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Everyone knows that having a healthy diet is essential. This is a piece of information that has been drummed into us from an early age since unhealthy eating habits cause all sorts of health problems, such as being underweight or overweight, digestive and cardiovascular dysregulations, diabetes, etc. The issue is that many people don’t really know where to start. Let’s look at how to create a healthy diet that suits you.

Know Your Calories

First, you need to figure out how much do you need to eat throughout the day in order to create a healthy diet that suits you. While you are at it, you should look at your portion sizes. Research shows that portion sizes began to grow in the 1970s, rose sharply in the 1980s, and have continued to increase in parallel with people’s weight. But it’s not all about severely limiting your food intake. In fact, eating too little can be just as bad as eating too much. Undereating can harm your heart, circulation, temperature, hormones, bones, digestion, and much more.

Calories are not the enemy. Instead, calories are simply a unit of measurement that details how much energy is in a type of food. Therefore, calories can be a tool to ensure you’re eating roughly the right amount each day. This is why knowing how many calories your body requires is essential. The amount of calories you should consume depends on a variety of factors such as your age, sex, and activity levels. 

How Many Calories Do You Need?

Check out the guidelines below created by The Institute of Medicine to have a concrete idea of how many calories you should be eating:

GenderAge (years)SedentarybModerately ActivecActived
Child2-31,0001,000-1,4001,000-1,400
Female4-8
9-13
14-18
19-30
31-50
51+
1,200
1,600
1,800
2,000
1,800
1,600
1,400-1,600
1,600-2,000
2,000
2,000-2,200
2,000
1,800
1,400-1,800
1,800-2,200
2,400
2,400
2,200
2,000-2,200
Male4-8
9-13
14-18
19-30
31-50
51+
1,400
1,800
2,200
2,400
2,200
2,000
1,400-1,600
1,800-2,200
2,400-2,800
2,600-2,800
2,400-2,600
2,200-2,400
1,600-2,000
2,000-2,600
2,800-3,200
3,000
2,800-3,000
2,400-2,800
  •  Sedentary (people only engaging in light physical activity associated with day-to-day life)
  • Moderately Active (a lifestyle engaging in physical activity equivalent to walking about 1.5 to 3 miles per day at 3 to 4 miles per hour, plus the light physical activity associated with day-to-day life)
  • Active (a lifestyle that includes physical activity equivalent to walking more than 3 miles per day at 3 to 4 miles per hour, plus the light physical activity associated with day-to-day life).

Have Variety and a Balanced Diet

A second thing to consider is variety and balance in your diet. If you want to be successful at sticking to your health journey, you need to make sure that your body is getting quality fuel. This means creating a balanced and varied diet. Again, people tend to go to extremes with this. You don’t need to solely eat healthy superfoods every meal of every day to eat well and fuel your body properly. Instead, variety is key. Besides, having the same meals day-in and day-out can create nutritional gaps due to the fact that you are missing diverse vitamins and minerals.

You’re much more likely to stick to a healthy diet that you enjoy than an extremely healthy diet that leaves you feeling deprived and bored with every meal.  It’s completely fine to have a healthy salad with protein and avocado for lunch and then make your own butter mochi. One thing to remember is to avoid cutting food groups out because all macronutrients serve a purpose. Carbohydrates, healthy fats, and proteins have diverse functions and are necessary for your body to thrive.

Plan Your Meals

Another aspect that will help you create a healthy diet that suits you is planning your meals. All too many people fall off the healthy diet bandwagon due to convenience foods, such as ready meals, takeaways, fast food, and more. You can end up being busy, getting home, and finding that you don’t have healthy food in or simply can’t be bothered to make a healthy meal because you are too tired. Then, you opt for fast and convenient foods that are actually devoid of nutrients and contain excess fats, sugars, sodium, and processed toxic ingredients.

Instead, you should make sure to meal plan and meal prep each week. Meal planning is associated with a healthier diet and less obesity. So, you should create a list of healthy meals you want to eat throughout the week. Then, you write down all of the ingredients you need so you can get them when you go food shopping. You can even start to chop, marinate and prepare ingredients that will keep ensuring that they are partially ready when it comes to time to make the meal.

Unfortunately, many people have a hard time figuring out their meals to get the results they want in regards to their health or body composition. If that’s the case, you should get personalized recommendations from a professional so you have a meal plan designed for your individual goals and needs. Or you can get a meal delivery service that provides wholesome organic meals.

Now that you got some ideas to get the ball rolling in the right direction, you know how to create a healthy diet that suits you. These steps are all simple, but can all make a huge difference to your overall health, wellbeing, body composition, and general happiness. Try them out and see how they work for you!

To a Fitter Healthier You,

Adriana Albritton

The Fitness Wellness Mentor

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