10 tips for healthy eating.

The key is to incorporate habits that accompany us every day and allow us to maintain an optimal body weight.

The first challenge when it comes to looking and feeling better every day is to understand that the key is to incorporate habits that accompany us day by day and allow us to maintain a healthy body weight.

Adding a variety of foods, adding what we like in the right measure, doing moderate physical exercise according to our possibilities, putting aside food myths and turning to a medical specialist for any consultation are some of the keys when it comes to looking after our health and looking good. Our body is the result of our choices.

Based on the recommendations of the world's major scientific nutrition societies, we can take 10 key tips as a trigger for the incorporation of healthy habits.

1. Eat a variety of foods

We need more than 40 different nutrients and no single food can provide them all. Today's food supply makes it easy to eat a wide variety of foods, whether you buy fresh food for cooking, ready meals or takeaways. Always choose foods in a balanced way!

2. Base your diet on carbohydrate-rich foods

Most people do not incorporate enough carbohydrate-rich foods such as bread, pasta, rice, potatoes and other grains, considering them off-limits to keep the weight off. However, this is not correct - more than half of the calories in your diet, i.e. about 60 %, should come from these foods. Ideally, increase your fibre intake by eating wholemeal bread, wholemeal pasta and other cereals.

3. Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables

Most people do not eat enough of these foods that provide important protective nutrients. Try to eat at least five servings a day. Try new recipes or see what ready meals are available in the supermarket.

4. Maintain a healthy body weight and feel good about yourself.

The right weight depends on many factors such as gender, height, age and genetics. Being overweight increases the risk of several diseases such as cardiovascular, bone, joint and cancer problems. Excess fat comes from eating more calories than you need. These extra calories can come from any calorie-containing nutrient (protein, fat, carbohydrate or alcohol) but fat is the most concentrated source of calories. Physical activity is a good way to burn calories and feel good. The message is simple: if you are gaining weight, you need to eat more moderately and be more active.

5. Eat moderate portions - cut back, don't cut out foods.

If you eat the right portions of each food, it is easier to eat from all the food groups without having to cut out any. If you eat out, you could share part of your meal with a friend. Don't give up the habit of eating with those you love.

6. Eat regularly

Skipping meals, especially breakfast, can lead to uncontrolled hunger, often causing overeating. Snacking can help curb hunger, but don't overeat so as not to replace main meals.

7. Drink plenty of fluids

Adults need to drink at least 1.5 litres of fluids a day! And we need more if it is hot or if we do a lot of sport. Hydration is essential for life. Water is obviously a good source of fluids but variety can be both enjoyable and healthy. Other options are diet drinks but these should not be a substitute for water.

8. Get moving

Taking in too many calories and not enough exercise can lead to weight gain. Moderate physical activity helps to burn off extra calories. It is also good for your heart, circulatory system, overall health and well-being. So make physical activity a daily routine - take the stairs instead of the lift (both up and down)! Take a walk during your lunch break. Walk while you talk on the phone - you don't have to be an athlete to move!

9. Start now! and make the changes gradually

Making your lifestyle changes gradually is much easier than making them all at once. For three days, write down the foods and drinks you eat between meals and at meals. Are you eating too few portions of fruit and vegetables? Try eating just one more serving of fruit and vegetables a day to start with. Are your favourite foods high in fat and causing you to gain weight? Don't cut these foods out and feel bad, but instead try to choose low-fat foods or eat less of them. And start using the ladder at work!

10. Remember: it's all about balance

There are no "good" or "bad" foods, only good or bad eating plans. Don't feel guilty about the foods you like, just allow them in moderation and choose other foods that give you the balance and variety you need for good health.

Benefits of organic food.

Following a varied, balanced diet made up of organic food has multiple benefits that not only positively affect our health, but also help to care for the environment and reduce pollution.

From Astrid Tapería Orgánica we want to share with you a series of benefits or reasons to start eating organic food and start taking care of your health and the planet.

Organic food contains fewer synthetic pesticides and artificial fertilisers. This is very important since numerous experts and studies warn of the dangers of prolonged and repeated exposure to these products, which can have carcinogenic effects or cause problems in the correct development of children.

In addition, these chemical products often leave traces of toxic residues, so their ingestion can also be dangerous to health and cause illnesses such as heart problems, allergies, asthma, osteoporosis, hyperactivity, headaches, etc. Eating organic food protects the health of both the consumer and the farmer.

And, of course, not containing these chemical products also has a positive impact on the environment as it eliminates both soil and water pollution and rescues and promotes biodiversity thanks to organic production methods.

In the case of organic meat and dairy products, if they are organic, they have approximately 50% more omega-3 fatty acids. In other words, healthy, unsaturated fats. This is due to the fact that the animals are raised on pasture and spend a lot of time outdoors. The meat industry feeds them on artificial feed and products.

In addition, conventional farms give livestock antibiotics and other chemicals such as synthetic hormones to protect them from disease and to make them fatten and grow fast, and raise them in unsanitary or overcrowded conditions.

What is organic food?

Food labelled "organic" has been grown or raised without chemical fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides, hormones or synthetic drugs. Synthetic means that it has been manufactured in a laboratory.

This means that farmers and ranchers who produce organic food:

• Use only natural pesticides, such as vegetable oils, soaps, fungus-eating bacteria or insects that eat other insects.
• Use only natural fertilisers, such as manure or compost.
• They feed their animals only organic feed.
• They do not give antibiotics or growth hormones to their animals.
• They do not use genetically modified organisms (GMOs). GMOs are plants or animals whose genetic material has been altered through genetic engineering.
• They do not use irradiation, which means using x-rays or other types of rays to kill pests, change the way plants grow, or prevent vegetables and fruits from spoiling at the normal rate.

In short, organic foods are very healthy because they are free of chemicals, synthetics and additives. Their consumption, for example, will help you to strengthen your immune system, improve the quality of your sleep, lose weight and even reduce the chances of developing diseases. Not forgetting that by consuming organic products you are also doing your bit to protect and care for the environment.

What is healthy eating?

What is good nutrition?

Diet is healthy when it promotes good health and reduces the risk of related chronic diseases. Epidemiological research has shown a close relationship between diet and the risk of developing these chronic diseases characterised by high morbidity and mortality, which is why it is necessary to establish reference standards that serve as a guide to ensure an adequate nutritional status. The Mediterranean dietary pattern is a centuries-old tradition that contributes to excellent nutritional status, provides a pleasurable sensation and is part of the world's culture. Some of the strongest and most recent studies suggesting this close relationship between unhealthy lifestyle and disease risk are reviewed.

Food, in all its cultural variations and in a broad sense, defines people's health, growth and development. The daily diet of each individual must contain a sufficient amount of the different macro- and micronutrients to cover most physiological needs. These are influenced by many factors, such as gender, age, physiological state (pregnancy, lactation and growth), body composition, physical activity and the specific characteristics of each individual.