Proper nutrition is the keystone of a healthy and productive life. When you take in the nutrients your body needs, you provide the raw material for all the processes your body performs on a daily – and nightly – basis. Your nutritional choices have a profound influence on the level of well-being you can achieve.
Chocolate is not your enemy. While candy bars are obviously an unhealthy choice, dark chocolate is a much healthier alternative. Dark chocolate has much less fat and calories than milk chocolate, and consuming a little bit of it can reduce your sweet tooth and has even proven to increase your life span.
Use vegetables in unconventional ways to maximize the amount your children eat. Using vegetables in dishes that normally do not call for them, such as lasagna or homemade pizza, can make mealtime fun for kids because it adds a dose of variety. Eating vegetables will not be so bad if it is in the foods they love.
To keep your diet healthy, you should try to consume many fruits and vegetables each day. The USDA recommended daily allowance of fruits and veggies combined is 9-13 servings a day. That sounds like a lot, but it’s really not difficult to fit them in. Have a glass of real orange juice with your breakfast or put tomato pasta sauce on your spaghetti.
One of the best things you can do to ensure proper nutrition is to include a good multi-vitamin in your daily regimen. A good multi-vitamin should be balanced against your physician’s recommendations for you, not the RDA. These multi-vitamins provide your body with the necessary levels of various minerals and vitamins you might not be getting in your diet.
Make sure you read all labels of items you are eating, or at least try and get an idea of what you are consuming throughout the day. You want to make sure you have a good balance of the essential vitamins you need as well as not to over consume. You want to have balance in your body.
Dark, leafy green vegetables might be the very best foods to select, when you try to add better nutrition to your diet. These vegetables, such as spinach, kale and exotic lettuces, are packed with beneficial vitamins and nutrients, as well as, being completely free of unhealthy ingredients. By incorporating them into a healthy diet, the savvy dieter will get plenty of healthy nutrition.
Make your food more fortified by choosing ones which naturally contain inulin. Inulin can be found in garlic, artichokes and leeks. This will help you improve the functionality of your digestive system. It can also help with the immune system. If you don’t want “garlic breath”, blanch the garlic before you eat it or take a supplement.
Meat is a very important source of protein nutrition. Leans meats can make you feel fuller longer, offer your body a fuel source, and help you reduce weight gain. You should avoid fatty meats or meat that is deep fried. This can actually add more unneeded calories into your diet.
Growing one’s own vegetable garden can be a trustworthy and convenient source of fresh vegatables of the individual’s choice. This garden can be custom grown to personal preference in vegetables and even different types such as the variety of tomatoes that can be grown. A garden can be very rewarding both nutritionally and in other ways.
When you apply the basic principles of nutrition, you maximize the quality of the fuel you feed your body. This is an important step in your overall health and wellness plan. Like using the proper fuel in you car, proper nutrition can optimize the overall performance of your body. Remember, don’t live to eat, instead, eat to live!
