Basic recommendations
In general, there are many popular prejudices and misconceptions concerning a correct nutrition. Healthy nutrition has nothing in common with monotonous diet, forbidden food or counting calories.
People with eating disorders have linked food with fear, control over their look and body weight. Constant concerns about food increase anxiety and tendency toward extreme eating behaviour. This brings about various reduction diets, fasting, binge eating.
1. Our diet should be varied and balanced
Only this way we can provide all necessary nutrients to our body. Some foods like vegetables, fruit, cereals and dairy products are needed every day, others like meat (of all kinds) are also important for healthy nutrition, although not every day. Our selection should not be among allowed and forbidden foods. The matter is that we eat something less and something more.
Unbalanced and stereotypical diet may not provide all inevitable nutrients to our body. Thus it increases our bad feelings about food. The increased control often results in anorectic reduction of body weight or development and sustenance of binge eating and possible vomiting in bulimia.
2. We should eat regularly
It is a big mistake to think that if I eat regularly (optimum is five times per day), I will always gain weight. The truth is that this way I let my body manage the consumed food well and if I eat adequately to my age and daily activity, I will feel well and my weight will not be affected. (Now I am not referring to diet for underweight people with anorexia nervosa, there the selection of portions and their sizing matters enormously.)
Skipping meals of the day (breakfast, lunch and dinner) affects my metabolism adversely. Even though I may not always be aware of hunger feeling, my body suffers and both physical and mental ailments emerge increased fatigue, irritability. Also the risk of overeating gets higher.