The foods you eat have a direct impact on your health and well being. If you are interested in improving your health, or maintaining a healthy lifestyle, check out the following tips about how nutrition can vastly alter the state of your well being. They are simple and easy points to follow.
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.
One of the most important nutrients that your body needs is water. Drink plenty of water throughout the day. Preferably, use filtered tap water to simultaneously avoid cluttering the environment with bottles but also avoid drinking any chemicals or contaminants that may be found in your local tap water supply.
Be aware of how many nutrients are lost in the processing of your food. A whole-grain wheat bread is a much better choice than a multi-grain processed bread, for example. Even items that seem to be high in good foods, such as a bowl of vegetable soup, are not as healthy as an unprocessed counterpart.
The most important part of most foods you buy in the grocery store, is the label on the back. Taking the time to read the nutritional values on the packages before you buy, helps toinsure that you are making the right choice for yourself and the ones you 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.
Limit the amount of juice and soda that are consumed in your household. While juice does contain some vitamins, it is not a good substitute for eating the whole fruit with the skin. Soda is basically flavored, carbonated water that costs a lot of money. For optimum health you should spend your calories on healthy foods, not on liquid.
Eat a variety of protein throughout the week. Choose lean meats, skinless poultry and fish. You should also eat eggs for a source of protein. Studies show that eating a single egg every day is not likely to adversely impact your health. For one day of each week, why not try skipping meat? Use beans, peas, nuts, seeds or peanut butter in your meals instead.
Ditching a junk food habit is perhaps the most challenging, but ultimately most rewarding bumps along the road to better health. If you eat junk food a lot, then your body has probably developed a craving for it. The craving for junk will not go away instantaneously. It is imperative that you recognize the cravings and keep healthy snacks around to satisfy you so that you do not fall off the healthy-eating wagon.
When considering a diet that provides an adequate nutrition level, be sure that you are shaking your soy milk before drinking it. This important because all of the calcium and nutrients tend to fall to the bottom of the container and may never be consumed fully. Either way, regular cow milk is a much better way to obtain your calcium intake.
Your quality of life will dramatically improve if you can make time to include some of these nutritional tips into your daily routine. Highly nutritious foods do make a difference to your overall health, and the results are virtually immediate. Don’t hesitate, or tell yourself you will start tomorrow. There’s no reason to delay.
