How to Start a Healthy Diet – Practical Guidance

Start with the appropriate number and regularity of meals, tailored to your work and lifestyle routine. The first dinner should be consumed within an hour of waking up, and the last 23 hours before going to bed. The intervals between the other meals should range from 2.5 to 4 hours. If a person eats breakfast at 6.00 a.m. on a weekday, this does not mean that he or she must also get up early and eat breakfast at the same time on a weekend. The most important thing is that the first meal is eaten within an hour of waking up, and the time for the remaining meals is shifted accordingly. Typically, 4 or 5 meals are preferred, but there are situations where there may be fewer or more – for pregnant women with diabetes and people with type 1 diabetes, small meals are preferred, eaten in short intervals – there may be up to 67 meals a day. For some (not all) people with insulin resistance, eating 3 meals may be a good solution to normalize insulin levels. However, in the case of disease units, the number of meals should be established with a specialist, such as a nutritionist.

Water is essential for the proper functioning of many biological processes in the body, including digestion and removal of waste products of metabolism, as well as thermoregulation. Most people only decide to drink water when they feel thirsty and dryness in their mouths, which is too late as the body is already dehydrated and has lost about 1-2% of its water. A better solution is to drink small amounts of fluids regularly throughout the day before a strong urge to drink arises. Insufficient water intake relative to the body's needs can slow down metabolism and make weight loss difficult. To check if the body is sufficiently hydrated, one should pay attention to the color of urine. If hydration is correct, urine should be light, straw-colored. Water requirements are individual and depend on age, gender, physical activity, climate, and dietary habits. The recommended daily intake is 2.5 liters for men and 2 liters for women. Water should be consumed along with other beverages (tea, juices) and foods (fruits, vegetables). Mineral water also provides minerals. People with high blood pressure should choose a low-sodium water, while those with leg cramps should opt for a magnesium-rich water. Other beverages, such as tea, coffee, vegetable juices, and in smaller amounts fruit juices, can also be part of a balanced diet. Herbal, green, and rooibos teas are recommended, preferably unsweetened. Coffee is not contraindicated, one can drink 3-5 cups a day. In case of high blood pressure, it is advisable to reduce coffee intake, but no abstention is required. Vegetable juices, cocktails, and smoothies are highly recommended as they provide the body with many valuable vitamins. Fruit juices are less valuable as during juice processing the amount of dietary fiber is reduced, resulting in faster absorption of naturally occurring simple sugars in fruits and a faster rise in blood sugar levels. In addition, juices do not have as strong a satiating effect as whole fruits, and greater post-meal satiation facilitates adherence to a diet.

Avoid consuming spirits, as they can be the cause of many illnesses such as liver cirrhosis, acute and chronic pancreatitis, and cancers (e.g. esophagus, colon). Moreover, spirits provide the body with empty calories - 1 beer (500 ml) contains around 300-350 kcal. If you need to consume spirits, then always in moderation and best to choose wine, especially red wine, which is rich in antioxidants, including resveratrol. Resveratrol increases the level of HDL cholesterol and reduces the risk of heart and circulatory diseases and Alzheimer's disease. You should not consume more than 1 glass of wine per day.

Both sugar and sweets provide the body with a significant amount of kilocalories, yet they do not induce a feeling of satiety, and after consuming something sweet, one often immediately experiences hunger. Therefore, it is advisable to seek something valuable, such as fruit, dark chocolate, or oatmeal cake, which will be a healthier alternative to batons or cookies containing a lot of sugar. Sugar added to coffee or tea should be excluded from the diet, reduced to a minimum, or replaced with an artificial sweetener. There are numerous natural or less natural artificial sweeteners available on the market, so it is worth using xylitol, which has 30% fewer kilocalories than regular sugar and also has antibacterial and antifungal properties, as well as erythritol and stevia, which have a glycemic index of 0 and do not provide the body with kilocalories, hence are recommended for diabetics and people with overweight.

