Diet: some tips for a balanced diet

The relationship between health and diet is increasingly highlighted.

Every day, we are bombarded with messages urging us to eat less sugar and salt, 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 can we prepare healthy recipes that respect these dietary principles while maintaining the pleasure of taste?

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

In this article, we share our experience in micro nutrition 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 enjoy 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 correspond mainly to animal fats (and certain heated oils) and whose excess and accumulation in the body is the cause of a multitude of disorders (overweight, blood circulation, etc.).
Bad luck, some will say, is also what we find in fries, fried foods and other pizzas or cold cuts...

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 oily fish (salmon, sardines, etc.), and certain seeds (rapeseed, walnuts, chia) even if they remain low in DHA.

As for meat, which is now also being questioned for ethical and environmental reasons, it is clear that Western populations have been over-consuming it in significant proportions for the past 30 years (more than three times what is needed) with negative consequences for health.
Proteins made up of Amino Acids, which are the building blocks of all our tissues, are essential on a daily basis, in the right proportions: neither deficiency nor excess.
Dietary guideline: an adult needs 50 grams of protein per day.

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

• Increase the proportion of vegetable proteins (cereals and legumes: peas, soy, quinoa)
• Proportionately reduce the proportion of animal protein and favor meats low in “saturated fat”.
• Covering protein needs 100% from plants is obviously possible (vegetarian diet) with a few simple dietary guidelines but which may require the help of a professional.
  Two points of particular vigilance in this case: the diet 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 meals, not snacks all the time. Chewing and the work of gastric acid in the stomach are two essential steps in good digestion and the feeling of satiety, which is the easiest way to curb the urge to snack between meals. This requires meals taken in sufficiently calm conditions for these two food transformations to be carried out properly; the benefits are easier digestion, better actual 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 consume 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 lentils are all valuable allies for a good daily diet . They are real dietary essentials.

We talked about them for their protein content, 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 vitamins).
Their richness in fiber makes them satiating foods that reduce unwanted snacking while helping to improve digestive comfort.
It should be noted that 'cereal' breakfast preparations mainly aimed at children are mainly rich in... sugars.

Dietetics: taking into account the effects of cooking

Cooking is an essential step for many foods, but it is also important to follow certain rules regarding sensitive vitamins and minerals. Poorly cooked foods can be detrimental to a healthy 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.
• Low temperature cooking is the least degrading for other vitamins and minerals.
• When cooking vegetables in water: some of their minerals (including potassium, which we have already discussed) will pass into the cooking water (osmosis phenomenon): do not salt it too much so that it is drinkable to recover these escaped minerals!

To facilitate these balances on a daily basis, food supplements provide targeted, measured and easy assistance.

Keen to provide the best food supplements , our Argalys team has designed the “Essentials” range, meeting real needs, the design of which is also part of a responsible approach, giving pride of place to local partners.
Our supplements are the result of ongoing collaboration with expert dieticians 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.