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Can the most advantageous method of nutrition be identified?
Table of Contents
1. What is the meaning of the term "diet"?
The diet, although frequently linked to weight loss therapy or a period of restricted eating, is in fact a way of nourishment. There are numerous types of diets - not all will be reductive. However, the ones that enjoy the most popularity typically have a reduced energy content or exclude certain product groups.2. Does any perfect diet exist?
Firstly, we need to ask what makes a certain diet perfect. In terms of diet, its main purpose is to provide proper nourishment, i.e., delivering all the necessary nutrients and minerals and vitamins. Additionally, it should have a positive impact on health. Depending on the needs, it should aid in reducing, maintaining, or increasing body weight. Although it may seem unlikely, a perfect diet does exist. However, it is of utmost importance to highlight that it is not universal. This is because it should be tailored not only to individual preferences but also to the energy requirement, which varies according to gender, age, body weight, occupation, and daily physical activity. Furthermore, it is crucial to remember that what is healthy for one person may not necessarily be healthy for another. For instance, for someone with celiac disease, wheat or whole grain rye bread could pose a potential health risk. Similarly, in the case of a nut allergy, despite its significant role in the food pyramid of healthy eating.3. How to formulate your own ideal diet
The practical creation of your own ideal diet is not always easy, as it has to meet a range of requirements. However, with due diligence and the necessary knowledge about nutrition, you can design it in several simple steps.4. Check your energy requirements
If you want your diet to be tailored to your individual needs, you first need to determine how many kilocalories it needs to provide. To achieve this, you need to calculate your total energy expenditure (CPM). There are many online calculators available that make it easy to estimate this value. However, you should keep in mind that the result may differ slightly from reality, for example, due to incorrectly determined level of physical activity, so it's worth taking into account a margin of error. Then, you need to decide whether the diet should be for reducing, maintaining, or increasing weight. Depending on the choice, you need to subtract, leave unchanged, or add calories to CPM. In case of weight reduction, you should subtract a maximum of 500-600 kcal from CPM, and in case of desire to gain weight - add the same number. This is a safe speed that reduces the likelihood of the yo-yo effect.5. Ensure that you have a balanced diet
A diet that provides adequate amounts of protein, fats, and carbohydrates is crucial for health. In daily nutrition, it should contain 0.8-1.2 g of protein per kilogram of body weight (this situation is different for professional athletes). It is best to obtain protein from various sources that can be of animal or plant origin, depending on preference. It is also important to adapt fats and carbohydrates to individual needs. However, it is worth remembering that excessive consumption of saturated fatty acids, found in animal products, can be associated with a 30% increased risk of cardiovascular disease (Sacks et al., 2017). In the case of carbohydrates, simple sugars found in sweets and processed foods should not exceed 10% of daily caloric intake. Their overconsumption can be associated with the occurrence of tooth decay, obesity, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome (Sartorius et al., 2016). Examples of protein sources include: meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, eggs, legumes, and tofu. Carbohydrates come from fruits, starchy vegetables, grains and grain products, sweeteners. Fats are provided by butter and margarine, oils, nuts, seeds and kernels, fatty fish, avocado.6. Remember to embrace diversity
The more varied the diet, the less likely it is to have a deficiency. To ensure a diverse menu, it is advisable to create a meal plan for a week and check which ingredients are often repeated. Then one should consider how to replace them with other products. If potatoes are most often chosen as the main course, they can be replaced with oats, rice or cassava. If the main protein in the menu is chicken, it is worth considering using boiled tofu or lentils. From time to time, one can also try using products that have not been used before. Although this may initially seem a bit daunting, fortunately there are many inspirations on the internet for delicious dishes with the most exotic ingredients.7. Fruits and vegetables constitute the foundation
Although their selection is primarily a matter of individual preferences and tolerance (e.g. raw onions and garlic are not recommended in reflux disease), they should still form the basis of every meal. At least 450 g of fruits and vegetables should be consumed during the day (vegetables should make up the majority). They are a rich source of vitamins and minerals, as well as antioxidants that protect against cancers and chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or obesity (M. del Rio Celestino, R. Font 2020). They can be consumed in any form, however, canned varieties should be limited due to their high sugar and salt content.8. The lowest possible number of processed food items
Processed foods (such as instant snacks, sweets, or salty snacks) are usually not particularly nutritious – they contain few vitamins and minerals, but many calories. In addition, they are often rich in trans fats, simple sugars, and large amounts of salt, which in excess have adverse effects on the bloodstream. Processed foods are therefore not a good basis for creating an ideal diet – one that supports health and is nutritious. It is important not to forget about vegan substitutes for animal products. Although they allow for a reduction in the amount of saturated fats in the diet, they still provide a lot of salt and sugar. Even if some of these products were developed to support health (e.g., dietary snacks and drinks), it is still better to rely on fresh, local, and seasonal products. It is important to remember that even on an ideal shopping list, there is room for various types of food, but it is worth comparing the compositions of the products and choosing the less processed ones and maintaining moderation.9. The diet should be tasty and filling
In order to make a diet perfect, it should be tailored to individual taste preferences. It is difficult to achieve this if meals are not delicious. Many people mistakenly believe that healthy eating and delicious dishes cannot coexist. However, thanks to the wide range of unprocessed products, spices, and herbs, it is easy to prepare a dish that is not only nutritious but also delicious. Since taste is an individual matter and depends on taste sensitivity and the distribution of taste buds, it is important to experiment and adjust the proportions of ingredients and spices on your own. Another important aspect is that meals should be satisfying. If the food is delicious but not filling, it can lead to overeating snacks, which can negatively affect weight. To increase the level of satiety, it is beneficial to incorporate fiber and protein sources into meals. It is important to remember that an ideal diet should be healthy and nutritious, but it does not have to be completely free of processed foods. In every, even perfect, menu, there should be room for products that do not necessarily provide a lot of nutrients, but still bring pleasure. When building an ideal diet, the most important thing is to maintain common sense and find a balance between complete abstinence and overindulgence in processed foods.
