You cannot go a day without hearing someone talk about the new diet or new best superfood. With so much information, it can be confusing. But, food and nutrition should not be rocket science. It is in fact simple; eat whole foods and pay attention to your body.
I am not perfect. I have struggled with finding a balance in my diet. But as the runner and food lover, I have discovered a few things that have worked for me and would like to share my experiences with you. Below mentioned are 5 simple & Easy Rules to Maintain a Balanced Diet.
Table of Contents
Eat What You Want
If you are craving a burger, go ahead and eat it. Well it is not that simple.
If you decided to eat the burger, choose for a healthier option. Why not make your burger at home as an alternative of going to a fast food restaurant. Use turkey meat as an alternative of ground beef. Choosing the healthier difference is usually a good rule of thumb.
More: Healthy Shopping List Tips for Busy Athletes
Eat When You Want
Just because the lunch break is at noon does not mean you must stick to eating at that exact time. If you are hungry at 10:00 a.m., and your snack is not going to cut it, then go ahead and eat your lunch. Will you use the reason, ‘Oh but then I will want dinner really early.’? Not a problem. Eat dinner earlier. The ‘food-time fairy’ is not going to punish you if you does not eat at exactly 7:00 p.m. The bottom line is to pay attention to your body and eat when you are hungry.
Portion Control
Portions are not so easy to decode. That ½ stand of ribs on the plate, with a side of mashed potatoes and sauted veggies is not a single serving. But, you do not want to let it all go to waste, right? You does not have to let it go to waste. Ask for a to-go box. Eat ½ of your meal and save the rest for next day.
More: The Diet Detective: How Many Calories Are You Eating?
Rewarding Yourself
Stop rewarding yourself with the food. Runners be inclined to be an entitled group when it comes to food. They finish a run and reward themselves with food. Many times I hear this, we have to run 3 miles; surely we can eat this bucket of wings. Not so fast. Find a new reward. How about the foot massage? Eat to run, do not run to eat.
You are What You Eat
You have heard it before and you will hear it again. You are what you eat. Personally, I do not find food to be all that attractive (A bell pepper just does not look sexy to me), but that is not the point. This phrase makes more sense if it said, “If you want a simple life, eat simple foods. For a complicated life, choose foods with ingredients you cannot pronounce.” It is totally your choice. I prefer the simple life, free from complications. Besides, I feel better when things are simple.
Photo credit: Harald_ / Foter / CC BY-NC-ND