Protein and fiber: main components of a healthy diet

A healthy way of living goes beyond looking good; it means the absence of diseases along with a balance between mental and physical health.

Having a healthy lifestyle implies following certain routines and changing some habits. For most people, this may sound a bit difficult, but to achieve this goal only requires good planning.

There are three key aspects for starting a balanced lifestyle:

• Enough rest.
• Regular exercises.
• Good eating habits.

You also need to break old and bad habits such as eating processed foods, drinking too much alcohol or caffeine, smoking, and being sedentary.

Enough rest

Getting sufficient rest in your life involves sleeping and relaxation. Sleep is just as important as diet and physical activities. Some studies suggest you should sleep between 7 and 9 hours, lapse when REM and non-REM sleep patterns take place.

You also need at least 30 minutes of relaxation time during the day or before going to bed. Try to establish quiet activities: turning off all your electronic devices, reading, listening to harmonious music, drawing, or even writing are good examples of getting relaxed during your busy day or before bedtime.

Regular exercises

Unfortunately, sedentary life is the most regular way of living nowadays. However, contrary to common beliefs, adding physical activities to your daily routine is not impossible.

Exercises benefit your heart, musculoskeletal system, respiratory system, and mental processes. You need to find a space in your daily routine for doing at least 30 minutes of any physical activity every day. You could start by walking to your work or the grocery store.

You can also make some simple choices like using the stairs instead of the elevator, going to the park to play with a ball, frisbee, or taking a walk with your dog. The idea is to start to move and give your body healthy exercise.

Good eating habits

Anyone who is seeking to make the most out of food, needs to start eating a healthy diet.

Good eating habits require a balanced intake of carbohydrates, fat, proteins, minerals and vitamins. It will help you avoid being overweight, getting cardiovascular or degenerative diseases, and even risking mental issues.

Achieving this goal does not have to be a mission impossible. You need to plan all your meals. The starting point would be searching for balanced recipes. Then, you can make your grocery list and include nutritious ingredients.

Your food selection must provide your body with:.

• Proteins: Prefer white meats, fish, skinned lamb, pork, or chicken. Another option is a plant-based protein like beans, quinoa, peas, lentils, and amaranth, for example.
• Fats: Extra virgin olive oil, canola oil, sesame oils, avocados, cheese, eggs, yogurts, nuts, and so on.
• Fruits and vegetables: ideally, fresh vegetables and fruits should not be missing in daily meals. They have the right amounts of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
• Carbohydrates: You can get carbs from fruits like bananas and mangos, vegetables such as potatoes and sweet potatoes, dairy products, and whole grains such as rice, wheat, and oat.
• Dairy ingredients: soya-derived products, milk, cheese, butter, etc.

Healthy recipes must include some of these ingredients in a proper ratio; for instance, proteins and fiber are essential nutrients for a healthy diet. A good option is to combine in a single dish all the ingredients, for example, rice and beans.

Rice and bean are a super combo meal forming a complete protein; this dish also contains fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.

Cooking this powerful meal is very easy, so don’t stress about how to make red beans and rice, just follow the following recipe and get the most nutritive preparation.

Balanced rice and beans (4 Servings)

Ingredients:

• 2 cans of red beans.
• 1 cup of rice.
• 3 cups of hot water.
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
• 1 cup finely chopped onions.
• 4 crushed cloves of garlic.
• ½ cup finely chopped green bell pepper.
• ½ cup finely chopped celery.
• ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
• ½ teaspoon of paprika.
• ½ teaspoon of oregano.
• ½ teaspoon of coriander.
• ½ teaspoon of salt.

Preparation:

1. In a saucepan with some olive oil, cook at medium heat the onion first, then add the garlic, and sauté until they are browned.
2. Incorporate green bell pepper, celery, and combine very well.
3. Add canned beans, cayenne pepper, paprika, oregano, coriander, and water. Stir.
4. Reduce heat and cook for 2 hours.
5. In another saucepan, cook rice. Sauté rice with olive oil.
6. Pour water and cook until rice is tender.
7. Serve beans over the rice.