5 practical tips for making your diet healthier
One of the most popular New Year’s resolutions is the promise to improve one’s health or fitness. A key part in becoming fitter is to eat better food.
One study revealed that 93 percent of consumers want to eat healthier, with 63 percent saying they wish they could eat healthy foods most of the time. Some difficulties encountered by people who want to improve their diets include the astronomical costs of good food.
Learn five ways to start eating healthier.
- Always Consult an Expert
Before you begin any drastic change to your diet, it’s wise to speak to a professional. Thanks to the internet, you can consult with online nutritionists on the best diets and strategies to explore.
- Cut Down on Sugar
Health experts and other professionals have long agreed Americans consume an unhealthy amount of it in their diets. According to some, an American eats an average of 22 teaspoons of additional sugar every day. This translates to roughly 350 calories. When buying food, be sure to check the list of ingredients.
Aside from sugar, corn syrup derivatives form a large portion of how sugar can get into your diet unknowingly. Avoid products rich in these substances as they will just dump unnecessary calories into your body.
- A Barter System
It’s highly discouraged to quit all of your eating habits cold turkey. This is because it makes it unlikely that you’d be able to sustain the healthy eating behaviour. It’s much better to ease yourself into a better diet by using a barter system. This means you switch to more nutritious alternatives of the food you consume every day.
If you are fond of eating potato chips, you can substitute healthier kale chips instead. If you like ice cream, frozen yogurt is a perfectly serviceable alternative. This way you ingrain the nutritious food into your habits, making it more likely that you’d stick with them in the long run.
- Add Fresh Food
Canned and processed food have their place in your diet but as much as possible you should try to eat fresh food, especially vegetables and fruit. They are loaded with vitamins and minerals without the unnecessary chemicals and calories so prevalent in manufactured foodstuff.
Unless you can grow a food garden, you will need to buy your fresh food from a store. When buying fresh food, it is essential you cook them within a day or two of your purchase. This prevents them from spoiling while they’re in your refrigerator and ensures you get the most vitamins and nutrients from them.
- Drink More Water
Many of the excess calories you consume in a day does not come from snacks or your main meals. They could be coming from the different drinks you gulp down. The most common sources of extra calories are the sugary drinks like fancy iced coffees. But they can also come from alcoholic beverages and drinks like hot chocolates.
If you want to make your diet healthier, include more water into your daily routine. A glass of water every hour can help flush your systems and keep you satiated. It’s also great for removing waste from your bloodstream. Substituting water for drinks at a meal can also cut down on calories and make you feel more refreshed. You can make your water fancier and tastier by adding sliced cucumbers, lemon twists and flavoured iced cubes.
*This is a collaborative post.
