Eating healthy is crucial to maintaining good health. Fortunately, it's
easier than it sounds. Arm yourself with knowledge and you're halfway
there. If you think of eating healthy not as a sacrifice, but more as an
opportunity for self-improvement, you're almost at the finish line. You
don't need someone to tell you the numerous health benefits that
putting away the donuts and hamburgers will get you. You want someone to
show you how it's done. Here's a glimpse.
Part 1 of 3: Choosing a Healthy Diet
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1
Choose the right carbohydrates. Simple carbs, like
sugar and flour, are quickly absorbed by the body's digestive system.
This causes a kind of carb overload, and your body releases huge amounts
of insulin, to combat the overload. Eat these in moderation. Complex
carbs, on the other hand, are slowly digested by the body. They include
whole-grain flour, hearty vegetables, oats, and unprocessed grains, like
brown rice. These foods are usually higher in vitamins and other
nutrients that are beneficial for the body, and they are higher in fiber
(which keeps your digestive system running smoothly).
- Consider eating leafy greens like kale, collard greens, mustard
greens, and Swiss chard. They are packed with nutrients and will fill
you up very quickly. Have a simple sauté with olive oil, garlic, a
little salt and pepper, which will be surprisingly tasty meal as well as
nutritious. .
- Choose wheat (brown) bread instead of white bread and whole wheat
pasta instead of "normal" pasta. Processed carbohydrates, such as those
found in white bread are harder to draw nutrients from, and therefore
constitute empty calories. Plain oatmeal is also very healthy for you.
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2
Eat lean, mean protein. Aim to get between 10% and 35% of your daily calories from protein
]
Protein helps you to build muscle and gives you the lasting energy
throughout the day. Some examples of healthy proteins include:
- Lean fish such as flounder, sole, cod, bass, perch, and halibut.
- Lean poultry such as chicken or duck breast.
- Legumes like beans and soy products (e.g. edamame and tofu).
- Nuts like cashews.
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3
Know the difference between good fat and bad fat. You
need to consume fat for your body, to function correctly. However, it's
important to choose the right kind of fats. Here's a quick primer.
- Monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids are good fats, which
you should try to consume regularly. They help lower the "bad
cholesterol" in your body by raising "good cholesterol". Foods that are
high in fatty acids are olive oil, nuts, fish oil, and various seed
oils. Adding these "good" fats to your weekly diet can lower your
cholesterol and reduce your risk of heart disease.
- Avoid trans fats and saturated fats. Trans fats are form of
unsaturated fat commonly found in processed foods, and consuming them
raises your risk of heart disease. Read the labels of what you eat, and
look for "hydrogenated" anything on the ingredient list.
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4
Stock up on superfoods. So-called superfoods may have
a misleading title, but some truly are cut above. Superfoods may have
the ability to fight heart disease, stave off cancer, lower cholesterol,
and even boost your mood
Here are just few of them:
- Blueberries. Blueberries may facilitate brain health. If you don't have access to blueberries, then try fresh berries, raspberries, or cranberries.
- Algae. It may not sound appetizing, but then again when you read the
list of health benefits you may think again. It is rich in vitamins,
minerals, and amino acids, as well as beneficial in managing natural
flora in the gut.
- Salmon. Another creature of the sea makes the list, and for good
reason. Salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, a good type of fat.
Omega-3 fats are good for blood pressure, brain function, and heart
health.
- Cranberries. These red berries contain Quercetin, a natural
anti-Carcinogen (anti-cancer), are low in sugar and a decent source of
Vitamin C. Vitamin C is essential for bone health and prevents Scurvy.
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5
Watch your salt intake. Although humans need salt in moderation, too much salt can lead to high blood pressure,
osteoporosis, and excessive stomach acid
. Use salt sparingly, and always check labels on food for the "reduced sodium" option, if it's available.
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6
Practice moderation. Don't over-consume any one food
or type of food. Instead, try to vary your diet so that you eat a little
bit of everything in a moderate amount.
