When you’re feeling well you have a thousand wishes, but when you’re sick you only have one. To be healthy is something all people should strive for, and one of the best ways to achieve this is through proper diet and nutrition. And while this may sound simple enough it can be quite a challenge to achieve a good and balanced diet that will benefit our body the way we want it.

The modern diet, especially in developed countries, has become rather nutritionally poor, while being very energetically rich. This means we are getting fatter, while at the same time taking in less of the good stuff. But don’t despair, there are ways around this and with only a few tips you will be able to transform your eating habits in such a way that you will become noticeably healthier.

Counting Calories

The most common dietary tip we see being passed around these days is that counting calories is important. Calories, that is kcal, are a unit of energy, the same way you can use Joules to measure the same thing. And while energy is needed to perform work of any kind, like walking or breathing, we also need the nutritional aspect of food to maintain the body’s physiology - the immune system, bone structure, etc.

There are some very good guidelines on how many calories one should intake, and once you get the hang of it, it becomes very easy and quick to do. This has, generally, two great benefits. It helps you keep your energy intake at a reasonable and sustainable level, while also making you think about what you are eating - looking at the declaration on the back and figuring out what is what.

Supplementing Your Everyday Diet

By understanding food science and nutrition, the food industry has managed to achieve incredible leaps forward in how we feed ourselves, and what selection of food we have. While it used to be normal to have almost no fresh vegetables or fruit during the winter months - today we have them year-round. And another thing - even if we don’t like buying products that are “out of season” there are still solutions to this. 

Vitamins, minerals, essential oils, and the like are now easily available in almost every food store. And if you have any moral objections to eating meat, you can even get certified quality vegan omega 3 supplements, something unheard of until recently. Oil supplements such as those usually come in the form of capsules or tablets and are very easy to use - just pop them down while eating. They make planning dietary intake much easier and don’t require storing in a cold place such as a fridge. For vegans, vitamins and minerals can now be taken in the form of vegan vitamin gummies which is a very convenient and tasty way to help reach their health goals.

Ever Considered Fasting?

Fasting, sometimes known as lent, is the tradition of restraining yourself from overindulging in certain carnal pleasures for a fixed period. This is usually coupled with religious practice, and we see it applied in many churches today as a form of physical and spiritual cleansing, though it has a practical side in the form of a strict and healthy diet. It can take several forms, some of which are easy to implement. 

Water fasting implies preparing food strictly on water, without adding oils or fats of any kind. Meat is usually off the menu as well, though fish is sometimes included. We know there are oils present in many vegetables and fruit, such as nuts, but those may be included in a modest amount. You can still eat pastry and sugar, though try not to overindulge in those too.

Oil fasting means you can eat food prepared with oil two times a day and drink some wine. This is a very light form of fasting and can be used by anyone, both vegans and omnivores. Cereals, fruits, vegetables, fish, and some sweets are all very good for the body when balanced, even without a religious context!

Thinking Ahead

In the grand scheme of things - you want to have a plan on how your diet looks like. Jumping from one diet to another, changing nutritionists, and looking for new tips in health magazines every other week will account for little if you don’t know your body and what you want to achieve. Active athletes have certain dietary needs, different from developing adolescent teens, different from sedentary seniors, and so forth. 

A big effect in this regard can be achieved by planning your meals a week, or month, ahead. The easiest way to do this is by having a cookbook that you love and labeling what recipe you will prepare on which day. This way you don’t have to invent any new tastes but can rely on those more experienced. The other option is to get creative and scientific - calculating your caloric and nutritional needs and based on that making up meals that fit the requirements. 

Testing for Food Allergies

Though not strictly nutritional, this still has a great effect on your overall wellbeing. A growing number of people are allergic to certain foodstuff, something that manifests itself in stomach aches, improper digestion, excessive gases, and overall bad health. This is caused by the digestive tract’s inability to properly decompose some chemicals, such as gluten or lactose, and those start causing problems.

So it is better to get tested and know exactly what to avoid, or what enzymes to start taking with your food than to suffer by guessing what’s wrong. 

Buy Fresh, Buy Local

The very long and very complex food production chain has lead us to often buying heavily processed food, also usually overpriced. This is known, and the solution is quite easy to find. Buying fresh as possible from local producers guarantees a bigger profit for them as well, without a middleman, and a chance to get to know your food better.

Open-air markets, where present, offer this chance. Make a habit of buying from those stands where you can get familiar with producers and where you will be guaranteed a fresh product, without excessive use of preservatives. These products are healthier and cheaper for you, so what’s the harm? 

With proper nutrition comes proper health. This holds for any category of people, as all of us have to eat, whatever the amount or whatever moral objections we may have. But with only a few tweaks to our diet, and with these few effective tips - we can easily become healthier in no time at all.