Keeping yourself healthy and in good shape is more important than ever, and it all starts with a healthy, nutritious diet. If you’re worried that you are not eating as healthy a diet as you could be, this article is for you. Here you’ll find lots of great ways to eat better.
If you can make one change to improve your nutrition, it should be to reduce or eliminate sugars. Much has been made of low-glycemic index foods, and indeed there is a strong basis to show that lowering sugars can guard against health problems such as diabetes, as well as lowering one’s appetite for sugary foods, which can contribute to weight loss.
Suppose you are deciding whether to eat meat or not. There are two types of considerations. One is whether meat is “clean” food. Is it raised on a “factory farm” under toxic conditions? Is it loaded with hormones, nitrites and nitrates? If so, it is not a healthy food. The other consideration is ethical; this is a more complicated and individual decision.
If you need to lower LDL cholesterol that’s the unhealthy kind you might consider increasing your intake of something that’s not usually known for healthy living: Beer. Studies have recently shown this benefit from beer also increases the good kind of cholesterol, HDL. Those with problems with alcohol shouldn’t take this approach, and moderation is always in order for everyone.
If your child doesn’t like to eat vegetables or fruits, try to be creative to get them to eat. Mix some sliced peppers or broccoli into spaghetti sauce. You can cut up some fruits and mix them into your child’s cereal. They’re more likely to eat healthy foods if they’re mixed into foods they already like.
A great nutrition tip is to overcome emotional eating. A lot of people tend to eat food as a way of coping with stress. This is known as emotional eating it can lead to obesity and low self-esteem. By overcoming emotional eating, you’ll be much healthier and in a better place.
A great nutrition tip is to shop around the outer section of the grocery store. The healthiest foods tend to be on the perimeter which include the meat section, produce and dairy foods. The unhealthy foods are usually in the central aisles, such as candy, cookies and other junk food.
When preparing meals for yourself, it is a good idea to add some cayenne or other spicy peppers to your meal. It has been proven that eating spicy food can make you feel full in a shorter amount of time than mild food and so you will end up eating less.
Tape your goal to your bath room mirror, to your refrigerator, your computer monitor, and even your television remote. Whenever you look in the mirror, you will be reminded of how you are bettering your life. When you go to open the refrigerator, it will remind you that you need to eat healthy.
A great nutrition tip if you’re pregnant is to make sure you’re getting enough iron. Iron is crucial for helping blood carry oxygen throughout the body. You need iron as well as your baby. A good way to get iron is by taking a supplement or you can get it from eating meats.
If you find it hard to make nutritious meals because of the time it takes to make them at the end of a long day, try taking one day a week, to cook and prepare lots of dishes that can be stored in the freezer. Then each night, you only need to take one out and heat it up to have a healthy, homemade meal.
To maintain optimum nutrition in your diet it is important to get a wide variety of colors on your plate. The different colors really are different nutrients your body needs. Try to get at least three different colors into every meal. Try greens like kale, grapes, and cucumbers; reds like tomatoes, strawberries, and chilis; oranges like sweet potatoes, fall squashes, and carrots; light colors like cauliflower, potatoes, turnips, and whole grains; as well as other bright colors you see in blueberries, mangoes, avocados, peppers, and pineapple. Eating a diversity of colors will keep your nutrition balanced.
Use stevia as your sweetener. Stevia is a plant that is naturally sweet. You can buy it in bulk, or in little packets to take with your for your coffee and iced tea. It is not a chemical like artificial sweeteners but it does not contain any calories like honey and sugar.
You need to allow yourself to eat anything you want one or two days a month. This both keeps you from going crazy, and it also gives you the chance to have a fun social life. In the case of your aunt’s birthday party, you will need to celebrate by having some birthday cake and wine.
When you are really craving something salty, many types of nuts have very high nutritional value, but you have to keep in mind that they also have very high calories. If you take a few pistachios or walnuts and put them on a plate with some low-calorie cheese you will have a great satisfying snack.
Eat fruits and vegetables in season and purchase from a local farmer’s market if possible. Fresh local produce has more vitamins and minerals than produce shipped from another state or out of the country. Organic foods, which are healthier for you and environment, are usually easier to find at farmer’s markets as well.
To smooth out your nutritional intake, make sure you take a multivitamin appropriate to your gender and age. It’s no substitute for eating real foods with the nutrients you crave, but if your diet is deficient in one area, a multivitamin will lessen the chances of cravings for certain foods. Multivitamins are not a crutch, but they can actually serve as a layer of appetite control.
As you’ve seen, eating a more nutritious diet doesn’t have to take a lot of work, and it doesn’t mean you have to give up the foods you love. There are lots of easy ways to eat a more nutritious diet while still enjoying delicious meals. Just remember the advice from this article, and soon you’ll feel better than ever! [email protected]
