What represents a healthy lifestyle has always been a controversial topic, but one thing is known for sure: nutrition and hydration are vital for our general wellbeing. We also know that if we're willing to make small changes to our eating and drinking habits, we can really improve the quality of our life and make a difference in the way we enjoy every day. For this reason, we've put together five easy steps that you can take to boost your health:

1. It is easier to adopt a new lifestyle than to follow a diet

When we follow a particular diet, we limit the amount of food we consume, which is something that can be done only on a short-term basis. We will revert to our regular eating habits once we are tired of dieting, or when we crave something that is not part of the diet. A healthy lifestyle should be underpinned by a balanced nutritional plan, where foods are chosen based on their nutritional value. These foods have the ability to help our bodies from gaining nonessential weight, recover maximum vitality and still allow us to enjoy tasty meals. Of course, implementing a new way of eating requires time to research what is good, what is bad and how food categories like carbohydrates, fats and proteins influence our health.

2. Know the difference between good and bad

According to complex studies that have been undertaken in the recent years, specifically to the bespoke Montignac method, a healthy diet doesn’t consist of eating less but eating better by choosing the food we consume wisely. Montignac method is not a traditional diet, but a balanced nutritional plan, discovered by the French researcher Michel Montignac. This method says that we should stop counting calories and stop blaming carbohydrates and fats for our gained weight - it is actually recommended that we eat proper portions of these foods. 

Montignac teaches us that all the food products in our house can be categorised into three groups: carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. In order to have a balanced diet, we should be able to tell the difference between good and bad, which means we should focus our shopping list on:

• good carbs (whole wheat products,  brown rice, green vegetables, nonfat dairy, lentil, mushrooms, etc.)

• bad carbs (potatoes, white flour and its products, sugar, sweets, crisps, alcohol, etc.)

• good fats (olive oil, eggs, meat, etc.)

• bad fats (greasy meat, fat dairies, margarine, etc. ). 

  Proteins are also essential for our system, and they can be found in fish, seafood, white meat, nonfat dairy, etc. The easiest way to keep our eating habits on the healthy path is to remove the bad categories completely from our day-to-day meals and pay specific attention to how we combine the categories above on our plate.

3. How we eat is more important than what we eat

Once our food is swallowed, it reaches our stomachs where the nutrients go through modifications, which allow our system to further absorb them. Therefore, the order of what we eat and the combination of foods we ingest is really important for our well being - some substances are absorbed first and others are transformed into fats. The main principle of Montignac method is to combine products in the healthiest way possible so our bodies can take everything they need:

4. Drink enough water, not a fixed amount

Many of us are aware that water is essential for good health, but we still find it hard to implement this habit into our daily routine. The water necessity varies from individual to individual, as diverse studies show that it depends on many factors, like our health, activeness and even on where we live.  

Apart from satisfying our thirst, water rinses toxins out of important organs, leads nutrients to cells and provides the moist environment that our ear, nose, and throat need. Because we lose water every day through breath, perspiration, and urine, we need to replace it in order for our body to function properly. The intake of fluids should come from both beverages and foods that contain water - watermelon, spinach and other fruits and vegetables. The Institute of Medicine concluded that the appropriate amount of water for men is roughly about 3 litres and 2.2 litres for women. However, if you exercise intensely, live in a humid environment or experience different illnesses, you may require a larger quantity of liquids. 

5. Don’t drink water during your meals

When we drink water before or during our meals, this affects the action of the gastric acid, making it more diluted. The body becomes lazier, the food transit into the stomach is not produced correctly and the discomfort associated with that bloating feeling will influence our mood, making us feel cranky. Even more, because the whole process of drainage is incorrectly made, the water will be retained much easier in our body.

Hence, the solution is simple: water should be consumed 30 minutes before and after your meals and in any way you desire during the rest of the day.

• we should always consume the good carbs with proteins: cook your whole wheat pastas and rice with dairies or vegetables or your meat with different vegetables, but not with potatoes

• avoid combining bad carbs with proteins: meat with pasta, rice, bread or potatoes

• never eat bad carbs and fats together, as the fat will be stored where you least like it, instead of being transformed into energy.