There are many diets out there, some which boast about their efficiency, while others find great pride in their expediency. Unfortunately, it is human nature to always look for the easy way out, so most people usually just look for the results. Still, it is these tiny details, these diet specifics that determine what effect it will have on your body. With this in mind, here are five tips that will help you recognize a healthy diet right away.
- Don’t eat too often
Even though it is already a proven fact that the frequency of meals does not affect weight loss, eating too many times a day may reflect negatively on your health. Having more than five meals a day may leave your liver and pancreas too tired with no time to rest. One study in 2014 has proven that eating up to 6 times a day on a regular basis can lead to an affliction known as the fatty liver. An optimal diet (health-wise) should contain three meals a day with at least two quick snacks consisting of fruit.
- Avoid exclusion
It is a well-known fact that in order to survive your body requires every single nutrient it can get. Still, there are numerous misconceptions and myths about what nutrients should you evict from your diet. Some claim that in order to lose weight you should avoid fat, others that in order to reduce the width of your waist you should stop eating carbs. In truth, any diet which talks about such exclusions is simply bad for your body. What you need in order to reach the results you are dreaming of is a holistic well-balanced diet. True, you need to reduce the amount of fats and carbs you intake daily, but you do need them both.
- Don’t eat too little
On the other hand, some claim that in order to look better you need to eat as little as possible. The negative sides of this are that by eating too little you can enter a state of starvation. This will cause your body to cling to every single calorie you ingest making you reach a weight loss plateau. Even though you should probably reduce your daily portions, you must be very careful not to cross this thin line, since this could nullify all your hard work. If you absolutely need to reduce your meals significantly, do so gradually over the course of several weeks.
- Be careful what you drink as well
Another misconception that is today widely accepted is that a diet is only concerned with what you eat. What you drink matters as well and with this in mind you need to avoid soft drinks as much as possible. Fresh water is by far the best thing there is for your hydration and you should drink at least 9 to 11 cups a day. As for coffee, although it contains a lot of caffeine, without which we cannot imagine our day, it also contains a significant amount of toxins we should stay clear of. This is why it would also be wise to replace it with various sorts of tea. Green tea and black tea are ideal alternatives to coffee. But, if you cannot live without coffee you can still enjoy it in moderate to low amounts.
- Diet is not self-sufficient
Even though with a proper diet you will start losing weight, it won’t be enough to get you all the results you need. Only when combined with a proper training will any diet unleash its full potential. However, to get the most out of this it is essential that you train with a professional. Getting someone with proper coaching skills to aid you in your efforts will increase the effects of everything you do many times over.
Finally, there is one thing you need to remember at all times – your health always comes first. What good is even the most short-term effective diet if it severely damages your health? Just realize that this is not a race but a marathon and marathon requires patience and careful training.