Year after year, we see fad diets become popular and then fade into the background. During the heyday of these diets, their adherents testify to their positive aspects which cover anything from detox, fat reduction, and stamina boosts. However, they are just that – fads. Although a number of them indeed produce their claimed outcomes, their main drawback is that they are only effective during the course that they are taken.
Because a number of them are very restrictive, you may have a hard time adhering to them, and simply revert to your old ways. Hence, it is often a wiser decision to follow a simple yet effective healthy diet plan that is loaded with traditional foodstuffs.
A well-balanced diet puts equal importance to the quantity and quality of the food you are eating. The World Health Organization suggests lowering the total calorie count from dietary fat and eliminating saturated fats from the diet. While carbs do contribute to weight gain, it is unwise to omit it entirely from your diet. Don’t forget that the human brain’s primary food source is glucose which can only be taken from carbs. They also recommend consuming slow burning carbs rather than simple carbs. You should also get essential amino acids from both meat and plant-based sources. Incorporate fruits, vegetables, beans, cereals, and various nuts into your diet too.
As we pointed out in the first paragraph, it is a good idea to add traditional food items into your meals. Maybe you are asking, what are traditional foods? Essentially, traditional food are food which are locally grown and harvested from nature using wholly organic methods, without genetic alterations and have been enjoyed for several generations. Traditional food items are not processed and packaged for export or importation, so your best bet of finding them would be in your local community.
To better understand what traditional foods are, let us elaborate on them using examples. Those who follow a traditional diet plan prefer taking in sustainably-raised, organic eggs from pastured hens. They also make use of bones to make flavorful broths instead of using pre-packed ones. They also consume nettle leaves which are organically grown. These are herbaceous plants and their most common variety is stinging nettle, which have needle-like hairs running along its green parts making them a bit challenging to gather. Then again, they are worth the effort because nettle is rich in vitamins A and B, minerals, histamine and serotonin. Soaking the leaves in water or cooking will deactivate its stinging chemicals. Although they are a bit cumbersome to get and prepare, nettle plants are loaded in vitamins A, C, iron, potassium, manganese, and calcium. Nettle leaf is likened in flavor and texture to spinach, and can be prepared as pesto, soup, or paired with polenta.
There are many reasons why eating traditional foods is a good idea. For starters, they are always nutrient-dense. They do not contain chemical residues and are not altered in any way making them healthier food choices as well. Third, they are packed with flavor. Third, buying traditional foods supports smaller, family farms. Finally, being a supporter of traditional food diets is you taking an active role in promoting humane and eco-friendly strategies to food production.
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