THE FOOD PYRAMID
There’s a very strong link between nutrition and well-being that also involves the health of our planet. Basically, eating healthfully and responsibly is fundamental not only for our body, but also for the environment.
As a matter of fact, a healthy diet has a low environmental impact.
The food pyramid is the most ingenious, simple and effective representation of a correct and balanced nutritional style, which corresponds to the Mediterranean dietary model identified in the seventies by Ancel Keys, after his large study on the correlation between nutrition and health.
The components of the Mediterranean diet are very well summarized in a scheme created in 1992 by the US Department of Agriculture, that was recently updated. This scheme places at the top those foods that are to be consumed only occasionally, and at the bottom the necessary ones, which are known to have positive effects on our health and therefore must be consumed daily.
A balanced nutritional intake throughout the day is essential.
Even mid-morning and afternoon snacks play an important role in a balanced diet because:
Since mid-morning and afternoon snacks should represent around 12-18% of our daily calorie intake, you can treat yourself to a few tasty breaks.
Also because burning these calories is easier than you think. A few examples?
A 171-calorie bag of potato chips
31-minute walk
A 265-calorie blueberry muffin
48-minute walk
with your dog it’s even more fun
