Living a Healthy and Balanced Lifestyle
Nutrition and physical activity are vital to a balanced lifestyle; finding the right balance of healthy eating and exercise can be a difficult task--but not impossible. Our nutrition blog highlights why it's important to strive for this, as a healthy lifestyle can lead to reduced risk of disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. A balanced diet means incorporating a variety of foods into your meals, keeping track of what you eat, and maintaining a good level of physical activity.
Diet
Your diet is arguably the most important part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and the foods you eat influence your body in many ways--from the nutrients inside to the calories they provide. Healthy diets should consist of many different foods: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein, and more.
Fruits
Fruits are a wonderful snack--and a source of vitamins and other minerals important for keeping your body full of vital nutrients. Choose fresh or frozen fruits rather than foods containing high syrups or additives. There are many different fruits to choose from grapes, strawberries, or kiwi that each fit different meals; it's always good to incorporate different fruits into your diet. Find different products that contain fruits to add to your diet too, Kate’s Real Food organic bars contain different fruits like lemon, cherry, and mango to help your body get a mixture of healthy ingredients.
Vegetables
Veggies are an excellent source of nutrients and can be incorporated into many different kinds of meals. They can be sautéd, grilled, or steamed and added into main dishes or made into sides. Dark, leafy greens are especially important to a diet as they contain nutrients beneficial to your health.
Protein
Keeping your muscles strong is important for both athletic activities and regular life, so protein is an important part of every diet. But instead of eating fried or breaded meats, try eating more lean meats. White meats are generally considered leaner than dark, but some dark meats can be good choices without the skin. Nut butters are a great source of protein as well, they’re filled with healthy fats and fiber to give you long lasting energy for your day. If you’re vegetarian, there are many other options for obtaining healthy protein--such as beans or tofu.
Grains
The US Department of Agriculture program MyPlate, recommends that half of the grains you eat should be whole grains as they aren’t processed and contain lots of nutritious value. It is important to avoid refined grains because they lack the same nutrients carried in whole grains. Complex carbs, such as whole grains, give the body antioxidants, fiber, and minerals that are very helpful to the body and provide energy to fuel you through your day.
Balance is everything in a diet: you can still have comfort foods once in a while as long as you do so in moderation. Try to limit your consumption of fatty or high calorie foods to once per week or per month in order to maintain a balanced lifestyle. Focus on real foods for your meals: including a variety of different food groups benefits your body with an assortment of vitamins, minerals, and energy that keeps your body feeling healthy and strong.
Exercise
Exercise is extremely important to maintaining your health. The amount of exercise you get is impacted by your age, but the CDC suggests that adults get at least 150 minutes of exercise per week, while young adults and children (ages 6 to 17) should get at least 60 minutes of exercise per day. This includes strength, endurance, balance, and flexibility exercise. There are numerous ways to get your physical activity each day: playing a sport, lifting weights, hiking, going on runs or jogs, and more.
At Kate’s Real Food, we understand the importance of maintaining a balanced active lifestyle which is why we pack nutrients and organic ingredients into our snack bars. If you’re looking for a delicious energy bar for your next hike or workout-- look no further than one of our various flavors to help you keep your life active and moving.