The key to following a healthy and balanced diet is to maintain good eating habits in our day to day. Meeting this objective will not only give us the foundations for a good diet, but it will also promote our intestinal health.
The Spanish Foundation of the Digestive System (FEAD) informs about the importance of the food we eat and the way we do it, since the proper combination of both helps prevent intestinal diseases .
In a healthy diet, the first thing is to carry out a balanced diet in which fresh foods, vegetables, the recommended water consumption (one liter or liter and a half a day) predominate and avoid excessive consumption of red meat, since the main source of protein comes from fish and meat should only be eaten two or three times a week.
This is why the basis of a healthy diet is the Mediterranean diet , as indicated by Doctor Francisco García, expert of the Digestive System of the Spanish Society of Digestive Pathology (SEPD).
For its part, refined sugars should be avoided, since they favor the increase in blood glucose levels and, therefore, the appearance of diseases such as diabetes, so it should also be dispensed with, as far as possible, from the industrial pastries.
However, it is important to add that “ there are no bad foods, only some that should not be abused. Instead, consume a limited amount and not regularly . Some of these foods are harmful due to their excess, “says García.
The first guideline of a good diet that is often overlooked is to follow an orderly diet, in which the important thing is what is eaten and how . But mistakes continue to be made when following any diet and, especially, those to lose weight.
Food myths
The expert denies us some of these myths of eating based on popular beliefs:
- Drinking water during food makes you fat, since it does not have calories and is an indispensable liquid for our hydration
- Taking some fruits with certain foods or at a certain time makes you fat, since the pieces of fruit do not influence the weight or its caloric power because it contains healthy sugars.
- Butter or margarine, the latter is healthier due to its elaboration based on vegetable fats.
- Eating little a day is not advisable, since what is recommended by experts is the intake of five meals a day properly distributed.
On miracle diets, he adds that, “they are very negative, unbalance the diet and cause sudden changes and stress to the body. The important thing is good nutrition on a day-to-day basis ”. Eating in a hurry and hardly chewing is another of the most common mistakes.
Complying with these guidelines for an adequate diet favor our intestinal health, in addition to fighting overweight and hypertension . Other factors also play a role, such as exercising daily so that fat does not accumulate in the body and drinking plenty of fluids.
Another step to consider is having a light dinner, which helps to respect sleep habits, since it is a state of energy saving, which is important for digestion. However, the rumor that sleep is fattening is false.
Conversely, maintaining poor eating habits can cause intestinal illnesses such as irritable bowel syndrome , diverticulitis, or reflux problems.
