Healthy eating is not the same as counting calories

Give your body everything it needs.

Nothing and nobody can tell you better than your own body, what it needs.

The sensations of pleasure or discomfort after eating are both indicators of what does you good and what doesn't.

It's all that easy, but, alas:
The road to healthy eating is not always well paved.
We know instinctively that we have to take in food to survive.

Now, there is a multitude of options for providing the body with nourishment;

different foods give the body in different quantities and qualities what it requires for its basic functions

• Carbohydrates and fats are the main energy providers.


• Proteins serve as building materials to make cells.


• Vitamins, minerals and trace elements are indispensable ingredients for smooth metabolism and logistics processes within the body.


• Fibers. Are carriers for the above mentioned nutrients.
  Are batteries and power reservoirs. Especially vegetarian nutrition provides lot's of fibers, and even if I wouldn't recommend to become a strict vegetarian, I myself often cook without meat or fish myself, just because of the taste. A web tip: Some chinese veggie recipes.

You can give your body a treat by healthy eating if you:

• Give the body what it needs and



• Adapt your diet to the body's operating processes with this free online diet plan.

You can support the functions of your body by healthy eating.

The foods we take in have different effects. Once we understand in detail how they act, we can influence how healthy eating habits affect us.

A few examples:

• Take the "pleasure substance" tryptophan that acts on the serotonin level affecting our well-being.


• Iron rich foods can help improve the cells' oxygen supply.


• We can manage body fat storage. That is, we can put on or loose weight. Besides that link, here can you find some cooking tips about cooking low fat from the site "Healthy Eating Made Fun".

The essential issues of healthy eating are not only "What do I eat?" or "How much do I eat?", the central question is "When?".

The body has its own rhythm and it is up to us and our eating habits to support it or interfere with it

• Regular food intake results in a balanced energy level. It is advisable to eat at regular times. And if we feel less hungry, we simply eat less.


• No late meals. We need our sleep for recreation and regeneration. Digestion means heavy labor for the body! Allow for a minimum break of 2-3 hours between your last meal and sleeping. If you have to eat late (whatever the reason), eat a small light meal and store away the left-overs in case you feel tempted. Or skip dinner and look forward to a rich breakfast.


• This equally applies to exercises. If the body is busy processing food and has to cope with physical activity at the same time, it is under extra strain.


• Snacks rich in fibers give a balanced blood sugar level and therefore less cause for fatigue and ravenous appetites.

Cooking light = healthy eating = living longer

Whole food and cooking light are key instruments in giving your body a treat in many different ways:
Diseases are prevented, the immune system is strengthened, the energy and hormone balances are stable and subsequently life is prolonged.

Whole food, to meet the body's needs; light food, to relieve stress. This is of particular importance as our organism wears out with every use.
Just think of your car: at one point it is more efficient to get rid of the whole thing than repairing individual components. In short: one dies.

How can I contribute to a long and happy life with my diet?

• Avoid unnecessary stress
  
  Take a close look at the issues "what-do-I-eat?, how-much-do-I-eat? when-do-I-eat?" and make sure to go easy on your (limited) physical resources.
  Healthy eating demands considerate cooking and eating habits.
  According to research, people who eat less live longer. Reduce the amounts of food, eat regular meals and choose well-balanced, high quality products.
  


• We give our organism what it needs and sometimes even in excess. But not too much so.
  
  Our body has the habit to process all it takes in. Basically this function makes sense, but it requires physical activity and exercise.
  
  And eventually, the energy we take in must be stored somewhere.
  Say hello to those love handles.

"And how do I find out what food mix suits me?"

The body has its own feedback system. Craving for a specific food tells me accurately that I require some of its ingredients. Even if it is only the pleasure I feel after eating a big burger.

After too many burgers, however, the body sends out feedback signals to me - an entire lack of waistline and the notion that I ought to find my pleasure elsewhere.

A balanced food mix provides the body with a wide variety of essential nutrients that keep the "Lab Inside" running.
Healthy eating and a balanced nutrition are as simple as that.
Here are a few fundamental guidelines.

Eat right and enjoy life!

A good meal is pure pleasure!

Don't hurry lunch or dinner, better still spend it in pleasant company, and you will enjoy a high degree of quality of life.