Diet: My Tips for Healthier Meals

Setting myself up for healthy eating: I discover meal ideas for adopting good habits and a healthy diet. By understanding the basic dietary mechanisms for staying healthy, I know what I’m putting on my plate and why. I can finally enjoy myself without feeling guilty by balancing my eating habits with my fitness routine.

Balanced Diet: My Guarantee for Good Health

Everyone knows that a balanced diet is important for good health, but it is good to be reminded from time to time of the impact of nutrition on the functioning of the whole body:

• Each nutrient is used by my body to provide energy and ensure vital processes, such as blood circulation, breathing, digestion, and even sleep and mood balance.
• To keep all these processes running smoothly, I can control the number of calories and the proportions of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals on my plate.
• In the long term, eating a balanced diet reduces the risks of nutritional deficiencies and prevents me from gaining weight by storing excess nutrients.

To stay in shape, I have one golden rule to remember: adapt my diet according to my physical expenditure. Hence, the importance of combining my return to physical activity with my resolution to eat more healthily!

Nutrition: 5 Tips for Good Health

To establish good eating habits over the long term, I set myself a few basic rules that are quite simple to apply:

• I get sufficient hydration so that I can regulate my body temperature when I workout and eliminate the toxins filtered by the kidneys. To remind myself about how important this is, I remember some key figures:
  • My body is 60% water
  • My brain is 85% water
  • I can feel the first effects of dehydration with only a 2% drop!
  • Normally, I should drink at least 6-8 glasses of water a day and more when I’m exercising.
• I plan 3 meals a day, with one healthy snack in the morning or afternoon when I am working out or when there is a long gap between meals. This way, I don’t skip meals, I avoid unnecessary snacking, and I make sure I manage my energy throughout the day!
• I cook as much as possible at home using fresh produce so that I know what I am putting on my plate and have a better idea of the nutritional balance of my meals.
• I prefer whole foods, which are a source of fibre and more filling. I eat fish rich in heart-healthy fatty acids, and I make sure I have a good supply of vegetable proteins if I am a vegetarian. I limit sugars, salt and animal fats.
• I eat less in the evening, at least one hour before going to bed, so as not to disturb my sleep with digestion.

The #ProFormTeam’s advice: if you apply these basic principles on a daily basis, there’s no reason to feel guilty about deviations. Eat everything in moderation without forgetting to enjoy yourself! This is the best way to avoid frustration and to keep going in your quest for healthier eating.

My Typical 3-Day Menu

To get off to a good start and begin putting together healthy menus, I’m inspired by these easy-to-make whole food meal ideas:

• Day 1:
  • Breakfast: oatmeal porridge made with a plant-based beverage, sprinkled with berries, Brazil nuts or almonds + hot sugar-free drink
  • Lunch: green salad + chicken couscous with wholemeal bulgur, courgettes, tomatoes and onions, with extra chickpeas if I don’t eat meat + 1 dairy product (yoghurt with almond milk, cheese, etc.) and/or 1 fruit
  • Dinner: pepper stuffed with quinoa + yoghurt or frozen plant-based dessert
• Day 2:
  • Breakfast: yoghurt with milk or a vegan alternative + 1 slice of wholemeal bread + 1 whole fruit + a few almonds + a hot sugar-free drink
  • Lunch: gourmet bowl with your choice of raw vegetables and soy sauce or a light dressing: shredded carrots, corn, cucumber, cabbage, diced goat’s milk cheese, soy sprouts, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, tuna or salmon sushi if you wish, or similar + 1 dairy product and/or 1 fruit
  • Dinner: aubergine lasagne with fresh herbs and tomato sauce, pineapple carpaccio
• Day 3:
  • Breakfast: 1 boiled egg or 1/2 avocado + wholemeal bread toast with cottage cheese or with ham and nuts + 1 whole fruit + hot sugar-free drink
  • Lunch: chicken or tofu club sandwich with raw vegetables + 1 dairy product and/or 1 fruit

Dinner: coral lentil dahl with curry and ginger + fruit soup