Simple guidelines to feed your health

What is a healthy diet?

A healthy diet consists of incorporating a wide variety of foods into our daily diet since no food meets all the essential nutrients for our body.

In this way, we achieve a balance between the necessary contribution of nutrients and calories and the needs of each person, for the body to develop its functions correctly. Our society has the Mediterranean diet, which has all these characteristics and its benefits for our health have been confirmed in several studies.

What problems can a poor diet cause?

In recent years, eating habits have changed a lot in World. The current lifestyle, the rush, and the lack of time prevent many people from maintaining a healthy diet.

Most people are undernourished due to their excessive consumption of protein, animal fats, alcohol, calories, and sugars.

This has an impact on nutrient deficiencies that can affect well-being and increase the risk of suffering from diseases and health problems. In fact, different studies have shown that some of the most common pathologies in developed countries, such as heart problems, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, diabetes, obesity, or digestive disorders, can be directly linked to the eating habits and nutrition of the people.

What are nutrients and what is their function?

Nutrients are the chemical substances vital for the growth and maintenance of the organism since they are in charge of contributing to the human organism:

· Energy (energy function).

· Materials of cell structures and tissues (structural function).

· Factors necessary for cellular chemical reactions (regulatory function).

Although some nutrients can be synthesized in the body itself, most of them are obtained through food. Therefore, our diet must guarantee a balanced contribution of these basic components:

· carbohydrates

· proteins

· lipids

· minerals

· vitamins

· Water

In this way, a harmonious consumption of these nutrients and our lifestyles will allow our body to structure itself and function correctly, without falling into obesity or toxicity (due to an excess of these substances) or malnutrition or deficiency (due to its scarcity).

How should our diet be?

The nutritional pyramid tells us the frequency with which we should consume each food group, to achieve the necessary nutrients for our body.

At the base of the pyramid are those foods that should be more present in our diet, and at the top of it, those that should be eaten in less quantity.

Ten tips to eat well

It is advisable to follow a series of dietary guidelines that can be highly beneficial for health. In our pharmacy, they can advise us on the most appropriate nutrition for us.

1. Plan a balanced and varied weekly menu.

It will help you distribute the different food groups throughout the week and make shopping easier.

2. Establish regular meal times.

Organized schedules will allow you to eat calmly and in a suitable environment.

3. Eat five meals a day.

Breakfast, mid-morning, lunch, snack, and dinner. Likewise, avoid snacking between meals.

4. Have a strong breakfast and; a light dinner.

Have fruit, dairy, and toast or cereal for breakfast, to ensure full physical and intellectual performance. And at night, to sleep well, choose foods that are light to digest: vegetables, soups, fish, or dairy products.

5. Drink between one and two liters of water a day.

It is important to maintain proper hydration. Water favors the digestion of food and helps to normalize intestinal transit.

6. Moderate alcohol consumption.

Wine and beer are important sources of vitamins, minerals, and natural antioxidants. However, they should not exceed 2-3 glasses a day in men, and something less, 1.5, in women.

7. Avoid saturated fats, refined flour, and sugars.

Replace animal fats with virgin olive oil, with heart-healthy properties. Choose whole foods, richer in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. And avoid simple sugars, which promote overweight and dental caries.

8. Cook healthy.

Cook and steam, oven or grill and avoid frying and sauces as much as possible. Do not abuse precooked foods.

9. Leave the salt in the salt shaker.

If you eat without salt you will protect your heart. You can substitute it for celery, vinegar, or spices, and thus you will add more flavor to your meals.

10. Ask your pharmacist about food supplements.

With their extra contribution of nutrients, they help the body to function optimally and promote the prevention of possible health problems.

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Our experts answer

Is it really so necessary to drink two liters of water a day?

Nutritionists indeed recommend drinking at least two liters of water a day to keep our body hydrated, but this amount does not necessarily have to come in the form of glasses or bottles of water. Up to a third of that amount can come from vegetables and fruits -for example, carrots, celery, watermelon, and orange are very hydrating-, or from other drinks such as juices, infusions, or semi or skimmed milk. When the weight is excessive and a weight loss regimen is started, some data said water intake should be even higher. On the other hand, avoiding caffeine, salt and alcohol will also help us to keep our bodies hydrated.

Is it true that if I bathe in the pool or on the beach after eating I can suffer a digestion cut?

It is true that when the body temperature is a little higher than usual (which happens after a heavy meal and even more so if you have been exposed to the sun), bathing in cold water can trigger a negative reaction in the body, but, Despite the name usually given to it, it is not a digestive problem, but rather a cardiorespiratory one, which causes symptoms such as loss of consciousness, dizziness, vomiting or nausea. You can suffer from this problem even without having eaten, having practiced intense sports, or having been exposed to the sun for a long period and then getting into cold water. To prevent this from happening, it is advisable to eat in moderation, enter the water little by little and wet your head first.

Does diet influence my body odor?

Yes. Our body odor is caused by a chemical imbalance in our body and, for example, eating too much red meat or dairy, drinking too much alcohol or coffee, or even eating a diet low in fruits and vegetables can make it worse. Likewise, foods like garlic tend to impregnate our breath and skin with an unpleasant odor, like chili, curry, cumin, asparagus, broccoli, and cauliflower, which can alter our body odor. The diet that causes gastroesophageal reflux or that which has conditioned the appearance of cavities will also have a very significant impact on the breath.

Can I feel bad having a glass of milk and then an orange?

No, it does not pose any danger to our health to drink a glass of milk and then a citrus fruit such as orange or tangerine or a juice made from this type of fruit. It is true that, for example, if milk is mixed directly with orange, the former is acidified, but it is only a change in the composition of the milk. There may be specific situations in which, especially at night, the mixture is not recommended among those who have habitual heartburn (heartburn) due to duodenal ulcer or gastroesophageal reflux. Orange can accentuate such problems, and while milk may have a temporary calming effect, it is believed that it can intensify acid production after a few hours.

What happens if I swallow gum?

There is a false belief that when we swallow chewing gum, it can "stick in the gut" or remain in the body for years without being digested.

The reality is that nothing happens if we accidentally swallow gum. Although the stomach cannot digest or dissolve chewing gum. The digestive system can transport it through the normal movement of the intestine -peristaltic- and expel it through the digestive tract when defecating.

Only if we swallowed a lot of chewing gum, in a short space of time, or together with a foreign body such as a coin, would there be a risk of a blockage in the digestive system.