Maintaining a healthy diet is crucial for overall health and well-being. Here are some practical tips to help you achieve it.
Fruits and Vegetables
According to WHO (World Health Organization), eating at least 400 grams or five portions of fruits and vegetables per day reduces the risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and ensures an adequate daily intake of dietary fiber. Improve your fruit and vegetable intake by:
- Always including vegetables in meals.
- Eating fresh fruit and raw vegetables as snacks.
- Choosing fresh fruits and vegetables that are in season.
- Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables.
Fats
Reducing total fat intake to less than 30% of total energy helps prevent unhealthy weight gain. Additionally, the risk of developing NCDs can be lowered by:
- Reducing saturated fats to less than 10% of total energy intake.
- Reducing trans-fats to less than 1% of total energy intake.
- Replacing both saturated and trans-fats with unsaturated fats, particularly polyunsaturated fats.
Decrease fat intake, especially saturated and industrially-produced trans-fats, by:
- Steaming or boiling instead of frying.
- Using oils rich in polyunsaturated fats, such as soybean, canola, corn, safflower, and sunflower oils, instead of butter or lard.
- Eating reduced-fat dairy products and lean meats, or trimming visible fat from meat.
- Limiting baked and fried foods, and pre-packaged snacks that contain industrially-produced trans-fats.
Salt, Sodium, and Potassium
Most people consume too much sodium through salt (9-12 grams per day) and not enough potassium (less than 3.5 grams). High sodium intake and insufficient potassium contribute to high blood pressure, increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Reducing salt intake to less than 5 grams per day could prevent 1.7 million deaths annually. You can reduce salt intake by:
- Limiting the amount of salt and high-sodium condiments (e.g., soy sauce, fish sauce) when cooking.
- Not having salt or high-sodium sauces on the table.
- Limiting consumption of salty snacks.
- Choosing products with lower sodium content and checking nutrition labels.
Increase potassium intake by consuming fresh fruits and vegetables, which can help counteract the negative effects of sodium on blood pressure.
Sugars
In both adults and children, free sugars intake should be less than 10% of total energy intake. Reducing it to less than 5% provides additional health benefits.
Consuming free sugars increases the risk of dental caries and contributes to unhealthy weight gain, which can lead to overweight and obesity. Recent evidence shows that free sugars influence blood pressure and serum lipids, suggesting that reducing free sugars intake lowers cardiovascular disease risk factors.
Reduce sugars intake by:
- Limiting consumption of high-sugar foods and drinks, such as sugary snacks, candies, and sugar-sweetened beverages.
- Eating fresh fruits and raw vegetables as snacks instead of sugary snacks.
Adopting these healthy eating habits can help you maintain a balanced diet and improve overall well-being. Always choose natural and fresh options, and check nutrition labels to make informed choices.
We hope these tips will help you maintaining a healthy diet. If you want to know more about ReguFIT you can follow us on our social media or enter our website. And if you want to try the benefits of ReguFIT shop now in regufit.com
