By : Evelyn Kail
There are a plethora of tips out there to help individuals develop healthy eating habits. However, many still struggle with finding a diet that suits them and their lifestyle. Whether from not knowing what information to believe or unaware of knowing where to find nutrition guides—many remain confused.
Today, we are hoping to clear up some of the confusion and deliver tips that will help individuals develop healthy diets and live healthier lives! So many misconceptions exist about what incorporates a healthy diet and the exact portions of fruits, vegetables, meats, and carbohydrates individuals should consume. In addition to eating healthy, it is important to work out regularly. If you don’t have time to hit the gym, you can workout at home using fitness devices like rowing machines and treadmills.
While we won’t dive into the endless abyss debate between carnivores, vegans, and vegetarians (HINT: They all make decent points) we will make sure to present advice that is extremely useful for everyone.
Avoid Added Sugar
Added sugar is simply terrible for you; unfortunately, there is no other way around it. This isn’t including naturally occurring sugar that are found in fruits and other natural produce—but those famously found in candy, soda, and the sugar we directly add to beverages. While delicious and sweet, added sugar leads to a number of health risks.
Eliminating or drastically reducing your intake of added sugar will definitely improve your health and even make your body feel more energized during your day to day activities. Of note, this is in no way an indictment on natural sugars, it’s nearly impossible to eat large enough amounts of fructose through natural sugars to do damage to your body.
Yet, through added sugar; especially soda, it’s easy for individuals to consume harmful amounts of sugars which could lead to adverse effects. These include less vitality and higher risks of contracting a number of diseases.
Eat Fruits & Vegetables
While cliché consuming at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day is a key ingredient in developing a healthy diet. Consuming these essential foods in smoothies or in their natural state all provide health benefits.
Try to limit adding any sweetened juices to smoothies as they contain a large amount of added sugar which is detrimental to your diet. Increasing the number of fruits and vegetables in your diet is one of the best ways to improve your overall diet and health.
There is no doubting the health benefits of consuming large amounts of fruits and vegetables daily, yes some are better than others (it’s wise to watch how many servings of bananas you eat daily), although the health benefits greatly outweigh these concerns.
Cut Down On The Fat
Eating less fat is an important way to have a nutritious diet. While there is debate within the fitness community concerning the relationship between fat and carbohydrates, the argument over carbohydrates burning faster than fat has been settled. Also, diets containing high amounts of fat can lead to a number of increased health risks.
This does not mean individuals have to give up meat in order to be healthy, yet it would be wise to incorporate baked chicken and turkey in the place of fried meats which contain much worse rates of protein to fat.
There are healthy fats; this warning mostly pertains to saturated fats not foods like avocados, extra virgin olive oil, and others. Basically, monounsaturated fats are your friend and can add benefits to your diet.
Move Towards Whole Grain
Whole grains such as: oatmeal, quinoa, buckwheat, brown rice, wild rice, and products listed as “whole wheat” are far healthier than the simple carbohydrates found in white rice. With moderate exercise and proper servings of grain your body will be able to maintain a healthy weight.
Even if you are not a member of the fitness community moving towards whole grains will provide nutritional benefits and make sure your body stays healthy for longer periods of time.
Drink More Water
Replace energy drinks, sodas, and juices containing high amounts of sugar with water. You will find your vitality will naturally rise and your body will feel less sluggish throughout the day, water is essentially life and increasing the amount you drink daily will improve your nutrition almost more than any other act.
So put that canned soda down and give water a chance!
Get Your Protein From Lean Sources
As mentioned early baked chicken and turkey are lean sources of meat packed with protein. Individuals can also find protein in peas, nuts, seeds, and other natural sources that have low fat content.
While ground beef is typically a culprit of high-fat content, choosing lean ground beef (being 90% or more lean) is a great choice if you decide to keep beef in your diet. Of course this means you may have to completely eliminate fast food from your diet, due to the high-fat content of most of their selection.
