What Is A Balanced Diet And Why Is It Important?

The topic of diet is a bit of a minefield, as there are people generally that sit strongly on the fence of one diet and it can even be dependent on the era in which you grew up because the research has evolved as more studies have been produced.

There was very much a phase where fat was denounced as a dangerous food group that should be eliminated, however new research shows us a different aspect. The most common diets are vegan/plant-based, paleo, atkins, keto and carnivore. We then have our main food groups that are fat, carbohydrate and protein.

You may opt into following a diet because you enjoy one specific food, but that can lead to deficiencies. The same is true for the vegan diet if you consistently reach for the ‘junk’ vegan food. You need to pick a diet that you’re able to eat varied foods that are within, so that you’re getting all the vitamins, minerals and food groups.

Fats are an efficient form of energy and are vital for your hormones. Carbohydrates are short-term energy. Protein helps rebuild your body following injury or strength training, helps with regulation of hormones and to a certain extent for energy too. Getting the right type of all of the above is helpful, you need to have good fats vs. Saturated fat. You need the right amount of carbohydrate for your energy level because if it’s not used, it’s going to be stored as fat. Are you active enough to warrant how much carbohydrate you’re eating? We ideally don’t want to use protein as energy, because that’s more of a last resort, but it’s vital we get enough to make sure our body can recover and heal itself.

There has been a decrease in nutritional value over time as food is now mass produced. If you do grow your own food, that’s going to be more nutritious if you’re treating the soil properly and taking care over the land. No matter which diet you choose to adopt, try and get a blood test performed to see how your general health is looking like.

This is ideal to find out where you’re lacking, what your cholesterol and insulin levels are looking like etc. Then adjust your diet so you’re getting a more balanced diet before testing again in 6 months time. It’s ideal to do this when you don’t have a health problem so that you understand what your baseline is. If you’re not able to get a specific nutrient through your diet, using a supplement may be ideal. Try wherever possible to get the foods into your diet but if it’s not possible then do try supplementation.