What Is Balanced Diet? - Inshape Diet

Before we deep dive into the fascinating topic of balanced diet, let’s take a step back. Ask the question: why do we have to bother ourselves or even think what a healthy diet is about? Eating is something we do instinct, isn’t it?

Modern Lifestyle and Diet

Well, modern lifestyle brought convenience and indulgence right to our doorsteps or better say directly to our dining tables. We don’t have to lift a finger anymore, because online shopping and delivery services made it easier than ever to get our favorite food immediately.

Owing to globalization, seasonality or geographical limitations don’t play a role anymore. Just take the example of fresh raspberries grown in Mexico, Morocco or Poland, they are available all year round on the shelves in the Middle East countries.

But what does it mean to our diet and health?

One would think that easier access to food would make us healthier. But apparently, it does not. Much more to the opposite. Obesity has become a worldwide pandemic during the past decades in spite of the fact that the healthy food category grows every year and flood of information is available online about it.

What went wrong with our diet? Can’t we trust our body anymore?

Definition of balanced diet

If we want to discover what causes the imbalance in our modern diet, we should understand first that the human body prioritizes protein when regulating food intake. The millions of years of evolution pushes us to eat until we meet our minimum protein or amino acid requirements. Source: Protein appetite as an integrator in the obesity system: the protein leverage hypothesis (royalsocietypublishing.org)

The consequence of this is that if we do not consume sufficient amounts of protein like meat, fish, eggs etc, we overeat other foods high in carbohydrates and/or fats. This is a subconscious effort just to obtain those critical amino acids and nitrogen.

It doesn’t mean that we don’t need a certain amount of carbohydrates, for example, like tuberous veggies or some fruits.

However, modern Western style diet is dominated by fat and carbohydrates while protein is largely overlooked. This causes constant cravings and appetites during the day, because the brain wants that minimum amount of protein in simply to keep us alive.

The Essential Nutrients

The human body needs both macro- and micronutrients. Some of the necessary elements can be produced by our own body, but there are some special ones which we have to get with our food.

When we talk about something being essential, first we should understand why they’re called essential.

Protein

Let’s start with protein, one of the macronutrients. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, hence our muscles. An essential amino acid cannot be synthesized from scratch by the organism fast enough to supply its demand and must therefore come from the diet. Of the 21 amino acids common to all life forms, the nine amino acids humans cannot synthesize: valine, isoleucine, leucine, methionine, phenylalanine, tryptophan, threonine, histidine, and lysine.[1][2]

Protein content in foods is often measured in protein per serving or grams rather than per calorie.

Fat

Now let’s look into the other macronutrient: fat. It’s the main component of common food products like milk, butter, tallow, lard, salt pork, and cooking oils. The human body can produce the fat it requires from other food ingredients, except for a few essential fatty acids that must be included in the diet. Thes are the essential fatty acids, which are required by humans and other animals for normal physiological function that cannot be synthesized in the body.[1][2]⁠ As they are not synthesized in the body, the essential fatty acids – alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and linoleic acid – must be obtained from food or from a dietary supplement. [1][3][4] Essential fatty acids are needed for various cellular metabolic processes and for the maintenance and function of tissues and organs. [1][5] These fatty acids also are precursors to vitamins, cofactors, and derivatives. Source: Wikipedia

Carbohydrate

And when it comes to the third macronutrient: carbohydrate, there is no such thing as essential carbs exist. Carbohydrates can be found in a wide variety of natural and processed, ultra-processed foods. It mainly appears as table sugar extracted from sugar beets, starch (maize, potato, wheat), processed food as pasta, flour, bread, pizza etc.

Micronutrients

Micronutrients vitamins, minerals, and trace minerals. These all are required by our body in small quantities to be able to perform various biogeochemical processes and regulate physiological functions. Inadequate intake of essential micronutrients leads to various chronic diseases. For example, one US study found that people with high sugar intake consumed fewer micronutrients, especially of Vitamin A, E and C and magnesium. (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003-2006). Source: Wikipedia.

Benefits of Balanced Diet

In addition to the fact that the human body needs nitrogen and amino acids to function – which the body can hardly cover from fat and sugar – it is important to understand that optimal protein intake offers several health benefits.

8+1 Benefits of Balanced Diet

1. Reduces appetite and hunger, which makes you eat less calories in total, so indirectly you get in calorie deficit. It gives much higher satiety vs. carbohydrates.

2. Increases muscle mass and strength, while helps prevent loss of muscle mass during weight loss.

3. Good for your bones, because protein intake combined with resistance training helps maintain bone mass and reduces risk of osteoporosis.

4. Reduces cravings and desire for late night snacking by increasing daily protein intake to 25% of calories reduces cravings by 60% Source: The effects of consuming frequent, higher protein meals on appetite and satiety during weight loss in overweight/obese men

5. Boosts metabolism and increases fat burn, because thermic effect of protein (TEF) is the highest by far compared to fat or carbohydrate and it boosts basal metabolic rate (BMR) which the number of calories used to perform basic body functions like breathing, heartbeat etc. Source:Thermic Effect of Food

6. Lowers blood pressure – a study in 2010 showed that increased protein intake lowered both systolic and diastolic blood pressure values. Source: Dietary Protein and Blood Pressure

7. Helps maintain weight loss by boosting the feeling of fullness, reduced feeling of hunger, boosts metabolism, maintain or increase fat-free muscle mass. Source: The 17 Best Ways To Maintain Weight Loss

8. Does not harm healthy kidneys and it’s important to consume the minimum daily requirement of protein in order to avoid health complications.

