We would like to remind you that the project “Colors of Life” – 2021-1-PL01-ESC30-SOL-000036535 financed by the European Solidarity Corps is still ongoing. It is true that we are already starting a new month, but it is worth stopping and summarizing the previous month. January was devoted to the global disease of obesity. It is a disease that arises for many reasons and will not go away on its own without treatment. As research shows, about 25% of Poles suffer from this disease. The fight with it is often long and sometimes complicated, but we should always start the fight by trying to change our eating habits. The question is how to do it?
It’s best to start with the basics and remember the food pyramid. Interestingly, the pyramid has changed a bit over the years, because we will not only find products in it. At its base, there is an additional element, which is physical activity, and we do not necessarily mean exercise sports, because activity also includes:
- walking up the stairs,
- walks,
- cycling, etc.
The next foundation of the pyramid are fruits and vegetables, they should be half of what we eat. At the next level, we will find cereal products. It is recommended especially for people struggling with obesity to choose whole grains, because they are more valuable. Further in the pyramid we can find dairy products, i.e. all kinds of natural yoghurts, kefirs, etc. The two higher levels are meat, which we overuse very often. It is worth considering alternatives such as fish, lean meat to reduce the saturated fat that is abundant in red meat. At the top of the pyramid we find fats, we need them, but we should pay attention to what fats we use in our diet. Vegetable fats such as rapeseed oil, olive oil, etc. are more valuable and therefore healthier. When we have a basic knowledge of what our food pyramid should look like, it is much easier to find our mistakes in everyday life and eliminate them. It is enough that for a few days we will write down what exactly we ate for a given meal. We will then see if our diet is well-balanced and if we have not overdone something. If it turns out that we actually eat red meat too often, you can try to modify some dishes and add chicken or fish. If we notice that we eat too little fruit and vegetables, it is worth preparing a fruit salad for lunch. In such ways, in small steps, we build new eating habits.
