The ABCs of healthy dieting are a fun way to remember fundamental components important for dieting success. Beginning a healthy diet doesn't require that you learn all kinds of crazy and difficult rules. According to the National Federation of Professional Trainers, healthy dieting should include eating the right foods, avoiding the wrong ones and maintaining a regular eating pattern. Sticking to these few basic guidelines will help you start off strong and help you reach your goals safely.
A is for Avoiding Junk Food
The first guideline for healthy dieting is to avoid junk food as much as possible. Although candy, potato chips and fast food may be delicious, they are considered junk food because they contain high amounts of sugar, sodium, fat and calories and have little nutritional value. Replacing these kinds of foods with healthier choices such as protein-rich lean meats like turkey, complex carbohydrates like brown rice and healthier fats like olive oil can help you lower your caloric intake and get more vitamins and macronutrients.
B is for Balanced Meals
Balancing your meals means that you eat the right amounts at the right times throughout the day. For a healthy diet, the American Council on Exercise recommends eating small, frequent meals throughout the day. This helps you by giving your body consistent energy and not overloading it with more calories than it can handle at one time. One thing you should avoid is eating a large amount of food in one sitting. This can trigger your body to produce more insulin than it needs, which will lead to more calories being stored as fat. The end results can be becoming overweight or obese.
C is for Consistent Eating Habits
If your healthy diet is to be effective, you'll want to consistently eat healthy and balanced for as long as possible. Some people try a diet for a few weeks and then slip up, only to say that the diet never worked for them. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, your body's metabolic process is highly sophisticated in that it tries to match your eating habits and calorie consumption with the energy it needs to work as efficiently as possible. Once you begin to eat a certain way consistently, your body will adapt to your eating schedule and begin to utilize calories more effectively. This process can take time, so it's important to give your body a chance to adapt to your new healthy diet.
D is for Dieting Considerations
Since the word diet doesn't always mean weight loss, it's important to consider what a healthy diet means for you. If your goal is bodybuilding, then your healthy diet will include eating more protein calories to help build lean muscle and put on more weight through mass. If you're dieting for a long distance marathon, you will most likely need to consume a large amount of carbohydrates to fuel long workouts. For the most part, if your ultimate goal is to simply get healthier by eating better, the ABCs of dieting should be enough to help you achieve this. If you have specific reasons for dieting, consult with a professional trainer or licensed dietitian to find out what else you will need to be successful.
References
- "Sports Nutrition Manual"; National Federation of Professional Trainers, Mark P. Kelly et al.; 2006
- "ACSM's Resources for the Personal Trainer"; American College of Sports Medicine; 2010
- "American Council on Exercise Personal Trainers Manual"; Cedric X. Bryant; 2003
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