In order to be healthy, one also needs to have proper nutrition in their life. Learn what foods your body needs. Each person has their own reactions to various vitamins and minerals. You need to understand what works with your body. Here are some tips that others have found helpful. Enjoy your reading!
Oprah Winfrey used the phrase “clean eating” in her book Oprah’s Kitchen. It’s helpful to think of clean eating as a good way to approach food. Simple preparations, lighter salad dressings, using less oils and fats (though still a bit for flavor!), and keeping things as fresh as possible – all these ideas contribute to her way of clean eating. Oprah loved her fried chicken – and presents a clean way of cooking it in her book. The bottom line is, if you have a choice between fancy and heavy vs. simple and fresh, go with the latter and your scale will thank you, no matter what food you’re eating.
If you are traveling to a high-altitude destination, don’t take medication that might mask the effects of altitude sickness. Instead, drink plenty of water to mitigate the symptoms. Masking them might mean you don’t realize the danger until it’s already too late; it’s better to just deal with that headache for a few hours instead.
Don’t eat as much salt. Junk foods generally contain a lot of salt. Once you cut back your salt intake, you’ll notice that a little bit of salt will be a lot stronger than it used to be. Foods that aren’t good for your health are going to become too salty tasting suddenly. You won’t crave them as much.
Organic food is much in the news these days and many of us are paying attention, as we should. Eating organically grown foods maximizes the nutrients we receive. One reason is that the soil on an organic farm is richer in the nutrients we need, which then imparts these nutrients into the food that we eat.
Monitoring the amount of trans fats you consume is paramount for a nutritionally sound diet. Trans fats are very difficult for your body to process and easily lead to heart problems, weight gain and other negative side effects. You can find the amount of trans fats in your food easily by checking the nutrition label.
As people get older, you should try to limit yourselves on the amount of salt you eat every day. These salts are mostly found in processed foods and you may not even realize just how much you are consuming. Try reading the labels of the foods that you see at the grocery store before you buy them.
When people go out to eat, it has become the norm to order an appetizer. Many times, the appetizer has as much calories or more then you should be eating for an entire meal. Instead of ordering something that could be a meal in itself, order your salad to come before your meal.
Try to keep your snacks prepared and in a spot that you can easily get to them. When you buy your snacks, such as fruits and vegetables, cut them up and store them in containers. This will give your snack the convenience of a prepackaged snack. Instead of grabbing for a quick bag of chips, you will already have quick fruits and veggies on hand.
Make a healthy and nutritious dinner with potatoes. Instead of topping with just sour cream, cheese and bacon, try adding lots of fresh and cooked vegetables. Onions, broccoli, tomatoes are all great choices. You can also add black or pinto beans for an added punch of fiber.
You should try new foods and learn new things about nutrition to improve your diet. Introducing new techniques and ingredients into your meal planning can break the monotony and make you look forward to healthy new meals. It is also a way to make healthy eating fun and adventurous rather than boring and obligatory.
Make your own bread. Counter top bread machines are heavily available and easy to find. There is nothing that smells quite as good as fresh baked bread. Nothing tastes quite as good either. You can control the ingredients that go in and make sure that they aren’t filled with preservatives. Homemade bread doesn’t last as long though, so if you can’t eat it in a couple of days, put it in the freezer to keep longer.
Never eat mindlessly while watching the television, reading a book or the newspaper. When you are eating something take the time to savor each bite. It is also good to try to enjoy the smells of the food as well as the preparation. Not only will you appreciate the food and the cook more you will eat less as a result.
Here’s hoping that the suggestions above will be able to help you as you make changes to your diet. Remember, proper nutrition is essential for good health! For that reason alone, it is worth a few moments to educate yourself further, knowing a better quality of life is not out of question. You will be glad you did.