- Some people might be great at giving up meat, sugar, alcohol, or
other foods. However, most of us are likely to give it up for awhile,
then break down and binge. Avoid this deprivation-binge cycle by
allowing yourself to have small "cheats". For instance, if you want to
eat less sugar, allow yourself to eat one dessert each Friday night and
abstain for the rest of the week. Having a break to look forward, which
can help you power through the other days.
Part 2 of 3: Making Easy but Healthy Decisions
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1
Drink plenty of water. Staying hydrated with basic H
2O
is an easy and dramatic way, to improve your health and shed pounds,
all the while helping you feel full. Drink water in the mid of meals and
avoid drinking after and before meal, to aid digestion and try to
consume between 2 and 3 liters per day.
- If you feel like snacking, try drinking a full glass of water first.
Some people confuse thirst for hunger, and eat a 400- or 500-calorie
snack when a glass of water would have helped them feel satiated. If
you're still hungry 15 minutes after your drink, then it's time for a
snack.
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2
Avoid soft drinks, juices, sports and energy drinks, as well as other products containing artificial sweeteners.
Giving up sugary drinks is one of the easiest ways, you can instantly
improve your diet and become healthier. A can of coke adds 139 extra
calories to your diet.A glass of grape juice will set you back even more. Try drinking water
only to improve and aid digestion.
A white chocolate creme frappuccino has whopping 500 calories.
While it's okay to treat yourself with these and other drinks every
once in a while, it's not a good idea to make them a regular part of
your diet.
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3
Participate in Meatless Mondays. Meatless Monday is
an international campaign that encourages people to give up eating meat
one day per week. Eating less meat can have several health benefits, as
most people already have enough protein in their diets. In fact, vegetarians and vegans weight less than meat-eaters, and live longer on average
.
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4
Stay away from fast food. As we all know fast food is
bad for our health, yet it continues to remain a weekly staple for too
many people. For one, fast food is often fried, processed, and
excessively salty. Add soft drinks and fries and your meal could easily
burn through half of your suggested caloric intake for the day. To add
insult to injury, much of the fat contained in fast food is trans fat,
the worst kind of fat.
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5
Drink one glass of wine or beer occasionally, but be wary of more.
Adults who drink a glass of wine or beer with their meal report
numerous health benefits, including improved memory function, reduced
bacterial infection, and even boosted estrogen levels
.
Unfortunately, what may be good in small doses can be destructive in
larger doses. Any more than two drinks of alcohol per day is probably
detrimental for your health.
- Red wine, in particular, contains polyphenol, called resveratrol
that scientists believe is particularly heart-healthy. Resveratrol
improves the function of blood vessels in the heart and curbs the amount
of "bad" cholesterol in your body.
- Are you pregnant and worried about drinking? While it's normal for
expectant mothers to abstain from alcohol, scientists say that it's
perfectly harmless to drink one glass of wine a day.
Part 3 of 3: Changing Your Mindset
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1
Adopt a healthy attitude towards food. Take a hard look at your eating habits. Do you eat more when you feel stressed? Do you withhold food from yourself in order to feel like you're in
control? Try to evaluate whether you have an unhealthy emotional
attachment to food. If you do, here are few steps to consider:
- Find a healthier replacement. If you find that you tend to gorge on
unhealthy foods when you're stressed, find a substitute activity — for
instance, you could instead go for a walk, take a long bath, or call a
trusted friend for a chat. Whatever you choose, it should be something
that helps you to decompress, so that you no longer feel the need to
binge.
- See food as sustenance. A lot of Western culture is rife with
messages that food is for entertainment or for relieving boredom. Break
yourself of this cognitive habit by consciously evaluating food in terms
of what it can do to keep your body healthy. Ask yourself if what
you're about to put in your mouth is good for you, and if it will help
your body function as it was designed to.
- Consult a medical professional. Eating disorders are classified as
mental illnesses, and you can't always just talk yourself into stopping
destructive behaviors.
If you suspect that you have an eating disorder (whether it's over- or
under-eating), ask your general practitioner to refer you the
appropriate care.
