So, you already know how crucial it is to adopt a good diet. A balanced and healthy diet provides the essential nutrients our body needs to function optimally. But did you know that the importance of a good diet goes far beyond merely meeting nutritional needs?
The Benefits of a Balanced Diet
In this article, we will explore the multiple benefits of a balanced diet, provide advice and ideas... Let us guide you on the path to better health through wise food choices.
The Importance of Proteins in the Diet
It is essential to eat protein: at breakfast and at lunch, both from a caloric perspective (bread, breakfast cereals and other sugars being converted into fat) and for the synthesis of neurotransmitters.
The Roles of Amino Acids
The amino acid tyrosine, present in morning proteins, is converted into dopamine, a neurotransmitter that produces pleasure and the desire to undertake things, libido, zest for life, prevents social withdrawal and increases motivation. A dopamine deficiency is very often found in burnout.
The synthesis of noradrenaline is produced from the same amino acid, so it is very important to eat protein at breakfast and at lunch. A lack of noradrenaline can cause physical and psychological fatigue (asthenia), but it can also reflect a burnout, a lack of synthesis of adrenal catecholamines.
The tryptophan present in morning and midday proteins is converted (if it is not destroyed by heat: cooking of foods) into serotonin late in the afternoon: the neurotransmitter of well-being (the vast majority of depressed people are deficient in serotonin). Low serotonin will manifest as sleep disorders (difficulty falling asleep, early awakenings with difficulty getting back to sleep), carbohydrate or alcohol cravings, or other compulsions (drugs, gambling), irritability, anxiety, stress, and this serotonin will convert late in the evening into melatonin, which triggers sleep and maintains restorative, good-quality sleep.
Lack of protein in the morning and at midday is probably the main cause of depression. For these neurotransmitters to be sufficiently synthesized, it is necessary to:
- that cell membranes are sufficiently flexible (adequate omega-3 and omega-6).
- that the post-synaptic receptors are not blocked by cytokines originating from excess intra-abdominal fat or from an unhealthy intestinal flora: dysbiosis (hypothyroidism and intestinal inflammation linked to a diet containing gluten and dairy products, excess alcohol).
- Also necessary to transform amino acids: tryptophan - tyrosine into neurotransmitters: vitamins B6 - B9 - B12, vitamin C, copper, zinc, iron, magnesium…
Good and Bad Calories
Good calories are proteins, vegetables and fruits (except dates, figs, bananas, bunches of grapes, etc.) which cannot be accumulated, not transformed into fat. Bad calories are bread, pasta, rice, starchy foods which are converted into fat within a few hours if there is no physical job or 30-45 min of sports activity during the day (brisk walking is sufficient). The fat in foods does not make you gain weight, but the sugar from bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, couscous, and fast sugars like alcohol, soda, sweets… if not used immediately (within the following few hours) during an activity.
Important Principles in Nutrition
- Drink plenty of water.
- Eat fresh foods as much as possible: fresh fruits and vegetables are preferable to canned ones or dried fruits.
- Chew food well: Food swallowed quickly is difficult to digest.
- Eat enough protein (at each meal): chicken, fish, meat, eggs, sprouted seeds.
- Vary your diet: Eating the same breakfast every day, even if it consists of healthy foods, can cause food allergies and intestinal dysfunctions.
- Avoid sweets (at least 5 days out of 7) such as candies, chocolate, ice cream, pastries, sugary drinks, cola, etc.
Sweets can:
- Decrease the levels of growth hormone, sex hormones, and many other hormones as well.
- Cause cavities and dental erosion.
- Promote obesity.
- Cause fatigue 40 minutes after ingestion (even if they provide immediate energy).
- Lead to study problems, etc.
Ideas for a Healthy Lunch
Many foods tend to first give a short-lived energy boost (about 15 minutes) and then, about forty minutes later, cause fatigue and excessive nervous tension that can last for hours, or possibly even extend for 24 hours.
High-protein breakfast:
- Soft-boiled egg (mollet), omelette cooked at low temperature (do not brown it = burnt) with ham (without sugar), chicken breast or shrimp.
- Bacon (unsmoked) boiled in a layer of water.
- Dry-cured or raw ham (e.g., Parma ham), without nitrates (saltpetre is sodium nitrate), without sugar (no dextrose, sucrose, maltose, glucose or cane sugar).
- An avocado blended with fresh fruit.
- plain soy yogurt (without added sugar).
- Essenian bread (sprouted-grain bread sold in health food stores).
And rich in vitamins:
- Fresh fruits: should not be mixed with other foods (except with sprouted grains).
- Sprouted grains: a variety of flavors exist depending on the type of grain and the preparation.
Dietary Supplements:
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Fish oil supplements: omega-3s (fatty acids) are excellent for cognitive functions and mood as well as magnesium morning and evening, and 5 to 10,000 units of vitamin D.
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A multivitamin complex is recommended (organic food does not always provide a sufficient amount of minerals and vitamins).
Want to know more? The Best dietary supplements for weight loss
Vitamins and Foods
Cardiovascular Functions
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B-group vitamins :
- Sources of vitamin B6 : soy, liver, meats, fish, brown rice, avocados, pulses.
- Sources of vitamin B9 : liver, oysters, soy, spinach, watercress, green vegetables, pulses, cheeses
- Sources of vitamin B12 : liver, oysters, herring, fish, meats, eggs.
Antioxidants
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Carotenoids :
- Source of Alpha and Beta-carotene : peppers, carrots, spinach, broccoli, lettuce, spirulina.
- Source of Lycopenes : tomato, pink grapefruit, guava, watermelon, pomegranate.
- Source of Lutein : leafy green vegetables : spinach, broccoli, cabbage.
- Source of beta-cryptoxanthin : oranges, tangerines.
- Vitamin E : Hazelnuts, almonds, whole grains, egg, dark chocolate.
- Zinc : Fish, oysters, shellfish, meats, egg yolk, onion, broccoli, beans, peas, watercress, brewer's yeast.
- Copper : Shellfish, liver, wheat, prunes, green vegetables, pulses.
- Selenium : Garlic, Brazil nuts (3 per day), onion, cabbages, wheat germ, fruits, herrings, oysters, brewer's yeast.
- CoQ10 : Fatty fish, meats, broccoli, spinach, hazelnuts, soy.
- Alpha-lipoic acid : Broccoli, spinach.
Optimization of Neurotransmitters
- Tyrosine : Eggs, dairy products, cooked ham or turkey breast, banana, avocado : THE MORNING (Dopamine and/or Adrenaline deficit).
- Tryptophan : Brown rice, meat not overcooked, dairy products, chocolate, banana, almonds, soy, legumes) : THE AFTERNOON (Serotonin deficit).
Dr S. Résimont
117 comments
Bonsoir merci beaucoup pour toutes ces informations. Je souhaiterai savoir ce que nous pouvons manger au diner si nous avons bien respecter les 2 repas matin et midi protéinés. D’avance merci
Quand est il du pain fait à partir de blés anciens ? Certaines fermés cultivés à nouveau ces blés non génétiquement modifiés donc contenant moins de gluten. Merci