Proper nutrition is essential for a high quality of life and an overall sense of well being. Many Americans, however, struggle with knowing what foods are healthy to eat, and what foods are best consumed in very small doses, and so levels of obesity and weight-related disorders and diseases continue to rise.
Make healthier decisions slowly and don’t try to rush things. It is difficult, if not impossible, to make drastic changes in a short amount of time. If you try to white-knuckle this change by eating foods you hate, you will fail. Try adding healthier items over a few weeks and eventually you will have developed a healthier habit.
When choosing foods, think about nutrition. Green beans seem nutritious, for example, but broccoli is a knockout in terms of nutrients, so it is better to pick broccoli for dinner. Potatoes are yummy, of course, and quite innocent, when they’re not slathered in butter or cream, but if you want to pack a truly nutritive punch, swap them out for sweet potatoes from time to time. They’re jam-packed with vitamin A and C and fiber. It’s said that sweet potatoes (NOT sweet potato fries, sorry!) are so nutritious, that you could survive on them alone.
To understand nutrition better, read about food groups. This is the basis of a healthy diet. Make sure you eat aliments from all these groups everyday in reasonable quantities. The main food groups are carbohydrates, vegetables, fruits, dairy, oils and meats. Learn how to classify aliments according to their groups.
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.
For better nutrition, eat your favorite fruits and vegetables raw instead of cooked. Raw produce contains many vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that steaming, boiling and frying removes. It is also a good decision to eat the skin of the fruit or vegetable, if possible, as most of the nutrients are near the surface.
A great tip for living a healthier lifestyle is to eat a healthy breakfast. Breakfast is essential because if you start the day off right, you are more likely to continue to eat right throughout the day. Eat a muffin, a couple eggs and some fresh fruit. Avoid foods rich in sugar and calories, such as, pancakes with syrup.
Vitamin K is an advantageous nutrient that you can add to your body on a daily basis. This vitamin is very beneficial in reducing bruises and any imperfections that you may have on the skin. If you suffer from severe acne, vitamin K can help to reduce the redness from your bumps.
You want to set a good example for your child. If you try and tell your kid to eat healthy and not to eat junk food while you’re sitting there eating a bag of chips and drinking a soda, they’re not likely to listen. But if you eat healthy, your child will want to mimic you and eat healthy as well.
If your child doesn’t like to eat vegetables or fruits, try to be creative to get them to eat. Mix some sliced peppers or broccoli into spaghetti sauce. You can cut up some fruits and mix them into your child’s cereal. They’re more likely to eat healthy foods if they’re mixed into foods they already like.
It can be difficult, if not downright impossible, to fully enjoy life on a daily basis if your overall nutrition leaves much to be desired. Improving your nutrition, however, need not take days – by implementing the tips and suggestions listed below, you can begin to feel the benefits virtually overnight!
