Variety and Moderation

Having a balanced diet full of fruits, vegetables, grains, fats, and proteins is extremely important for the human body. Although every human body is different and needs more or less of certain nutrients, it is necessary to balance all food categories in your diet. As well as balance, variety and moderation play a huge factor in your health and overall well-being. Eating the same thing everyday could lead to deficiencies of certain nutrients.

Variety

Besides making meals more colorful, eating a variety of fruits, vegetables, fats, proteins, and grains provides a wider range of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, prebiotics, and probiotics. All of which are necessary in keeping our heart, mind, skin, eyes, and gut functioning optimally. For vegetarians, varying protein with a combination of dairy, legumes, eggs, grains, and nuts is especially important in order to receive adequate amounts of all essential amino acids.

In addition to the benefits of variety at the biochemical level, a varied diet can also make eating more flexible and satisfying. While it can be easy to rely on your food staples for meals, introducing new ingredients can bring more attention to the flavor and enjoyment of eating. This will help to prevent you from eating on autopilot and being more consciously present as you eat. For example, swap out an apple for some berries; have fish in place of chicken; substitute rice for quinoa.

Moderation

There’s a big stigma about eating so-called “unhealthy” snacks such as cookies, ice cream, candy, etc. It’s true that these types of foods don’t provide the most amount of beneficial nutrients, but in moderation they are completely fine for you. These types of foods may even help with emotional health! Same thing applies to all foods including fruits, vegetables, grains, fats, and proteins. It’s important to not overdue or overeat any amount of one food for proper health.

Moderation is about being open to day-to-day variations in your diet depending on your appetite, cravings, and activity level. Food is a huge part of our culture; it’s social, celebratory, and meant to be enjoyed in good company. That’s why moderation, not restriction or overindulgence, is the secret to happy and healthy eating habits.

Contact Nutrition for Optimal Performance

If you have questions about how to implement variety and moderation into your diet, email me at theresadelorenzo123@yahoo.com or contact me on my website.