Diet and its meaning

The word „diet” evokes definitely bad associations, bringing to mind the prospect of constant undereating, spending a lot of time in the kitchen, consuming unpalatable meals. In fact, however, the term „diet” does not refer to a myriad of sacrifices, but has a completely different meaning. In this paper, I will introduce the essence of the „diet” and briefly describe the benefits of healthy eating.

What is a diet?

 It may come as a surprise to some people, but the word „diet” does not refer to a nutritional strategy aimed at inducing weight loss at all costs. The term has a completely different meaning. Well, the term „diet” refers directly to the way of eating, either of an individual or of the entire population. In other words, a diet is a quantitative and qualitative selection of foods, which traditionally takes the form of meals and snacks. This means that everyone has a diet, whether they are aware of it or not. In practice, however, this diet is not always properly balanced, it does – it is not always tailored to the physiological needs of the body and the goal we set for ourselves.

The concept of a healthy diet

In order to function properly, the human body needs several dozen ingredients, which include, m.in:

• protein – or rather its elementary particles, i.e. amino acids (twenty amino acids can be distinguished, eight of which are considered essential),
• Fat – polyunsaturated fatty acids are considered to be an essential component of the diet:
• linoleic and alpha-linolenic acid, but other lipids should also be included in the diet,
• carbohydrates – although we are able to survive without eating carbohydrates at all, their presence in the diet can bring a number of benefits, as long as they come from the right sources,
• vitamins
• Minerals
• Fiber – fiber is not a nutrient, but it has a positive effect on our body. The source of the above-mentioned substances is the food consumed on a daily basis, i.e. diet.

The body requires a daily supply of these ingredients, and what is important, it „requires” that they are supplied in appropriate doses (neither too low nor too high). If this does not happen, all sorts of problems arise. At this point, we come to the definition of a healthy and well-balanced diet that provides all the required ingredients in quantities adequate to the body’s needs.

Diet adequate to the purpose

What we eat affects not only our overall health, but also our physical condition, well-being and appearance. From the point of view of physically active people, it is important that with the help of appropriate modifications in the diet, you can m.in:

• intensify post-workout regeneration,
• support the reduction of body fat,
•  support the development of muscle mass,
• accelerate the development of exercise parameters,
• improve the treatment of sports injuries,
• improve the body’s immune resistance.

The „healthy diet” described in the previous paragraph usually supports all the processes mentioned above to some extent, however, in order to maximize their pace, it is necessary to make appropriate modifications. And so, in order to induce the loss of adipose tissue, an energy deficit is introduced, i.e. a state in which the daily energy intake is lower than the current body needs. Thanks to this, it is possible to mobilize the body to reach fat reserves. Similarly, in order to induce muscle growth, energy intake is increased beyond the daily requirement, which, with properly targeted training, brings benefits in the form of an increased rate of muscle protein synthesis. Regardless of what goal we set for ourselves, it is important not to consider the issue of priority in isolation from the aspect of health. In other words, regardless of whether we want to get rid of excess centimeters and kilograms or train for a marathon, the diet should always be balanced adequately to the physiological needs of the body.

It should be emphasized that there is no such thing as „lack of diet” and that what we eat every day is not always suitable for us, and the incompatibility can be considered on two levels. The first level concerns the physiological needs of the body, and the second – the goal we set for ourselves. Looking at the habitual diet of Poles, it can be said that it is doubly mismatched, as it turns out to be deficient in many important nutrients, which is conducive to nutritional deficiencies, and at the same time excessive in energy from mediocre quality ingredients, which intensifies the process of accumulating spare fat.

However, it often happens that the daily menu is based on healthy and nutritious foods, and yet the composition of the figure does not improve. This may be caused by a mismatch between the diet and the goal, which usually comes down to an improper energy supply or an inadequate distribution of macronutrients. I will write about how to balance your diet depending on your priority in the next guides.