The Basics Of Healthy Eating
When it comes to leading a healthy lifestyle, your diet forms the foundation of it all. It is something that we all know we need to do; however, it can be difficult to do – especially when you are pressed for time. Something worth noting is that almost most of the deaths brought on as a result of heart disease and strokes can be prevented by changing your eating habits.
By following a healthy diet and active lifestyle, you can improve your cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, maintain healthy body weight and manage your blood sugar.
What Does A Healthy Diet Include?
The principles of a healthy diet include consuming five fruits and vegetables a day to ensure that you get the vitamins and minerals need to keep you healthy and fuller for longer. Whole-grain foods such as brown rice, crackers, oatmeal, bread, and quinoa are rich in protein, fibre, and B vitamins that will keep you feeling fuller for longer.
Protein-rich foods such as red meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, seeds, nuts, legumes, tofu as well as low-fat milk, yoghurts, and cheeses all help to build muscle, bones, skin, and muscles.
Avoid highly processed foods and focus on buying foods in their original form to ensure that they are packed with nutrients. Processed foods often lack the nutrients that the original food had and are often packed with sugar and sodium. While the occasional processed food is okay, we would not advise eating it every day.
Whatever you do, do not forget the importance of staying hydrating and drinking enough water each day – this is usually around two litres. This also means that you are not drinking excessive sugar that offers no nutritional value. Water promotes hydration without unnecessary calories.
Contrary to popular belief, fruit juices are not as healthy as they claim to be, often having tons of sugar and no fibre. When it comes to fruit, rather stick to eating them.
5 Tips For Healthy Eating
- Prepare your meals at home using healthier options wherever possible. Try to keep it interesting and make it fun to eat.
- Create a weekly eating plan to set out what you will be eating each day. Keep it simple and easy to cook.
- Fill half of your plate with fruits and vegetables, ideally the fresh kind and not the processed versions.
- Keep sugary drinks out of your home to reduce the temptations and focus on drinking water. Drinking low-fat milk is also a great choice when it comes to hydration, especially when you want to play right here and need something cool to sip on.
- Instead of eating one big meal, try to eat smaller meals more regularly. This will reduce the temptation of snacking on unhealthy treats during the day.
Our simple rule is to eat foods the way that they were picked or sourced. This means that they are packed with nutrients and have not been processed. The simplest options are often the best, do not try to overcomplicate things.