There is an awful lot of information out there on how to eat healthy. You need not feel overwhelmed by this plethora of nutrition information, though. Improving your diet does not require a rigid, all-encompassing plan. You can make positive changes in the way you eat just by making use of a few quick, handy tips:
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.
It is important to start good nutrition early on in life. Children will develop their tastes around what you feed them when they are young. For this reason, make sure to offer your child a wide range of tastes and textures, as well as introducing them to whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
Try to substitute healthy alternatives for fatty or sugary foods you enjoy. For example, instead of a bowl of ice cream, you can have some yogurt with fruit. Instead of french fries, try half of a baked potato. You don’t have to cut out all the good tasting food in your life, just make healthier choices about what the tasty things you do eat.
When considering your nutrition intake at a fast food restaurant, what may seem like the lesser of two evils may not always be the healthiest. Chicken often times ends up having more sodium and calories than a burger due to toppings such as ranch and additions such as bacon. If you feel as though you must satisfy a fast food craving, be sure to check the nutrition chart first.
Many people love drinking iced tea, but try drinking green iced tea instead of “regular” iced tea. Green tea has polyphenols, which help protect against cancer, lower cholesterol and have anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Black tea contains polyphenols as well, but far less than green tea. Green tea also has less caffeine than black tea.
Eat broccoli. A mere medium-sized broccoli stalk gives you more than a single day’s worth of vitamin K. Plus, that single stalk has two day’s of vitamin C in it. The tips given will help you live long and healthy. To get the most nutritional bang for your broccoli, don’t boil it or use the microwave. Use the steamer instead.
To lower your risk of heart disease, include plenty of Omega-3 fatty acids in your diet. Omega-3 fatty acids decrease your cholesterol levels and improve cardiovascular functions. One of the best sources of this nutrient is salmon, but it can also be found in flaxseed, walnuts, and tofu. Try eating something with Omega-3 fatty acid several times a week.
A good nutrition tip is to be sure your body is getting enough Vitamin D. Vitamin D is very important because it dictates how much calcium your body absorbs. An easy way to make sure you’re getting enough Vitamin D is by getting a little bit of sun everyday.
In some ways, the whole field of nutrition is simply more complicated than it has to be. More information is good, of course – except when it discourages you from taking action. You can avoid the whole mess by concentrating on simple changes that are easy to employ and deliver great results.
