Proper nutrition is one of the most basic building blocks that leads to good overall health. There is so much information out there on the topic of nutrition, however, that sifting through it can be overwhelming. The following tips can help clarify some of the myths about nutrition.
Remember that portions are extremely important. To make sure you are eating the correct portion sizes, fill up your plate with the healthiest foods first and then the least healthy. It also helps to eat the foods on your plate in the same order.
For many people, starting the day with a carb-heavy breakfast sets a vicious cycle in motion, where they get hungry all day. If you are one of those people, help yourself lose weight by having a low-carb, protein-heavy breakfast. If you fix yourself 2-3 scrambled eggs and a quick cup of tea or coffee, and no toast, you will be amazed at how long those eggs will stay with you. You won’t get that 10:30am hunger zap. Similarly, if you drag a bit in the early afternoon, a protein snack, such as a cheese stick, hard-boiled egg, or a few slices of lean deli turkey or ham will give you a centered feeling and keep you from feeling hungry too soon.
Add several hundred milligrams of raw garlic to your daily diet. Garlic is a powerful antioxidant that can reduce the risk of serious illnesses such as cancer. It can also aid in warding off certain types of cancers and has natural anti-fungal properties. Use extracts and cloves of garlic in your meals daily.
When you are attempting to improve your diet, take it slowly. Change isn’t going to happen completely overnight. It is also useful to ease into changes gradually so that you do not become frustrated. Gradually adding in healthy foods over the course of a few weeks will work just as well in the end.
Vegetables contain many healthy antioxidants. If you are looking to get as many of these antioxidants as possible out of your vegetables, steam them or eat them raw. Boiling and microwaving vegetables can account for at least a 66 percent loss of the healthy antioxidants that raw vegetables contain.
If you have bought one of the new special peanut butters with extra omega-3s added in order to improve your nutrition, be aware that you’ve mostly bought a marketing ploy. Though many foods are fortified in a way that makes a real difference nutritionally, the amount of omega-3s added to this special (and expensive) peanut butter is so small that you would have to eat 8 sandwiches’ worth (16 tablespoons) to get as much omega-3 as in a four-ounce serving of salmon.
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.
Bananas are a wonderful, natural energy bar. They contain a great deal of natural sugars to give you an immediate pick me up, but also have potassium for stamina and recovery after a workout. Replace your high sugar, meal replacements bars or energy bars with a banana.
There is still so much to learn about the human body as it pertains to nutrition. The way the body reacts to certain foods and elements still baffles scientists that have been studying nutrition for years. Luckily there are at least a few well-understood facts that can help guide your nutritional choices.
