Eating healthy is about more than just losing weight. Good nutrition does a lot for your overall health and sticking to a healthy diet does not have to be difficult. Here are some helpful tips that might be able to help you to eat a little healthier and plan your meals accordingly.
Vitamin C is an important part of a healthy diet. It is an effective antioxidant. It also helps forms the collagen which is needed for healthy blood vessels and gums, wound healing, and development of teeth and bones. Vitamin C has been found to decrease the risk of cancer, cataracts, heart disease and other diseases.
One of the best things you can do to ensure proper nutrition is to include a good multi-vitamin in your daily regimen. A good multi-vitamin should be balanced against your physician’s recommendations for you, not the RDA. These multi-vitamins provide your body with the necessary levels of various minerals and vitamins you might not be getting in your diet.
Everyone should have their vitamin D level checked at least once a year. If they are deficient their doctor can recommend a supplement to increase their level. Even though vitamin D is supplemented in milk, many people do not drink enough to get the amount they need. The other main source of vitamin D is from sunlight. Since people in northern countries have less sun exposure during the year they are especially prone to deficiency. Widespread sunscreen use has contributed to low levels of vitamin D also.
Learn different ways to cook some of your favorite foods in a healthier manner. You may love the taste of deep fried chicken or fries, but your body doesn’t. There are always alternatives in cooking methods for foods to still provide you the taste you love without all the calories. Try baking, roasting, steaming, and broiling as alternatives to frying.
A great way to keep your tired eyes looking fresh and well rested is by applying potato slices. Take a raw potato and slice off two pieces. Apply a slice to each closed eye and leave for about fifteen minutes. The Vitamin B in potatoes helps reduce inflammation on tired and puffy eyes.
While high-protein meats and poultry can be part of a healthy diet, many nutritionists suggest including at least one meat-free meal into your weekly diet. Instead of meat, add in additional servings of low sodium cooked beans, soy products, or a variety of unsalted nuts like pecans, peanuts, and walnuts.
Fortify your food choices with a naturally found nutrient called inulin. Inulin can be found in garlic, artichokes and leeks. It is a powerful carbohydrate and not only will it help you shed pounds, it can help prevent digestive problems. Garlic is an excellent immune booster as well. Try blanching garlic to reduce odor if you are worried about garlic breath or opt to take a odorless garlic supplement.
If you avoid beef because you think it’s unhealthy, try grass-fed beef as a healthier alternative. The fats it does have, are the more healthy kind and it’s higher in certain vitamins, like E and A. Many people also think it tastes better than grain-fed beef, which is the more common kind.
Milkshakes are unhealthy. You should avoid eating them, even if they are small. Milkshakes can be very high in fat, having around 30 grams of fat. If you really enjoy milkshakes, try a substitute. You can try making a smoothie or making a homemade milkshake. If you make the homemade milkshake, be sure to use low-fat items, such as yogurt and skim milk.
When you are looking for a meal that is easy to make and still gives you a lot of nutrition, try a baked potato. They offer a lot of fiber, and if you leave off the sour cream and butter, you will have a lower calorie meal with less fat.
If you do this, you’ll never be at a loss for a healthy recipe, which means you won’t choose something unhealthy in a moment of confusion. You will have a variety of meal ideas ready at a moment’s notice, so boredom is not a problem.
Be careful with fruit if you’re trying to stick to a healthy diet. Fruits are healthier alternatives than many other foods, but fruits can be high in sugar and calories if you eat too many of them. Fruit juice can be especially bad because of its sugar levels, particularly those made with high fructose corn syrup.
Avoid making the mistake of depending upon dietary supplements to supply the bulk of your nutrition needs. These supplements are just that, supplements to an already healthy diet. A single, high quality multivitamin consumed daily along with a truly balanced and healthful diet should produce optimum results.
Make wise whole grain decisions. You can not tell if something is whole grain just by looking at its color. The package may say wheat or multi-grain. That’s still no guarantee of pure whole grain. This is why you should carefully read the nutrition information on the package.
Try to eat more lean meat. To build muscles, your body needs a quality source of protein, such as meat. Whether it comes from poultry, beef or pork, it is important to get plenty of protein. A target of 10 ounces of meat is great daily goal.
Plan your consumption of fruit. Fruit is quite beneficial in a diet but if you want to control your insulin levels better, only eat it after doing physical exercise. It may be fine for some people to eat it for breakfast but if you feel as if you are having trouble with your insulin levels, only consume after physical exertion.
Now you see that eating healthy does not have to be hard. Eating healthy foods has many rewards. Not only will it help you stay in shape, but it can also help you discover brand new food combinations that you didn’t know were out there. So, ditch the fast food and try out some healthier options. It’s a decision you will not soon regret.
