Are you loaded with endless work and chores and hardly get any time to focus on yourself? Well,
your health could be suffering. Rushing from task to task, you might find it easier
to opt for fast food or unhealthy snacks, but that’s no excuse to ignore your dietary needs.
It’s not so simple to rule out good nutrition, and we’re here to help! With our list of Healthy
Eating Rules that Work for everyone. Why is eating healthy important? Why should we avoid processed
foods? With all these questions, where do you even start? Let’s explore all of this and MORE…
(Pause) You may think having one heavy-loaded burger
isn’t a big deal. The problem here is not the burger itself but the inevitable urge to return
to burgers repeatedly as a nutritious meal. Because eating unhealthy foods can create
cravings, it becomes pretty challenging to unchain ourselves from eating junk food.
Foods like pizzas and burgers contain high amounts of fat, sugars, and salts.
Consistently gorging on them can lead to major health problems like cardiovascular diseases,
type 2 diabetes, strokes, obesity, and cancer. Let's look at tackling these unhealthy diets with
nutritional habits instead. (Pause)
It all starts with breakfast Yes, you've heard it many times before;
breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But why?
Breakfast is crucial because it replenishes your body's glucose levels, boosts your energy levels,
helps you concentrate better, and, most importantly, regulates your weight.
Those who eat breakfast regularly are less likely to develop obesity.
Suppose you skipped breakfast; by your next meal, your hunger reaches its peak,
and you end up overindulging yourself. Eating breakfast won't crave as much as
you would if you skipped a meal, helping you eat adequate portions later in the day. Because having
breakfast regulates your glucose levels, you can control your appetite and prevent hunger pangs.
The body’s nutrient intake is met by breakfast because it's a rich source of essential vitamins,
minerals, fiber, and other nutrients. Kickstart your day with eggs, Greek yogurt,
oatmeal, berries, and whole wheat toast, as they are rich in proteins, fiber,
and vitamins. (Pause)
Also, make time for proper meals. Are you busy running errands or in meetings
all day and having no time for a proper meal? Well, your best bet is to take small breaks for
snacking. Fetching an adequate meal may take quite a while, so here's a solution to your problem.
Start carrying pre-packed meals from home and whenever you get time, grab a bite.
You can prepare fresh fruits or sandwiches from whole grain bread with non-processed
meats. You can even pack a soup, whole grain crackers, or salad with low-fat dressing.
Try to stock your desk with loads of snacks. But we're not talking about chips and biscuits. Opt
for pine nuts, flax seeds, and almonds. (Pause)
But remember to limit eating out Cooking your meals at home can
drastically improve your diet because you are the one in control of what goes into your food!
Fast food usually contains an unhealthy amount of unhealthy fat, sodium, and calories.
These foods are low in nutrition and can cause many health issues like high blood pressure,
risk of heart disease, and digestive problems. Also, eating at home allows you to control your
portions to avoid excess calorie intake. Remember that your meals should contain
appropriate amounts of fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals. And load up on those veggies!
Broccoli, green beans, Brussel sprouts, Swiss chard, and other leafy greens are excellent
sources of vitamins and minerals. (Pause)
Avoiding processed foods is good practice Chemically processed food items containing
refined ingredients and artificial substances with little or no nutritional value are best to avoid.
These include frozen meals, breakfast cereals, chips, instant noodles, and meats
like sausages, nuggets, and processed ham. Why are processed foods unhealthy? It’s
because they contain an exceptionally high amount of calories, sugar, and salt and are
pretty low in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Studies have shown that about 100 million
people across America are obese, that’s roughly 70% of the US. And the cause may
very well be because of processed foods. Did you know almost all chronic diseases
result from eating processed food? That's according to what a comprehensive research
review of roughly 170 researchers had to say. It imbalances your digestive system, pushes
you to the verge of developing heart disease and type 2 diabetes and reduces your lifespan.
