More than "eating your greens"
There is a widespread misconception that healthy eating comes down to eating vegetables and greens and staying away from sugar and fat. Healthy eating includes those guidelines, but that is not all there is to it.
Eating correctly, consciously and in a nutritionally rich way is one of the pillars of a balanced life, in full physical and mental health. Diet is fundamental to reducing the risk of infection and inflammation and to strengthening immunity and the body defences.
Combined with physical exercise, good hours of sleep and adequate hydration, it makes up the complete package. Investing in diet means spending fewer resources on medicines, because the main focus is maintaining health.
Balance, not restriction
Another idea to break with is that eating well is about how much food there is. In practice, it all rests on a balanced intake of fruit, greens, vegetables, cereals, nuts, meat, dairy and seafood - macronutrients and micronutrients in balance, in amounts that depend on each person physiological needs.
Although starting a process of dietary re-education is not simple, with professional support and motivation it is possible to find balance and gain quality of life.
Diet and physical activity
Healthy eating and physical activity are fundamental to losing weight and keeping it off. For those who are overweight or obese, weight loss can be described as a combination of roughly 70 per cent diet and 30 per cent physical activity - which does not diminish the importance of exercise, always recommended.
The general recommendation is to combine aerobic and resistance activity - cycling, running or swimming alongside weight training or functional exercise - always taking care to avoid injury.
That is why professional follow-up matters, to put together a varied, nutritious menu that covers each of the body needs.