – it’s just as important to know what are considered as unhealthy foods in our healthy foods vs unhealthy food discussion. You may be surprised at how bad for you some of the foods that we chose to consume on a day to day basis actually are for us.
The obvious candidates are fried food, anything with high levels of fat and if course junk food. The ones to really watch out for though are the better hidden – yet totally unhealthy additives that stay lurking in many of our daily food choices. Including but not limited to: Artificial flavors and preservatives, saturated Fats and Trans Fats.
So, thats the obvious offenders. Less conspicuously unhealthy – but bad for you in large quantities nonetheless is surprisingly for many, Fruits, Smoothies of all denominations and Fruit Juices. Although they all contain healthy vitamins, the large amounts of natural sugars which they contain means that they should only ever be consumed first thing in the morning an a completely empty stomach.
Now you have some grasp of the main staples of a healthy Diet, its time to examine your own daily, weekly and monthly food consumption. What food do you eat every day? Every week? By examining your own Dietary habits you can make the necessary adjustments to be regularly consuming, fresh, healthy and natural food types.
In order to reap the benefits of healthy Diet ad exercise regime consistency is your secret weapon. The real results will not come overnight. Instead they will be increased in a compound fashion over a long term basis. The opposite is true for those who continue to eat an unhealthy Diet for many years also. That is the reason why long term junk food addicts or people who consume Diets high in sugar run the risk of developing sugar Diabetes.
What always works a treat in creating a healthy dietary regime is by simply purchasing healthy food whenever at the supermarket, alongside a tasty treat or two. This way, the majority of your food intake will always be healthy, but you still will have access to one or two less healthy but totally delicious treats to reward consistently healthy eating.
You could also try preparing your meals in advance so that you eat only what you have prepared and you won’t be tempted to buy unhealthy food for lunch.
Now, everybody slips up once in a while. Its a natural temptation considering we are constantly bombarded by advertisers on a daily basis, fast food, cakes, crisps and sweets. Don’t beat yourself up about this, just get back into a healthy eating regime as soon as possible. A little slip up here and there is fine, but dont turn a ‘cheat meal’ into a ‘cheat day.’
That being said, the cornerstone of healthy eating also comes down to the factor of portion size. Whether it is a healthy food or a unhealthy (but delicious treat) small portions eaten frequently throughout the day are always better than large meals. That way, the body will make best use of the nutrients available. Raising metabolism and burning more fat.
The Healthy food vs unhealthy food debate is one that will rage for centuries. Depending on your goal. However, the information covered in this article will prove a solid foundational cornerstone to anybodies general health and well being. Also, remember to drink plenty of water. Up to ten glasses a day is recommended to further compound the positive benefits of a healthy Diet.
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