- Lil Sweetie
Healthy Eating Habits To Change Your Life
The infamous "D-word" nobody wants to hear! DIET!
I personally hate using the word diet because usually, the word diet has a very negative connotation. Usually "dieting" or restricting yourself from specific foods can lead to weight fluctuation which brings a host of related side effected that can harm your physical health. We all know that eating junk food on a regular basis can lead to increased risk of obesity and chronic diseases so it's important to have healthy eating habits. So restricting yourself can harm you and eating too much junk food can increase the risk of chronic diseases, so what gives?
Forming healthy eating habits will make it easier to eat nutritious foods and enjoy eating. Whether you are trying to lose weight or just eat healthier, having healthy eating habits will nourish your body and help you achieve your goals. The key is portion control, moderation, and planning.
Having a proper nutritional plan doesn't have to be difficult, time-consuming, or overwhelming. It is possible to eat healthy foods, stay on track with your fitness goals, and be happy! Here are a few healthy habits to help you eat to change your life.
Healthy Eating Habits
Eat In Moderation
Moderation will be your key to success. Give yourself the freedom to eat what you want but in healthy amounts. Don't eat until you are stuffed! If you are going to eat a treat, enjoy the experience of eating it but make sure it's in moderation and every once in a while. Don't beat yourself up for eating the treat just make sure it doesn't happen every day.
Out Of Sight Out Of Mind
This is my favorite! Buy less food you might want to eat (for me it's peanut butter, I just don't keep it in my house). Stock your household with healthy foods and avoid any foods that will be hard to resist.
Portion Control
Control your portion size by using smaller plates, and measure out your foods to be as accurate as possible. You can use a small food scale to make sure your portions are accounted for. Remember, no cup is created equally. Meaning a serving size is 1 cup but scooping out just one cup and assuming it's the serving size might not actually add up on the scale. Make sure you measure your foods!
Don't Skip Meals
Skipping meals slows down your metabolism and might make you gain weight. Skipping meals will also cause your blood sugar levels to drop. Don't kill your metabolism, this will only hurt you in the long run.
Drink Water
Water is essential for life and it's required for digestion, absorption, and transportation of nutrients. Water also eliminates waste and regulates body temperature. A healthy amount of water for men to consume is about 2.6 liters and women should have about 2.1 (8-10 cups a day)
Eat Healthy Unprocessed Foods
Avoid pre-packaged foods even if they are convenient. Often times, pre-packaged food contains higher amounts of preservatives, man-made colorings, and other added chemicals. Packaged foods tend to also be higher in fat, sugar, and salt! Try cooking from scratch and freeze extra meals for convenience later on.
Switch To Healthy Whole Grains
Whole grains offer more nutrition than the refined "white" varieties. Whole grains have a lower glycaemic index so they help keep you feeling fuller longer and maintain your energy levels and concentration. I personally like the taste and texture of whole grains over white grains.
Change to Healthy Cooking Methods
What you do to your food changes on how healthy it is for you. Avoid things like deep-frying, boiling vegetables, and using tons of oil to cook. Instead, try grilling, stir-fry, steam veggies, use herbs and spices to flavor, use balsamic vinegar and lemon juice, and make your own sauces!
Write It Down & Plan Ahead
Keep a diary of everything you eat throughout the day. This will give you a better understanding of how much you consume and how healthy it is. We recommend using the app MyFitnessPal!
Here are a few other really easy healthy habits that are easy to try
Eat A Balanced Breakfast
Eat At The Table
Keep A Food Diary
Know Your Healthy Eating-Out Options (look at the menu online)
Wake Up and Drink One Glass Of Water
Skip Soda
Start with one action one day, and try to make it into a habit. A healthy eating lifestyle doesn't need to be a full-on transformation because those hardly ever work. Take small steps to make small achievable changes that will add up to very healthy habits.
