A healthy lifestyle that includes physical activity is the foundation of the new food pyramid. It is recommended that you get at least one hour of exercise a day to keep fit and prevent disease.
Today we want to talk about the new food pyramid for a healthy lifestyle so that you can follow it and improve your health.
You have to eat right to be healthy. The best way to achieve this is to consume products from different food groups. You should also supplement your diet with activities that benefit and strengthen your body, such as regular exercise.
The Spanish Society of Community Nutrition (SENC) has recently introduced some innovative and new dietary guidelines. It also made some changes to the so-called “food pyramid” to help you live a healthier lifestyle and improve your overall quality of life.
Have a healthy lifestyle: the base of the new pyramid
One of the biggest changes made to the existing food pyramid occurred at its base. This first step in the pyramid now recommends living a healthy lifestyle by getting at least 60 minutes of exercise per day.
The basics of a healthy diet are exercising regularly and maintaining a responsible weight. You can do any type of exercise that you like. What is important is that you keep your body in shape, improve your performance and strengthen both your heart and immune system. This helps you prevent degenerative diseases.
Be sure to give your body enough energy to perform all your activities.
If you have been eating too many unhealthy foods, exercise will help you burn those extra calories. This will also prevent them from turning into fat in the body.
Consume foods from all food groups
The second part of the food pyramid encourages you to follow a diet that includes all food groups. Whole grains, starch, and healthy carbohydrates are included here.
You should also eat fruits and vegetables two to three times a day. These foods provide essential nutrients such as vitamins and minerals, so you need to eat them regularly.
We suggest choosing fruit for dessert over foods heavy in processed sugars and fats. Fruit will eliminate your craving for something sweet without harming your body or causing obesity and weight gain.
Dairy products should also be included in your daily diet. If you are lactose intolerant, you can choose non-dairy products.
Finally, lean meat, chicken, and fish are included, preferably cooked on the grill or with as little fat as possible. Supplement these with eggs and other vegetable protein sources.
Sweets
At the top of the new food, the pyramid is the foods that should be consumed occasionally and only in moderation. These include red meat and sausages.
In order for these foods to be beneficial and not a setback to your diet, you should avoid cooking them with fat. It is always perfect to combine with vegetables and healthy fats.
Likewise, you can consume alcoholic beverages responsibly. We already know that these drinks, like red wine, white wine, and beer, can provide some benefits.
However, it is best to leave them at one drink a week at most. Also, it’s always better to make sure you stay well-hydrated before and after consuming alcohol.
Among the foods that should only be consumed very rarely are those that contain a large proportion of saturated fats and sugars. This applies to doughnuts, ice cream, pastries, or snacks.
Dietary supplements
Dietary supplements are at the top of the new pyramid for healthy eating. In general, you should eat foods that are as varied as possible so that your diet gives you what you need.
However, it may be that you need extra help. Ask your doctor as these supplements may need to be taken under the guidance of a professional.
Dietary supplements can help overcome deficiencies in essential nutrients. However, they should not be used to replace certain foods.