+1 Helps you stay fit as you age, because muscles tend to weaken gradually with age, affecting strength, function and mobility. Source: Age

As we can see, protein plays a very important role in human diet. It starts from having the right energy level in the body, better health and cognitive functions, stronger immune system, efficient weight management to avoiding several diseases.

Effects of modern lifestyle

Past decades it became challenging to eat the right amount of protein daily since the modern environment around us promotes convenient meal solutions which are dominated by processed fats and carbs. We should pay attention to getting healthy, natural sources of carbohydrates. These can be pre-cooled potatoes and rice, or tuberous veggies which affect our blood sugar regulation gently instead of spiking the sugar levels. Spikes make us suffer from low energy and induce more cravings.

Creating a balanced diet

Do we eat enough protein?

If we start calculating how much protein a person eats per day, people get surprised most of the time, because they think they are eating too much of this macronutrient. But the fact is that in most cases they eat deeply below the daily requirement. And the cost of this is uncontrolled blood sugar level, constant hunger sensation throughout the day, desire to binge in the evening and decreasing muscle mass.

Well, that doesn’t sound good, does it?

At the same time, if it turns out that you are eating protein well below the daily requirement, but this does not mean that you should immediately drastically increase your intake. Remember, your body is not used to processing higher amount of protein, yet. Enzymes, stomach acid, and some hormones produced in the digestive organs, as well as the liver, face a new task. This is a new challenge for your whole body!

How to get more protein?

In other words, it’s worth increasing your protein intake by 10-20 percent per week to the optimal level. Monitor the signs, help with some supplements like Betaine HCL and pepsin if needed.

Moder lifestyle puts pressure on us, so we can easily find ourselves in an all-day rush. Sometimes, it just feels difficult to get the right food in time. So, before hitting the road we decide to grab something quick at the coffee shop on the corner like a cappuccino with a chocolate croissant. But such a single, poor food choice can give 1/3 of our daily calorie intake! Only empty calories without healthy nutrients! And on the top of this, hunger knocks on our door within 2 hours again due to the crash of the sugar level following the spike.

Is it healthy to use protein powders?

This is where InShape high-protein meal replacements step in and play an important role in helping people to make better, healthy food choices. These products fit into the modern lifestyle with their on-the-go packaging and are available in more than 20 different tastes. All of them boast with all the health benefits what proteins can offer for us.

InShape meal replacements can satisfy cravings for sweet or savory without compromising on health goals. You can enjoy desserts, drinks, coffee, chocolate or an iced tea loaded with healthy protein and vitamins. Forget about the guilt caused by craving!
For additional dietary guidelines you are advised to contact a nutritional coach. Should you wish to get a meal plan, then you need to contact a dietitian because it’s their scope.

Challenges and solutions

It can be daunting for many of us to find the right way in the chaos and noise in today’s dietary jungle!

There seem to be several direction in the diet war: starting from low-fat to the ketogenic concept. In the former, people exclusively buy skinless chicken and fat-free dairy, and their omelets are made with only egg whites. In the other group, people add spoonful of butter and coconut oil to their coffee or tea to consume more fat.

The missing element!

An overlooked, yet powerful macronutrient with underestimated effects: protein.

The consequence of this is that we tend not to consume adequate amounts of protein. In change, we overeat foods high in carbohydrates and/or fats in a subconscious effort to obtain critical amino acids and nitrogen. Simply because these elements are the priorities for the human body when regulating food intake.

How much protein do we need?

Protein intake guidelines are given in absolute grams, not as a percentage of total energy intake. According to Prof. Don Layman, the recommendation is 1.2-1.5 grams/kg, and if the subject is in a severe calorie deficit, this can be increased further. Source: The protein leverage hypothesis

We know that all day rush can make proper food planning hard. But InShape high-protein meal replacements can efficiently help you to overbridge the problem, so you can elevate the daily protein intake effortlessly while the health benefits are maximized. InShape products are durable and easy to store. A small, one-doze sachet packed with huge nutritional power can fit even your smallest purse!

Conclusion

Why protein

Instead of tracking fat or carbs better to focus on protein, because it not only builds muscle, but also regulates satiety and indirectly daily calorie intake. It’s easier for you to fight hunger than fighting calories!

How much protein

If your goal is fat loss and/or body composition change, you should check your current protein intake first. Increase the consumption of it gradually if needed. Supplements like enzymes, Betaine HCL etc. might help you during the elevation phase to avoid bloating, diarrhea or constipation.

Daily protein intake recommendation is 1.2-1.5 grams/kg, but if you are in a severe calorie deficit, this can be increased up to 2 grams/kg.

Supplements

InShape high protein meal replacements can contribute a lot to your lifestyle change, when you use them tactically and in the right amount for supplementation. They help you to hit your daily protein target in a convenient manner while reduce your appetite next to other benefits.