Diet: some tips for a balanced diet

The relationship between health and diet is increasingly highlighted.

Every day, messages encouraging us to eat less sweet and less salty bombard us, but it is not so easy to change our habits and adopt a more balanced diet .
Dietetics is a real science that can seem complex.

Because isn't it too complicated to give your body the right nutrients, without deficiencies or abuse with a pleasant balanced diet ?
How to prepare healthy recipes that respect these dietary principles while maintaining taste pleasure?

While calling on a professional (nutritionist doctor, dietician) always provides very useful help, it is also possible to improve your diet, and that of the whole family, by respecting a few simple rules without getting frustrated.

In this article, we share with you our experience in micronutrition and food supplements , and we give you some dietary advice for your balanced daily diet , with simple principles: reduce risky foods, increase healthy foods and treat yourself!

Diet, fat, good lipids, meat, good proteins

We know that fat is not very good for your health.

In terms of nutrition, we speak of “saturated lipids” which mainly correspond to animal fats (and certain heated oils) and whose excess and accumulation in the body is the cause of a multitude of disorders (from overweight, blood circulation, etc.).
Bad luck, some will say, it is also the one found in fries, fried foods and other pizzas or cold meats...

On the other hand, good lipids (“unsaturated”) are essential to the body and they play a key role in many functions (nervous, ocular, cardiac, etc.).
Some like Omega 3 and particularly DHA are even very important for health.
They are also easy to recognize because they are most often in liquid form (vegetable oils).
Omega 3s are very present in fatty fish (salmon, sardines, etc.), and certain seeds (rapeseed, nuts, chia) even if they remain low in DHA.

As for meat, now also called into question for ethical and environmental reasons, it is obvious that Western populations have over-consumed it in significant proportions for 30 years (more than three times the necessary amount) with also negative consequences on the health.
Proteins made up of Amino Acids which are the building blocks which build all our tissues are essential on a daily basis, in the right proportion: without lack or excess.
Dietary guideline: you need 50 grams of protein per day for an adult.

You will greatly improve your diet with these few simple guidelines:

• Increase the proportion of plant proteins (cereals and legumes: peas, soy, quinoa)
• Proportionately reduce the proportion of animal proteins and favor meats low in “saturated fat”.
• Covering protein needs 100% plant-based is obviously possible (vegetarian diet) with a few simple dietary guidelines but which may require help from a professional.
  Two particular points of vigilance in this case: the nutrition of growing young people and the obligatory intake of vitamin B12 in food supplements. (We have two formulas: Multivitamins and minerals and B12 + Iodine and Selenium, for these situations).
• Eat by meals and not by constant snacking. Chewing and working the stomach's gastric acid are two essential steps for good digestion and the feeling of satiety which is the simplest way to curb snacking desires between meals. This requires meals taken in sufficiently calm conditions so that these two food transformations are carried out well, the benefits are easier digestion, better real absorption of nutrients and better control of eating behavior.

For an improved diet, focus on fresh vegetables and fruits!

The famous “5 fruits and vegetables a day” are a very good basic dietary rule!

However, you should not hesitate to increase the proportion so that fruits and vegetables are the majority elements of your balanced diet .

It is obviously preferable to eat seasonal fruits and vegetables, fresh and as local as possible. However, cooking is also an important step to facilitate the digestion of most vegetables. There must be a reasonable mix between Raw and Cooked.

Diet: whole grains and legumes

Chickpeas, broad beans, split peas, white and red beans and even lentils are valuable allies for a good daily diet . Real essentials in dietetics .

We talked about them for their protein intake, but they are also rich in vitamins and minerals, including potassium which plays an important role in regulating water retention.

Whole grains are very good foods (with 10% protein, fiber and B group vitamins).
Their richness in fiber makes them satiating foods which reduce unwanted snacking while helping to improve digestive comfort.
It should be noted that 'cereal' breakfast preparations mainly targeting children are especially rich... in sugars.

Dietetics: take into account the effects of cooking

Cooking is an essential step for many foods, but you must also be sure to observe some rules regarding sensitive vitamins and minerals. Inadequate cooking can harm a good diet .

• Vitamin C is very easily degraded by all cooking temperatures (including the lowest): for it, fresh fruits, particularly citrus fruits, remain the basis of intake.
• Cooking at low temperatures is the least damaging to other vitamins and minerals.
• When cooking vegetables in water: some of their minerals (including potassium which we have already talked about) will pass into the cooking water (osmosis phenomenon): do not salt it too much so that it can be drunk to recover these escaped minerals!

To facilitate these daily balances, food supplements provide targeted, measured and easy help.

Concerned about providing the best food supplements , our Argalys team has designed the “Essentiels” range, responding to real needs, the design of which is also part of a responsible logic, giving pride of place to local partners.
Our supplements are the result of constant collaboration with expert dietitians and naturopaths for better daily health.

Our nutritional supplements are designed for all ages, diets and lifestyles, and in line with current ethical expectations.
Do not hesitate to contact us to discover our food supplements and thus effectively target your needs.

Our Argalys team is available to answer your questions.