Loading ...Here are just a few basic nutritional guidelines that you can apply today to start eating a healthy balanced diet full of all the vitamins, minerals and nutrients your body needs for optimal wellbeing. If used with a regular program of exercise you can lose fat, increase your energy levels and give you a better sense of wellness.
1. Consume healthy, high-fiber and low-sugar whole foods such as lean protein (lean beef, Turkey, & fish), colorful fruits & vegetables (oranges, apples, raspberries, broccoli peppers, asparagus the list goes on), nuts (almonds, cashews, & walnuts), and whole grains (oatmeal and multi-grain bread)
2.Avoid “processed carbohydrates” (typically , this includes carbohydrates from a bag or a box). Processed carbohydrates usually provide too many calories and too much sugar. Processed carbohydrates rapidly raise and reduce blood sugar levels, resulting in hunger and tiredness.
3. Aim to eat 3 moderate meals and 2-3 small snacks [each ¦ every] day rather than 2-3 large meals. A sample meal plan would consist of breakfast, a small morning snack, lunch, a small afternoon snack, a sensible dinner, and a small evening snack. Smaller, more frequent meals help you utilize all nutrients better, retain more vitamins, and control your blood sugar levels. Controlling your blood sugar is key to avoiding hunger and fatigue
4. Eat low-glycemic carbohydrates instead of processed carbohydrates. Low-glycemic carbohydrates include vegetables, oatmeal, and whole-wheat products, and are digested slower. That means your blood sugar levels won’t crash and you won’t get hungry or tired.
5. Follow the Rainbow Diet. The only rule here is to eat as many different colors of fruits and vegetables as you can. The nutrients in each fruit and vegetable are usually linked to its color as well. You should consume far more than 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Experts propose 2-3 pieces of fruit per day and at least 5 servings of vegetables per day (such as broccoli, peppers, asparagus, etc.). Vegetables and fruits will provide you with innumerable nutrients including fiber, vitamins, minerals, and many phyto-nutrients that simply do not exist in other foods.
6. Avoid drinking your calories – stay away from soda and sugary drinks. Moderate your alcohol intake. Each shot of alcohol, glass of beer or wine is about 150 calories. If you add a mixer to the drink, this can take the amount of calories to between 300-1000 calories per drink. It’s very easy to see how alcohol intake can add up fat gain. Restricting your alcohol and sugary beverage intake will help you drop pounds of fat in a very short time.
7. Green Tea is a very healthy drink. It’s calorie-free, has a number of health benefits, and can replace soda, juice, and coffee to help remove unnecessary liquid calories. A can of soda contains 150 calories and a large soda from a fast-food chain contains over 600 calories. Therefore, avoid sugary beverages because they rapidlyincrease your calorie intake and play havoc with your blood sugar levels.
8. Do the family grocery shopping on your own. Research suggests that adults spend more money at the supermarket when they shop with their children and are more tempted to buy high-calorie foods. On your own you’re likely to just buy the foods on the shopping list. Buy less labels and fewer products containing sugar. This means buy as much whole raw foods as possible, the less refined packaged food you and your family eats the better.
Applying all of these tips or just a handful of them can really make a difference when trying to drop fat or looking to feel better. A good balanced diet is more than just about improving your appearance it is vital to maintain a healthy functioning body and mind helping to prevent illness, slow down aging, stay active, combat stress and perform well. With these sort of benefits isn’t it time you changed your eating habits …your body will thank you for it.