In our modern society, it’s actually harder than ever to get healthy and also stay in good health. Labels can be extremely misleading, distractions abound, and there’s also a lot of misinformation out there about how to become healthy.
That’s why we’re here to set the record straight. Getting healthy doesn’t have to be a chore and it doesn’t have to be something that you dread doing.
Instead, when you get and stay healthy, you’ll feel better, think smarter, and live a high-quality life. Are you interested in learning more? If so, then continue reading and we’ll walk you through everything you need to know.
1. Fill up Your Plate With Plenty of Non-Starchy Vegetables
We can loosely classify vegetables as starchy and non-starchy. Starchy veggies tend to have more calories and carbohydrates than their non-starchy relatives.
Examples of starchy vegetables include navy beans, corn, and potatoes. Non-starchy vegetables, on the other hand, are made up of cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, as well as kale and other dark leafy greens.
Filling up a significant portion of your plate with these non-starchy vegetables is a simple and effective way to make your diet healthier. These vegetables are low in calories but they’re also rich in water, fiber, and important nutrients.
When you use non-starchy vegetables to replace some of the meat and starch that you normally eat, you can eat similar amounts of food but take in lower calories.
Going by this simple method can save you from fussing over calories and serving sizes.
2. Eat From a Smaller Bowl or Plate
A lot of people don’t know this but the size of your plate can affect how much food you end up eating. When you eat from a large plate, you’re more likely to eat more food. This is because you’re unconsciously assuming that a full plate is equivalent to one serving size and so you’ll take larger portions of food.
Instead, use smaller bowls and plates. You’ll trick your mind into feeling fuller when you finish off a plate even though you ate less than normal.
3. Switch Out Refined Carbs for Unprocessed, Whole Carbs
Refined carbohydrates are commonly referred to as empty carbs or simple carbs. These foods are extremely processed and they’re stripped of practically all of their fiber and nutrients. This means that they add extra calories to your diet but you won’t get any real nutritional benefit from them.
White rice, white bread, and white flour are all examples of refined carbs. Eating a diet with a lot of refined carbs can lead to an increase in one’s risk of chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
By choosing whole, unrefined carbs such as brown rice and wheat flour, you’ll be able to eat foods that you normally eat but with the added benefits of minerals, vitamins, fiber, and other nutrients.
4. Add Some Fruit to Your Morning Oats
Introducing fruit to your morning oats is a great way to add some flavor and color to a typically mundane breakfast. Fruits are full of minerals and vitamins that are necessary for good health. They also contain plenty of water and fiber and help you stay feeling fuller for longer.
Fruits are also a great source of polyphenols. These are compounds that contribute to the benefits of veggies and fruits.
Polyphenols act as antioxidants in our bodies and they can help us fight inflammation. Also, polyphenols even have the ability to reduce our risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic illnesses.
5. Eat a Lot of Fatty Fish
Fatty fish such as salmon and sardines make up some of the most nutrient-rich foods in the world. These little guys are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids. These are a kind of essential fat that are abundant in fatty fish.
However, even though they’re so important, most people in Western society don’t get enough of them.
When you consistently eat a lot of omega-3 fatty acids, you can lower your risk of suffering from chronic inflammation and also lower your chances of getting heart disease. And because our brains are mostly made of fat, eating fatty fish is a great way to strengthen mental health.
Fatty fish are also rich in B vitamins. B vitamins help maintain healthy nerve and brain function, repair DNA, and can help your body make more energy.
You should strive to eat at least three servings of fatty fish every week.
Some people try to limit their fish intake due to reports that fish contain high levels of mercury. However, you can avoid this concern by eating smaller fish. Sardines and herring are great examples of this.
You should only eat fish like tuna sparingly because they contain some of the highest levels of mercury. Remember, in the ocean, the big fish eat the little fish. Tuna is one of the biggest fish that people eat.
So when you eat tuna, you’re not only eating the mercury that the tuna consumed. You’re also eating the mercury that the tuna’s prey consumed, and this food chain can go down several lines of fish.
6. Take Certain Supplements
The ideal way to meet all of your nutritional needs is to eat whole foods. Whole foods contain a plethora of nutrients that have synergy together. This helps them provide all of their nutritional benefits to the body.
With that said, many people simply can’t meet their daily nutritional needs through food alone. This could be because of budgetary issues, problems with taste, or dietary restrictions.
This is why supplements can be extremely helpful for many people. They provide you with the necessary amount of nutrients you need in a small and convenient package.
Two especially popular supplements are fish oil and soluble fiber.
Fish oil supplements give you an excellent dose of omega-3 fatty acids, just like fatty fish. As we already mentioned, a consistently high intake of healthy fats can help to improve your mental health, reduce chronic inflammation, and lower your risk of heart disease.
Soluble fiber supplements, such as glucomannan, can help lower your blood cholesterol, keep you feeling fuller for longer, reduce your blood sugar levels, and keep you regular.
An easy and convenient way to get supplements is by buying them online. However, you can’t trust every supplement ad that you see on the internet. Because of that, you must use these tips to find only the highest quality supplements.
7. Practice Mindful Eating
Mindful eating is a useful way to help make sure that you eat healthier and with minimal effort. It’s based on the idea of mindfulness and helps you pay attention to the foods that you’re eating, how fast you’re eating those foods, and why you’re eating them.
Mindful eating can even help you lose weight because it can stop you from overeating.
Below are some tips that can help you become a more mindful eater:
- chew thoroughly
- eat your food slowly
- put your phone away and turn off the television
- focus on how you feel when you’re eating
- pay attention to the many flavors
Mindful eating forces you to slow down and focus on the task at hand. When you do this, you won’t shovel food into your mouth until you’re stuffed.
Remember, it can take up to twenty minutes for you to feel full after eating. That means if you’re not mindful of your eating habits, you could end up with a twenty-minute window where you’re still eating even though you’re completely satiated.
8. Go on a Walk During Your Breaks
Many people’s lives are so busy that they have no time to get any exercise into their days. This is especially true for people who spend all day at an office. Despite that, it’s important to get in regular exercise.
In fact, a lack of exercise can lead to a decline in both physical and mental health. So how can you work some physical activity into your day when you spend most of your time sitting at a desk?
Try to find little moments where you can stay active. For example, if you get an hour lunch break, then spend thirty minutes of that break walking around the block. It’s also important to spend time outside, so this is a great way to increase your vitamin D intake too.
Taking thirty-minute walking breaks can improve your enthusiasm and also reduce anxiety.
Using These Tips to Stay in Good Health
Being healthy means different things to different people. But for most people, they simply want to stay in good health, maintain a healthy weight, and feel good about their bodies. By following the tips above, you can accomplish all of that and more.
Are you looking for other helpful articles? Then check out the rest of my blog today for more!
