How to simplify and balance your nutrition.
Balanced Nutrition
Balanced nutrition is fundamental to health and longevity, providing essential vitamins, minerals, and macronutrients to support bodily functions, prevent chronic diseases, and enhance overall wellbeing. By consuming a variety of nutrient-dense foods in appropriate proportions and maintaining adequate hydration, you can maintain a healthy weight, strengthen your immune system, and enhance energy levels. You may have noticed that over the last few years nutrition has become a field full of fanatics pushing the latest radical diet to an almost religious extent. However, the truth of what good nutrition is for most people remains a simple approach that can be largely achieved by following these points.
Prioritise Foods that are Nutrient-Dense and High in Fibre
Aim for at least five portions of fruits and vegetables per day, preferably more, as these are high in micronutrients, fibre, and antioxidants which are essential for wellbeing – they’re really good for you!
Choose whole grains over refined grains e.g., brown rice over white rice, and whole wheat bread over white bread.
Beans and legumes like lentils, kidney beans are excellent high fibre choices.
Try to eat as wide a variety of these foods as possible, maybe even exploring new foods that fit into these categories that you are yet to try.
The more fibre you consume the better as a dose-response relationship exists between fibre intake and risk of all-cause mortality i.e., if you consume a high amount of fibre you are less likely to die across a given time period than if you consumed a low amount of fibre; so prioritising the foods above is great!
Consume Adequate Amounts of Protein
To ensure maintenance of cell integrity and muscle mass our general recommendation for daily intake of protein is between 0.8-1.5g of protein per kg of bodyweight, however, slightly higher may be beneficial in specific circumstance.
Include a variety of protein sources to increase dietary diversity such as lean meats, fish, eggs, beans, lentils, tofu, and tempeh.
Example Protein Requirement Calculation
If my bodyweight is 80kg then I calculate the range required to meet my daily requirements as follows:
80 x 0.8 = 64
80 x 1.5 = 120
Giving me a daily protein requirement of between 64g to 120g.
Pay Attention to the Type of Fats you are Consuming
Try to prioritise polyunsaturated fats over saturated fat intake, as reducing saturated fat intake has been linked to beneficial long-term cardiovascular health.
Generally speaking, fatty fish and plant foods such as sardines, nuts, seeds, and olive oil are preferable to fatty animal foods e.g., butter, cheese and cream.
When consuming fatty animal foods consider opting for low-fat options to reduce saturated fat intake.
Ensure Adequate Hydration
Aim for 2-2.5 Litres of water a day at regular intervals for baseline hydration and a further 2ml per kg of bodyweight every 15 minutes during physical activity to compensate for fluid loss. Even a modest reduction in hydration can reduce physical performance, cognitive function and mood.
Moderate intake of caffeinated beverages as these can contribute to dehydration due to caffeine’s diuretic effects when consumed in high volumes (no more than 500mg of caffeine per day).
Limit Added Sugars and Salt
Limit foods and drinks high in added sugars, such as sweets, sodas, and baked goods. Adults should have no more than 25g of added sugars a day as high intake has been associated with negative health outcomes. (For reference, 1 can of Coca Cola has 39g of sugar in it!).
Limit salt intake to no more than 6g per day, reducing salt intake can help promote better health and reduce the risk of several chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and Cardiovascular disease.
Use alternatives to sugar and salt to flavour foods, such as, herbs, spices, and natural sweeteners like stevia.
Maintain Energy Balance
Be mindful of your daily calorie requirements to ensure you're not overeating or under-eating. These can be roughly calculated using an online calorie calculator.
Ensure each meal contains a balance of macronutrients and micronutrients to support metabolic processes and energy levels.
Pay attention to hunger and fullness cues, eat slowly, and avoid distractions while eating to prevent subsequent snacking.
A brief word on calorie counters
While when properly applied calorie counters and macronutrient trackers can be excellent tools to facilitate weight maintenance, fat loss, and muscle gain, they should be used with a degree of caution due to the rigid behavioural patterns and body image difficulties that can sometimes be exacerbated by their use. Consequently, carefully consider your own predispositions and current psychological state before making use of these tools.
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2.Trumbo, P., Schlicker, S., Yates, A. A. & Poos, M. Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein and Amino Acids. J. Am. Diet. Assoc. 102, 1621–1630 (2002).
3. Bauer, J. et al. Evidence-Based Recommendations for Optimal Dietary Protein Intake in Older People: A Position Paper From the PROT-AGE Study Group. J. Am. Med. Dir. Assoc. 14, 542–559 (2013).
4. Hooper, L. et al. Reduction in saturated fat intake for cardiovascular disease. Cochrane Database Syst. Rev. 8, CD011737 (2020).
5. EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition, and Allergies (NDA). Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for water. EFSA J. 8, 1459 (2010).
