The Best Healthy Eating Tips
There are so many conflicting healthy Healthy Eating tips floating about that it can be quite overwhelming.
We all know that eating correctly can help you maintain a healthy weight and avoid certain health problems over the long-term, but did you know that your diet can also have a profound effect on your mood and sense of well-being?
Studies have linked eating a typical Western diet, like one filled with processed meats, packaged meals, takeout food, and sugary snacks, with higher rates of depression, stress, bipolar disorder, and anxiety. Eating an unhealthy diet may even play a role in the development of mental health disorders such as ADHD, Alzheimer’s disease, and schizophrenia, or in the increased risk of suicide in young people.
Eating more fresh fruits and vegetables, cooking meals at home, and reducing your intake of sugar and refined carbohydrates, on the other hand, may help to improve your mood and lower your risk of mental health issues. If you have already been diagnosed with mental health problems, eating well can even help to manage your symptoms and regain control of your life.
The best healthy eating habits take time and work, and the best way to do it is to plan it in manageable steps. Make changes gradually so that they can become long-term habits, and then continue to add more healthy choices with time.
If you want to be healthy, it is not about strict diets or trying to be unrealistically thin. Depriving yourself of the foods you love is also not a long-term fix.
Being healthy is about feeling great and having tons of energy.
Here are some simple healthy eating tips to help you to stay on track.
Best Healthy Eating Tips
Baby Steps
Set yourself up for success by planning your healthy diet in small manageable steps.
Try adding a salad each day to start, then cut down on one sweet cool drink a day and drink an extra glass of water for example. As these little changes become habits, then you can start adding more one at a time.
Moderation
The key to any healthy diet is moderation.
Aim to eat only as much food as your body needs. You should feel satisfied after a meal but never stuffed.
Make sure that your diet has a good balance of fat, fiber, vitamins, carbohydrates, and minerals so that you can sustain a healthy body.
Try To Reduce Sugar Intake
The biggest problem in our western world today is the amount of hidden sugars that are added to our foods.
Not only does this create weight problems, but it also causes energy spikes and over time too much sugar intake can result in diabetes, and even depression.
It is not only about cutting down on sweets and desserts, but also things like cereals, processed foods, and frozen dinners. Even low-fat meals have hidden sugars.
Increase Your Fruit and Vegetable Intake
Fruit and vegetables are low in calories and nutrient dense. They are packed with the vitamins and minerals that our bodies need, as well as things like antioxidants and fiber. Try and eat at least five servings a day. This will also help to fill you up so you eat less of the other bad stuff.
Increase Your Fiber Intake
Eating more fiber makes a lot of sense, as it can lower your risk of heart disease, strokes, and diabetes, as well as help you to stay regular. You should be eating between 21 and 38 grams of fiber each day for optimal health.
Make Sure You Eat Healthy Carbs and Whole Grains
Choosing the right carbs helps you to sustain long-lasting energy.
Whole grains are rich in phytochemicals and antioxidants which help to protect against coronary heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.
Add Enough Calcium
Your body needs calcium to build healthy bones and teeth and keep them strong as you age. If you don’t get enough calcium in your diet, your body will take calcium out of your bones to ensure normal cell function. This in the long-term can lead to osteoporosis.
It is recommended that you take 1000 mg per day and 1200 mg per day if you are over fifty. Try to get as much from food as possible and use only low dose calcium supplements to make up any shortfall.
Try to limit foods that deplete your body’s calcium stores like caffeine, alcohol and sugary drinks. Do weight-bearing exercise regularly, especially as you age.
High-Quality Protein
Protein gives us the energy to go and keep going. As we age we definitely need more high-quality protein.
High-quality protein can be found in lean meat, fish, legumes, and chicken.
Eat Healthy Fats
Not all fats are unhealthy. While bad fats can increase our risks for certain diseases, good fats are essential to both emotional and physical health.
Omega 3 fats can reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, improve your moods and help to prevent dementia as we age.
Watch That Salt
Our bodies need less than one gram of salt or sodium a day, and eating too much of it can cause high blood pressure and lead to increased risk of a stroke, kidney disease, heart disease, erectile dysfunction and memory loss.
If you have bipolar disorder, too much salt can only make things worse.
The Food Pyramid
The food pyramid is a great way to check on what you are eating and make sure that you are getting the right amount of nutrients in the correct portions.
For most of us, the food pyramid is turned upside down with the bad carbs sitting at the bottom and the colorful fruits and veggies at the top.
In order to live a long and healthy life, it is essential to base your eating habits on the food pyramid, because what we eat is how we are going to feel and be health-wise.
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Setting Yourself Up For Success
Switching to a healthy diet doesn’t have to be all or nothing.
Remember, you don’t have to be perfect and you don’t have to completely eliminate foods you enjoy, and most importantly, you don’t have to change everything all at once. This will only lead to you wanting to give up on your new healthy eating plan. Keep in mind the following healthy eating tips.
Prepare Your Own Meals
Cooking more meals at home can help you take charge of what you’re eating and better monitor exactly what goes into your food. You’ll eat fewer calories and avoid the chemical additives, added sugar, and unhealthy fats of packaged and takeout foods that can leave you feeling tired, bloated, and irritable, and exacerbate symptoms of depression, stress, and anxiety.
Make Switches Gradually
When cutting back on unhealthy foods in your diet, it’s important to replace them with healthy alternatives. Replacing dangerous trans fats with healthy fats like switching fried chicken for grilled salmon, will make a positive difference to your health.
Simplify Your Diet
Instead of being worried about counting all the calories you eat, rather think of your diet in terms of color, variety, and freshness. Focus on avoiding packaged and processed foods and opting for more fresh ingredients.
Read Those Labels
Be very aware in what is in everything that you eat.
Manufacturers are very clever at hiding large amounts of sugar and unhealthy fats in prepackaged food, even those claiming to be healthy.
How Does Food Make You Feel?
Take a moment to focus on how you feel after you eat. The more healthy the food you eat, the better you will feel after a meal.
If you feel uncomfortable or nauseous or drained of energy, you are probably eating the wrong foods.
Drink More Water
Water helps flush out our systems of waste products and toxins, yet so many of us go through life dehydrated.—causing tiredness, low energy, and headaches. It’s common to mistake thirst for hunger, so staying well hydrated will also help you make healthier food choices.
If you are constantly tired and get a lot of headaches, it could be symptoms of dehydration.—causing tiredness, low energy, and headaches. It’s common to mistake thirst for hunger, so staying well hydrated will also help you make healthier food choices.
Often when you feel hungry, you are actually thirsty, so next time drink a glass of water before you look for a snack. Staying well hydrated will also help you to make better food choices.—causing tiredness, low energy, and headaches. It’s common to mistake thirst for hunger, so staying well hydrated will also help you make healthier food choices.