It may seem tempting to grab a packed snack whenever you are in a hurry. But by stocking
your kitchen with healthy quick snacks, you’re less likely to spend your money on junk foods.
Go slow with your dietary changes and let your body adapt to the new regime by gradually adding
healthy snacks to your diet. You’ll slowly start noticing you are not craving unhealthy sweets
often and will stick to your fresh snacks instead. Make fresh fruit skewers dipped in greek yogurt or
chia pudding with coconut and pine nuts. Think of even including high-fiber cereals or granola
with chopped fruits. If that takes too much preparation time, try a bag of mixed granola
with dried berries and dark chocolate or whole grain pita with red peppers and a low-fat dip.
Now, some of you might be thinking about ditching carbs.
But not all carbohydrates are bad. Don’t let this myth keep you away from them. Carbohydrates form
a crucial component of any diet and are the primary sources for deriving energy.
Your body needs a proper amount of carbohydrates to function. A deficient carb diet will only keep
you devoid of essential micronutrients, which robs the body of maintaining a healthy balance.
It's always good practice to remember to eat in moderation.
Carbs should constitute 40-60% of your meal. Choose your food options wisely. Make healthy
choices and switch to whole-grain foods as they contain more nutrients and fiber.
Good sources of carbohydrates include black beans, chickpeas, lentils, apples,
brown rice, whole wheat pasta, and vegetables like corn and potatoes.
(Pause) It’s also important to keep yourself hydrated
Keeping yourself hydrated is critical in maintaining good health.
An average adult needs 3 to 4 liters of water every day. Water facilitates the absorption of
nutrients by the body, making a diet effective. Water also aids digestion, lubricating the joints,
supporting the nervous system, regulating body temperature, and delivering oxygen to each cell.
A study conducted on a small group indicates that adequate drinking water may also help fill you up,
especially before a meal which could help with weight loss.
Drinking water is fantastic but also remember to… (Pause)
Stop obsessing over calories! Do you constantly monitor
your calorie intake and get stressed when eating more calories than your limit? Well,
it's time for you to change your perspective. Let's consider this, while snacking, person A
eats 100 calories of cookies and chocolate bars, while person B eats 100 calories of fruits and
vegetables. Who do you think would be better off? Some of you may say that it hardly matters
since they consume the same amount of calories. But this is not the case.
The person eating fruits and vegetables would be better off without any doubt. Why? Because the
composition of your food matters more than calorie intake, you are consuming loads of
vitamins and minerals. Whereas person A would be eating empty calories with no substantial gains.
So whether you consume 100 or 200 calories, it all narrows down to what you eat and not
how much you eat. (Pause)
With that being said, avoid starving yourself People often think eating less or starving
will help them lose weight. But that is not at all true.
Depriving yourself of food will only make the body feel empty and aggravate cravings. And you
will end up eating more than your body requires at your next meal. So rather than shunning food,
try maintaining a balance of regular exercise and a healthy diet if you want to lose weight.
And when planning a healthy diet, remember to…
Go grocery shopping with a plan. Even if grocery shopping seems to
be the last on your to-do list, what you buy is important. Focus on buying healthy
foods and avoid aisles that contain junk food. Take your time and read nutritional fact labels,
companies may advertise some products as healthy, but their nutrition labels might prove otherwise.
That being said, taking your time at the grocery store is important because it allows you time
to explore the produce section, allowing you to pick products that are in season.
And remember never to go grocery shopping on an empty stomach! It’ll only make you
crave more unhealthy foods and can lead to over-purchasing junk foods.
Eating healthy shouldn’t be that complicated. As long as you adapt
good and healthy habits into your daily routine, you’ll be able to maintain a happy
and healthy mind and body. Interested in learning more about healthy eating?
Watch 20 Effortless Healthy Food Swaps To Cut Thousands Of Calories
Or 22 Foods You Can Binge On Without Worrying About Weight Gain.
Go ahead, click one. Or better yet, watch both, and learn more about staying
fit and healthy. What healthy rules do you follow? Let us know in the comments below!