How to: Quick Tips For Healthy Eating

One Step at a Time

If you're just beginning to develop a healthier lifestyle, then do it slowly. Your body has been familiar with old ways and if you change drastically, it's likely that you will also give up easily. As the saying goes: Rome wasn't built in a day nor was it torn down in a day. The same applies to eating healthy. Be patient with yourself. It's much better to take calculated consistent steps to reach your goals. More importantly, you have to enjoy it along with the food you are eating otherwise it defeats the purpose.

Eat At Home

Whenever you dine out, you don't have any control over the portions that you simply will have. You might find yourself eating more food than you need to. When I eat out I pre-plan what I will eat by looking at the menu and using the app MyFitnessPal to make sure I'm staying the course. Over time you will know what works and what does not and it will become inherently easier.

Stop Counting the Calories

Do not be obsessed about that. I implore you to look at food in terms of color and freshness and nutrition value. Greens are always good. Colorful fruits are also great for your body. Nutrient-dense food is what your body needs more of. I eat 5-6 cups of vegetables or fruit as a snack if I'm really hungry and I always feel full after. The most important thing is to develop a healthy relationship with food.

Do Not Skip Meals

If your goal is to lose weight, then it's far better to eat small portions of food 5- 6 times each day. be careful to not eat past 6:00 pm since eating food causes your insulin to spike it could affect your sleep. If you skip meals you'll retain the fat in your body. Every time you eat your insulin spikes, so if you don't eat your body becomes more resistant to insulin. This is also the case with overeating. The long term effects can lead to diabetes

Snack Healthy

It's midday and you get hungry, instead of indulging in a cupcake, grab carrot sticks or the pre-prepared mixed veggies you put together or some fruit instead. Some of my favorite snacks are fruits, nuts, raisins, cranberries, whole grain crackers, etc. My all-time personal favorites snack is peanuts because they are packed with protein and are low in sugar.

Enjoy Your Meal

Do not rush the eating process. Take your time and chew your food slowly. You will also enjoy your meals more and your body will digest the food more efficiently. When you're already feeling full, then stop eating. Listen to what your body tells you. Let’s be honest if you don’t enjoy it then it will not last.

Fill that Plate Up With the Right Kind Of Food

What you eat greatly affects your weight loss or weight gain for better or for worse. This is why dietitians encourage people to go for quality over quantity. A good example is you would possibly have eaten only crackers for lunch today but also had an enormous jug of sweetened drinks. Then that sweetened drink becomes the culprit when it comes to your weight gain.

If you had an oversized bowl of fresh salad and water, that is a far better meal on a diet than the crackers with a sweetened drink. It is so much better for the body to take foods that are less in carbohydrates. Taking away bread, pasta, rice, or potatoes and replacing it with vegetables will certainly help crop on fat.

If you're anything like me you like to eat A LOT. My typical breakfast is ten egg whites with two tablespoons of salsa which adds really good flavor and a bowl of steel-cut oats, topped with a cup of mixed berries and almond milk. I've been eating this breakfast every day for seven years. It allows me to get my sugar and savory fix while still eating nutritious healthy food. Think colorful fruits and vegetables. Robust colors mean that food has a much higher density of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

Remember To Drink a Lot of Water

it's common to be confused between thirst with hunger and eat when all they needed was just a glass of water. Drinking water is additionally good for cleansing the body from toxins and helps in having better digestion.

In addition to everything we went over, remember to adopt not just good eating habits but also a healthy lifestyle. This means making an effort to exercise regularly. Be intentional about your mental health, if you are a smoker, then consider quitting, and lastly, drink alcoholic beverages moderately. Cheers to you and your health.

Edward Fay

Phsique Competitior and Entrepreneur