Photo credit: National Cancer Institute on Unsplash
“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” -Virginia Woolf
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Being sick is no fun at all, it brings everything to a grinding halt and shifts your focus from everything else to attending to your health. Therefore, it is important to have a healthy eating habit.
Healthy eating is not necessarily about sticking to a strict diet plan or trying so hard to stay thin by depriving yourself of the food you love.
It is about eating the right combination of foods or taking the right food per time in order to feel more energized, while at the same time boosting your health and immune. You tend to get in the right mood when you eat well.
You may be thinking out loud, you make this sound easy!
But, it sure is. More so, if you put your heart and soul into it.
There is no strict pattern that should be followed, just general guidelines that are easy to apply in order to stay fit and healthy.
Eating healthy is is an important aspect of lifestyle choices that need to be made in the interest of our health and general well being.
So,
What is Healthy Eating Habit?
A healthy eating habit is one that puts the overall health needs of a person above personal wants and cravings.
Sometimes we crave healthy foods, but much of the time our cravings turn out to be not so healthy for the body. At some point in life, I would always go to the kitchen to pick out my salt canister for a pinch. It took some effort to stop licking raw salt. A habit that kicked in during the pregnancy of my second child and continued even after she was born.
Awwww... I can picture the look on your face right now. I have since stopped that habit
Depending on the health needs of a person, there may be alterations, however, to have a healthy body you take the following into consideration
1. A healthy eating habit is a must
2. Stress management is very necessary
3. Maintaining healthy body weight is also crucial
Making the Choice for a Healthy diet plan
Choosing to live healthily and eating healthy diets doesn't have to be difficult. You don’t have to become up with a perfect meal plan, neither do you need to change everything you've always done overnight. This may lead to frustration and you may never achieve your health goals.
A better approach would be to make a few adjustments whilst keeping your goals small and achievable.
A healthy eating habit may require making a complete turn around in the kind of food we eat, how we eat them, adding or removing one or two elements in our food like eating less salt and sugar, measuring what quantity to eat, and adding more fruits and veggies on the table.
As these small changes become routine, they add up to a healthier lifestyle achieved on the basis of better choices.
What are the Options Available
Eat a variety of colors: Add a variety of vegetables, especially dark green, red, and orange vegetables to your meals per day. This will translate to a delicious combination of nutrients and flavors to boost mood and immune.
Eat a variety of fruits: Eating more fruits is both healthy and fun. There are a variety of fruits to choose from so you don't feel bored. When presented with a plate full of colors, you will definitely want to eat up and love every bit of it.
Pay closer attention to what you eat: Add more fiber to your food as they lower the risk fora digestive disorder, stroke, and diabetes. It can also increase your chances of losing weight. Eat calcium-rich foods, carbohydrates, and protein-rich food.
Prepare your own meals: Cooking your own meals at home can help you remove the extra unhealthy food additives that are used to make some dishes. This will also allow you to add a balance of the right nutrients from carbohydrates, fats, fiber, and protein to give you the needed nutrients to carry you through the day.
Read your ingredient labels: Knowing what is in a particular food packaging is important. Most packaged foods come with high amounts of sugar or salt which is dangerous for your health. This will help you choose brands with lesser or no salt or sugar added.
Drink plenty of water every day: Water helps cleanse our system by flushing out unnecessary food products and toxins while keeping the body hydrated. Dehydration is not good for the body and could cause tiredness and headaches.
Make the right changes: Making the right changes involves the removal of some items and replacing them with healthier alternatives. Fried chicken and fish can always be replaced with a grilled version. You can also switch trans fats like solid fats for their healthier vegetable oil cousin like olive oil.
Pay attention to how you feel after eating: As you try new food, and add or remove new elements to and from your food, pay attention to how you feel. This will help you pick out food which boosts your mood, and ultimately those that you love. Basically, healthier food makes you feel better. Junk food on the other hand leaves you feeling uncomfortable, bloated, and nauseous.
Read the menu properly before you order: When eating out, make sure to read the men properly to identify the major ingredients in a meal before you place your order. This will you to order only healthy options.
Share your meals with others when you eat out: Most times we never get to prepare a full three-course meal at home. And when we eat out, we may be tempted to eat more than we should so share with a friend will help you check what quantity of food you eat.
Try not to let yourself starve: Most people choose to starve themselves through work in order to meet deadlines, for others it is a subtle way of losing weight. This is not the way to go if healthy eating and is your plan. Carry a pack of cut fruits and veggies or some protein bars to snack on when you are hungry to enhance cognitive function and fill your body with energy.
Find ways to manage stress.
Stress is a major hindrance to healthy living, and if not handled properly takes its a toll on the body. Find ways to manage stress using some exercise activities or it might result in overeating. You can check out our post on managing stress.
Maintaining a healthy body weight
Maintaining a healthy body weight is one of the crucial features of healthy eating and lifestyle. Drink fat-free or low-fat dairy products. To arrive at healthy body weight, you must do the following
Use Smaller Plates: Eating with smaller plates will help with portion control and lesser calories.
Bring out your measuring cups and scale: Measuring the right amount of each food will help in the preparation of meals without going overboard.
Properly package and store leftovers: Package all leftovers in airtight containers and store them in a refrigerator for use later.
Eat your vegetables first: As odd as this may sound, it helps to prep the body, cleanse your digestive tracts and help you get full fast so you end up eating less than you would have.
Choose the right protein: Pick from a range of protein foods like eggs and beans. Birds are better with their skin is taken off, lean meat for beef lovers, unsalted nuts, and products made from soy.
Eliminate all high-calorie drinks like sodas and others with so much sugar. These contain more calories and little to nothing nutrients.
Eat slowly: Eating should not be rushed. Take your time to chew slowly on your food. This allows you to enjoy the food and allows you to tell when you are full and do not need more food.
Do not skip breakfast: Make it a habit to take your breakfast to kickstart your body metabolism. You can eat smaller portions of meals in the course of the day to energize your body.
Avoid late-night meals: Eat your dinner early enough to allow the body time to work on them and break them down. Late meals are never properly digested and end up piling calories in the body.
Disclaimer: This post is solely the opinion of the author and does not substitute expert medical advice seek medical advice on all your health needs.
Great tips for people looking to make healthier choices!
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