Diet. This is the one thing that we all had taken granted since so many years. The change in lifestyle witnessed the growth of junk food. This led to a steep decrease in the intake of the essential nutrients and that lead to so many diseases and ailments. Nutrients again gained importance in the phase of COVID and people realized how important diet was for physical and mental health. Diet essentially consists of nutrients like proteins, carbohydrates, etc. and each nutrient has an importance of its own. Importance of each nutrient should be acknowledged and a conscious effort of including all the nutrients in your daily diet should be made. For those who had made some really wrong diet decisions and now want to rectify it, this blog is dedicated to them all. Better late than never. This blog shows you how to set SMART goals for diet and thus ensure daily nutrient intake.
SMART. This, is not just a word. It is also an abbreviation. Let’s have a look at what the letters of this word mean.
- S- Specific/ Small
- M- Measurable
- A- Achievable/ Attainable
- R- Realistic/Relevant
- T- Time bound
Now that you know what each letter stands for, lets dive deep into their meanings.
S- Small/Specific: Keep your goals small and achievable. This motivates you to keep going and never stop. Always remember, nothing’s perfect. Its all work in progress and if you are better than what you were yesterday, you are already winning!
M- Measurable: Keep your goals measurable so it is super easy to track and monitor them. Measure your goals by meals or your favorite snacks.
A- Achievable/Attainable: Setting achievable goals protects you from getting overwhelmed and disheartened. Don’t be too hard on yourself. What is achievable/attainable for you might be tough for others and vice versa. So, make sure that the goals set by you are completely attainable by you and you can actually follow it.
R- Realistic/Relevant: Set realistic and practical goals. Also make sure that your goal is relevant to what you really want to achieve. These small steps help you in achieving the bigger picture. So, try to keep all your goals relevant to the bigger picture so that you always stay on track.
T- Time-bound: your goal should be time bound. Now that time can be set absolutely by yourself. Like 1 week, 1 month, etc. It is easier to commit to any goal and stay inspired and motivated all the time when you have set a time limit for yourself.
While setting your goals, ask yourself questions whether it is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-bound. Its only then that you can set a SMART goal for yourself, commit to it, stay motivated and achieve it. Now that we completely know the meanings and method to set a SMART goal, lets head to what all is extremely important to the body. Essentially there are 6 nutrients that are required by the body.
Vitamins:
Vitamins are micronutrients that have amazing health benefits. They boost the immune system, also maintain a healthy skin, aids calcium absorption, etc. The list of the health benefits that vitamins offer is endless!
Minerals:
These are second type of micronutrients. Major and trace minerals are the two types of minerals. Major minerals help to improve water levels, improve bone health, etc. Trace minerals help in aiding blood clotting, preventing tooth decay, supporting the immune system, etc.
Protein:
They are required by the body for its proper functioning. Proteins are vital for growth of muscles, skin, bones and hair. They also form antibodies and hormones.
Fats:
People have a misconception that fats mean unhealthy. But it is not true at all. To maintain health, a person needs certain fats. monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are healthful fats that are needed by the body. However, saturated and trans fats are the fats that need to be avoided. Some of the benefits of fats include cell growth and blood clotting.
Carbohydrates:
These provide energy for all the cells and tissues in the body through sugars and starches. Simple carbohydrates should be avoided. Some of the health benefits of complex carbohydrates are supporting the functioning of the brain and the immune system.
Water:
Stay hydrated. Staying hydrated is extremely important to cleanse your system and flush out all the toxins. It also prevents constipation and also helps in shock absorption. Now that you know what to eat and how to set a SMART goal, we know you will definitely achieve all your goals. So, take one day and one moment at a time and try to have a healthy and a balanced meal consisting of all the 6 wonder nutrients. We wish all our readers, a great health and a happy and a healthy life!
