If you’ve ever had the question of how to be healthy, you might think about eating better. What does that mean though? If you ask people on the keto diet, it might mean going for coconut oil and cheese as opposed to quinoa and sweet potatoes. For someone else, it might mean staying away from things like candy and ice cream. Yet another person may tell you to avoid gluten and dairy.
Lucky for you, we’re here to help you determine what it means to eat healthy and the importance of doing so.
Purge your fridge
Hit up your fridge and pantry and get rid of any foods that aren’t healthy. Instead, start thinking about only getting nutrient dense foods, such as what you’d from a local farmbox, into your kitchen. This is a subscription box filled with fresh produce and other foods from California. If you clear your kitchen of unhealthy foods and replace them with better ones, you have a better chance of eating healthy as opposed to just eating processed foods.
Make a shopping list and be sure to include fruits and veggies. Put enough on the list so that you have enough for a minimum of three days. You don’t want to make a daily trip to the store but you don’t want fresh produce to go bad before you get to use it.
Watch your weight
Being overweight or obese is associated with a variety of health conditions. According to the CDC, this makes weight loss important. If you have a high BMI (body mass index), following a healthy diet, one where you pay close attention to the size of your portions, can assist when it comes to reaching a healthy weight. Another piece of the puzzle is eating mindfully. When you get full, stop eating. Don’t eat too quickly and try not to eat your emotions.
Work on disease prevention
In the US, some of the leading causes of death have to do with chronic diseases, and a lot of these come from unhealthy lifestyles. Excessive use of alcohol, lack of exercise, poor nutrition, and smoking are among the leading causes of these illnesses. These include things like diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. Cutting these bad habits and lifestyle choices could lead to a longer and happier rest of your life.
Focus on mental health
It isn’t just our physical health that can be boosted when we make a healthy diet a priority. Our choices in foods also affect our mental health. A diet that’s rich in minerals and vitamins can lower the risk of mental health disorders, including things like ADHD, depression, and anxiety.
A few ways to eat healthier
The first step to eating healthier is to decide to do so. Then, you need a specific and concrete plan of action. For example, in the morning tomorrow, when it’s time for your breakfast, skip the fast-food drive-thru and have a piece of toast slathered with peanut butter instead.
Bringing your lunch to work or school has a few perks too. First of all, it’s an effective way to save your pennies and use those fruits and veggies we talked about earlier. Second, meals from home are likely to be quite a bit more nutritious. One effortless way to take your lunches is to pack leftovers from the previous night’s dinner.
Filling your plate with things like whole grains, seeds, nuts, legumes, fruits, and veggies can help when it comes to protecting your body from chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease. Try to stay away from fad diets because they tend to be both unsustainable and short-lived. The mission of our body is to keep us alive. We can assist it with that mission by giving it the nutrients that are necessary to keep it healthy so you can feel your best every single day.