Excessive salt consumption in one's diet can be detrimental to health and potentially lead to conditions such as high blood pressure, stroke, or heart attack. It is recommended to consume less than 5 grams of salt per day, including salt added during the production of processed meats, cheeses, baked goods, and other food items. Consider replacing salt with other flavorful seasonings – the simpler, the better. These can be fresh or dried herbs, rather than pre-made mixes, as the latter often contain salt or sodium glutamate as a flavor enhancer. Seasonings such as garlic, pepper, sweet peppers, hot peppers, marjoram, basil, and oregano are readily available. Experimenting with these in the kitchen can lead to the discovery of exceptional new flavors.

It is important that your daily menu provides a balance of macro- and micronutrients as well as vitamins. Essential components of the diet should be vegetables and fruits, which are a source of vitamins, minerals and fiber. It is worth using seasonal products, as they are cheaper, more accessible and more valuable. In summer, they taste heavenly, while in winter, you should reach for frozen products. Cereal products are a source of carbohydrates, B vitamins, magnesium, zinc, iron and fiber. It is better to choose products made from whole grain flour, as they are more valuable than refined products. Milk and dairy products should also be present on the table as a source of calcium for the bones. It is worth choosing lean meats such as chicken, turkey, as well as lean pork and beef. Fish should be eaten at least once a week - especially fatty fish, to provide unsaturated fatty acids necessary for the proper functioning of the brain and the body's resistance. It is also worth mentioning that meat can be partially replaced by legumes. Also pay attention to the group of fats - especially plant-based fats such as olive oil, rapeseed oil, nuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds. To ensure that a meal is balanced and does not cause fluctuations in glucose and insulin levels, combine foods that provide protein, fats and complex carbohydrates.

Recommended culinary techniques for healthy diets can be diverse, including: - steaming, cooking in water, preparing in a combi or slow cooker, - baking in the oven in a heat-resistant container, foil or baking paper, - stewing in a pan or pot using a sauce or adding water, - preparing without fat or grilling, as well as frying with a small amount of fat (occasionally).

Skillful planning of meals and shopping is essential if the aim is a balanced diet while avoiding food waste. After a meal plan for a few days has been created, it is beneficial to compile a shopping list, particularly after checking the contents of cabinets, refrigerators, and freezers to avoid duplicate purchasing of products. Additionally, setting specific times for meal preparation can help with better daily organization and adherence to the plan. It may also be helpful to prepare meals (especially lunches) for two days in advance, saving time. If a product or dish is not used immediately, it can be frozen and consumed later.

An essential aspect is embracing a holistic approach, focusing not only on the plate's contents but also on other life aspects, including sleep and physical activity. It is recommended to engage in at least 60 minutes of daily activity, such as walking, cycling, gym workouts, or swimming. Selecting a form of activity that brings pleasure is significant. Sleep is equally crucial, considering both its duration and quality. The optimal sleep duration ranges from 6 to 9 hours, and it's vital to wake up feeling refreshed, indicating that the body has recuperated during sleep and is prepared for a new day.

If the diet is not individually tailored to your health status, it can potentially be harmful, e.g. by negatively affecting your well-being and health status. A healthy person is recommended to consume whole grain products and legumes, which is, however, not suitable for someone on a light diet. Worse, a diet with a lot of dietary fibers can severely harm those with liver diseases, after removing the gallbladder or with chronic pancreatitis, hence the importance of an individual approach. Additionally, if food allergies exist, certain products or entire groups of products (e.g. dairy products in case of allergy to cow's milk protein) should be excluded. In a short time, one cannot change their entire lifestyle, but it is a success to introduce one change. It is important to change dietary habits permanently. This is not easy, it requires time and effort, but the satisfaction of achieving the goal of improving well-being and health is priceless. Remember that change starts first in the mind, and then in daily actions - step by step towards the goal.