Nutrition is one of the most important aspects when it comes to maintaining good health. Whether you’re trying to maintain a healthy, balanced diet, or trying to lose weight, understanding the importance of nutrition is crucial. Instead of being strict and having an unhealthy relationship with food, understanding how to make good choices is essential to help you stay on track.
Here’s a brief guide on the importance of nutrition that every beginner should read.
Nutrition According to Your Goal
It’s important to understand that the type of food you eat varies based on your goal. Especially if you’re living in Australia, the experts of Fintys explain how to find the best aid to help you reach your fitness goals. If you’re looking to lose weight, you’ll need to reduce your calorie intake and follow a weight-loss plan that suits your weight, age, and fitness levels. However, if you’re looking to bulk up and gain muscles, you’ll need to increase your protein intake, workout regularly, and sometimes even take supplements.
Not All Fats Are Bad
One of the first lessons you’ll have to learn is that not all fats are bad for you. In fact, healthy fats such as monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats are actually essential for the body. The reason behind this is that the body utilizes it as a source of fuel. Furthermore, these good fats have several benefits for the heart, such as reducing the risk of heart disease and strokes and lowering bad cholesterol levels. These fats can be found in food such as salmon and mackerel as well as other vegetarian options such as avocado, nuts, Greek yogurt, and cheese. Your body also needs fats to aid in absorbing certain nutrients, such as Vitamin A, Vitamin D, and several antioxidants. While fats are important, you should be careful with your intake to avoid gaining weight.
Count Your Calories
In order to keep track of what’s entering your system, you should start focusing on what you eat and how many calories you’re consuming by reading the labels on your food. There are so many things you might be eating that add to your calorie intake without you even realizing it. Using apps with calorie counters will enable you to log in each meal, thus gaining more knowledge on what you might be consuming too much or too little of. These apps can also help you understand more about which types of food contain good quantities of macronutrients and the amount that needs to be consumed.
Understand the Different Kinds of Carbs
There are many low-carb or no-carb diets that claim that certain problems, such as weight gain, could be due to eating carbohydrates. However, just like fats, not all carbs are bad. As a matter of fact, the body uses carbohydrates as the main source of energy. When consuming carbs, there are two things you need to be aware of: the type of carbs you’re eating and when you’re eating them.
Whole carbs are really good for you and can be found in foods you should be eating on a regular basis; this includes vegetables, fruits, and whole grains such as quinoa, oatmeal, and whole-wheat bread. Other carbs that should be avoided, or at least reduced, are refined carbs; this is because refined carbs are packed with sugar, and you could find yourself consuming a lot more sugar than required. These types of carbs include sodas, fruit juices, pastries, desserts, and many others. These foods don’t just add to your calorie intake, they end up spiking your cravings, too.
Proteins
Proteins should be an essential part of your daily nutrition, regardless of your fitness goals. But, if you’re exercising or trying to gain more muscles, you should be focusing on eating more protein, especially after your workouts. While most amounts of protein can be found in meat options, there are vegetarian alternatives, such as Greek yogurt, nuts, spinach, kale, and broccoli, that will allow you to stay on top of your game. However, if you feel you’re unable to consume enough protein in your daily diet, you should start looking into incorporating a protein shake to ensure you get the required dose.
Understanding the benefits each food group provides, what the body utilizes them for, and how to differentiate between their healthy and unhealthy options is the first step to understanding the importance of nutrition. With this beginner’s guide, you’ll be more aware of the food you consume, and you can start taking better care of your health.