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2
Determine how many calories your body needs to function each day.
This number can vary widely, depending upon your metabolism and how
physically active you are. As a rule, the more muscle mass you have, the
more calories you need to consume and to function properly. Otherwise,
your body will start breaking down muscle tissue for energy.
- If you're the kind of person who puts on 10 pounds just smelling a
slice of pizza, then your daily caloric intake should stay around 2000
calories for men, and 1500 calories for women. Your body mass also plays
a part in this — more calories are suitable for naturally bigger
people, and fewer calories for smaller people.
- If you're the kind of person who can eat without putting on a pound,
or you're physically active, you may want to increase your daily
caloric intake by 1000-2000 calories, a little less for women.
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3
Don't skip breakfast.
Many people do this because they think they can drop pound, or they
just don't feel hungry in the morning. Although the scientific evidence
is still inconclusive
, there are several reasons why you might not want to skip what many people believe is the "most important meal of the day".
- Eating breakfast gets your metabolism going and keeps it active
throughout the morning. Skipping breakfast may kick off the "starvation
response" in some people. Your brain says "There is no food! It has been
hours! It must be a famine!" The next time you eat, the body stores as
much fat as it possibly can.
- Furthermore, skipping breakfast might leave you famished by lunch, causing you to binge as a way to compensate.
- A small breakfast is better than no breakfast. If you don't feel up
to a full meal, at least drink some water and eat a piece of fruit, a
granola bar, or a piece of toast. Get more nutritious bang for your buck
by eating a breakfast smoothie.
- On the other hand, a technique called "intermittent fasting" has
been shown to contribute more rapid weight loss with possibly other
health benefits. The effect, however, may vary from individual to
individual.
However, it may not be a good idea to skip breakfast at the day of an
important exam, job interview, or other critical event, where you may be
distracted by your hunger or not having enough energy, to perform up to
your potential.
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4
Eat slowly. Have you ever gorged on a huge meal and
felt fine immediately after, but felt like exploding 15 minutes later?
This happens because it takes some time for your stomach to tell your
brain that it's full. Circumvent the problem by consuming your food
slower. That way, by the time you get the message and start feeling
satisfied, you haven't consumed too much extra food.
- Slow yourself down by waiting 5 or 10 minutes between each course. Chew each bite of food 20 to 30 times before swallowing.
- Drink a full glass of water throughout your meal. Stopping for sips will slow your eating, as well as helping you feel fuller.
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5
Eat five times per day. You may consider eating three
meals per day (breakfast, lunch and dinner), with two snacks in
between. Doing this allows you to eat slightly less at your meals,
giving your body a more manageable amount of food to digest, and keeps
your blood sugar steadier throughout the day because you're not going
for six hours at a stretch without eating.
Warnings
- Never go on an EXTREME DIET!!!! You NEVER want to come to the point
where you can't drink any specific liquids or you have to stay away from
things that are actually nutritious for you. If you feel you have more
questions or you think you or a family member/friend might be going
through this, make sure to contact your doctor or talk to people close
to you.
Tips
- Eat before you shop so you can focus on your grocery list without having any unnecessary cravings.
- Try chewing more. This will give your body more time to digest the food and absorb nutrients.
- If you are in school then always eat a healthy breakfast before going to school
- When you think you're craving for unhealthy foods, it may mean your
body needs something with nutrients and vitamins, so eat healthier
alternatives like fruits or vegetables to stop that unhealthy craving.
- Cravings for junk food usually stop after about 2 weeks of eating healthy.
- Carry water with you at all times. Try to drink water in place of
soft drinks and other flavored beverages. A good rule of thumb is to
drink half your body weight in pounces per day.
- Drink water instead of soft drinks or alcohol.
- Non-fat yogurt can make a great snack, and its healthy bacteria can help with various stomach problems.
- Consider eating fruit and vegetable salads instead of fast foods.
- Have patience. You won't see a drastic drop in your cholesterol
level or weight or increase in your energy level immediately. You need
to give the changes in diet some time to kick in. You may start to
notice changes a couple weeks later.
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