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Are there really rules to stay in shape to follow every day? To feel in harmony with ourselves and to be well with our body, the winning strategy is to aim for balance, without resorting to drastic and stressful diets or exhausting workouts.
How to Stay in Shape Without Dieting? Follow These Rules Every Day of the Year
1. Eat Well-Balanced Meals
To create balanced menus, imagine each meal of the day as a plate divided into parts: fill half with fruits and vegetables, a quarter with whole grains and derivatives, and another quarter with proteins, alternating between animal and plant-based ones like legumes. Always ensure a portion of healthy fats, such as nuts and seeds.
2. Season Dishes with Olive Oil
At the top of the list of healthy seasonings is olive oil, a symbol of the Mediterranean diet. Although a tablespoon provides about 90 calories, and it’s better not to overdo the quantity, compared to sauces, dressings, and other vegetable oils, it’s rich in antioxidants including vitamin E and polyphenols, which are excellent for overall health. It makes dishes more satiating due to the presence of good essential fatty acids like oleic, oleocanthal, alpha-linolenic, and stearic acids, which slow gastric emptying and are valuable for hormonal balance.
3. Stay Away from Stress
When constantly stressed, the body produces higher levels of hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline, which increase the risk of weight gain.
4. Sleep at Least 7 Hours a Night
The amount and quality of sleep play an important role in preventing weight gain. Poor sleep leads the body to produce higher amounts of hormones that increase hunger and worsen the sense of fullness, pushing you to eat more food. Once you are in a good routine you won’t need any diet and will see results effortlessly!
5. Spend Time Outdoors
A deficiency in vitamin D, which the body synthesizes through exposure to sunlight, has been associated in several studies with overweight and obesity. Additionally, exposing yourself to the sun, perhaps by taking a half-hour walk, is an excellent remedy for combating bad moods and boredom, which often trigger out-of-schedule food cravings.
This article first appeared on Grazia.it – Author: Angela Altomare
