Let’s imagine you are choosing between a juicy, delicious Granny Smith and a freshly baked donut with crunchy chocolate – what would you choose?
I think I already know the answer.
That’s why I want you to ask yourself what makes you choose donuts and not apples.
The very thought of eating chocolate might be a trigger. Or the smell. Perhaps you simply love sweets. Whatever the reason may be, if you are always choosing sweet snacks over healthy ones, you need to learn more about healthy eating. It does not mean you should stop enjoying donuts from time to time. It means you need to understand the meaning of these two words – moderation and health.
So, if I told you that everything you eat has a direct impact on your brain’s functionality, health and strength, would you think twice before you reach for a candy? Perhaps. But you might change your mind after you watch this video:
Luckily, we can now understand how food affects our brain in less than 5 minutes.
To make a quick conclusion: certain food can help us relax, fall asleep, have more strength and energy, be alert and have concentration. So, it seems that the food we eat greatly impacts both our body and mind.
Thus, everything we eat or drink has an important role for the overall wellbeing.
It has roots in how we live, and it is shaping our way of life. Nutrition depends on our day to day activities. It’s influenced by our culture, traditions and society. The eating habits are created based on our personal decisions we make every day.
So how do we become masters of our eating habits?
Where do we start? And how?
I have been writing, researching and learning about nutrition and healthy lifestyle for almost 10 years, and I believe these simple 3 rules is all we need to understand how to eat and live in a healthy way.
Your health is priority, forget fast food
It’s easy to make excuses. It’s even easier to neglect your health.
But every step you take to understand how food affects your health is a step closer to a better life.
Many studies have shown that eating fast food can significantly affect your overall health.
more: How To Keep A Food Diary
Moreover, it can change your eating habits, and doing so can pose a great threat to your health. Why? Because “fast food nutrition” increases the risk of obesity, overeating, and overweight.
Furthermore, fast food restaurants can use certain compounds to make food look fresh, such as the compounds that can imitate the smell of apples, or produce different “natural” flavors.
But the problem is bigger:
Addiction from drugs or obesity is based on same neurobiological mechanism. That is why we greatly desire unhealthy food and we find difficulties when we try to resist it”, says one of scientist from Screeps Institute.
Always keep in mind:
- Fast food meals offer no qualitative ingredients.
- Essential nutrients are lost during preparations
- All you can get from fast food is more calories.
Prepare your own meals
It’s high time you discovered the magic and benefits of home cooked meals.
Why should you spend more time preparing meals?
Home cooking will not only get your body in a good shape, but rather help you develop healthy eating habits.
The only thing you need to understand is that you don’t have to be a chef, or to go to a cooking classes, to prepare simple and delicious dishes.
How to do it like a pro?
Freezing does not change the taste or the structure of the food. Choose fresh ingredients for your meals and use packing materials that are waterproof, steam proof and practical. First cool the food and then pack. It is as simple as that.
2. Choose food that you can easily warm up
Choose ingredients that can be held in the fridge or pantry.
Certain food can lose nutritive values when heated on high temperatures. Some food releases toxic compounds when heated up, like spinach. The structure of meat proteins is changed when you warm it up at high temperatures. The same is with rice, and soups, unless you take out the meat and veggies out of it.
However, a pack of rice, pasta and cabbage can be held in the fridge for a longer.
Understand the rules of a healthy plate
Nutrition experts at the Harvard School of Public Health created a plan for a healthy meal, offering more specific recommendations for following a healthy diet that can lead to a lower risk of heart disease, premature death and can prevent different health conditions.
So what is a healthy plate?
According to them, a healthy, balanced meal is rich in nutrients. The focus is on the quality, not quantity.
What does this mean?
It means that your plate should contain these food groups:
- Grains Proteins
Vegetables and fruits are:
– naturally low in fat, sodium, and calories
– sources of essential nutrients: potassium, vitamin C, dietary fiber, and folate (folic acid)
A diet rich in vegetables and fruits can lower blood pressure, reduce risk of heart disease and stroke, prevent some types of cancer, lower risk of eye and digestive problems, and have a positive effect upon blood sugar which can help keep appetite in check,reduce the risk of diabetes.
You should eat all these groups:
- dark-green vegetables
- red and orange
- beans and peas
- other vegetables
Remember: half of your plate should have vegetables and fruit.
What about grains?
Whole wheat, barley, wheat berries, quinoa, oats, brown rice, or specific food such as whole wheat pasta or bread, these are all grains you can include in your daily diet.
Whole grains contain fiber, which slows the breakdown of starch into glucose and help maintain a steady blood sugar. Fiber also helps lower cholesterol and prevent the formation of the small blood clots. Grains also contain magnesium, selenium and copper, minerals that protect against some types of cancer.
Remember: ¼ of your plate should contain whole grains because refined grains do not contain dietary fiber, iron, and many B vitamins.
What about proteins?
Proteins are found in muscle, bones, skin, hair, and in fact every other part in your body.
They make up the enzymes that power chemical reactions, and carry oxygen in the blood as they power hemoglobin. Lack of protein leads to loss of muscle mass, weak immune system, and heart and respiratory problems.
Remember: ¼ of proteins should be on your plate.
Not all proteins are alike, and meat and plant proteins are not the same, but they are equally important for the body. You can get proteins from meat, poultry, eggs, seafood, beans and peas, nuts, seeds.
What else should you know?
– Go for lean or low-fat meat
– Choose seafood rich in omega-3 fatty acids
– Eat unsalted nuts
– Limit sodium intake
The recommended daily allowance is 46 grams per day for women over 19 years of age, and 56 grams per day for men.
What about dairy?
The diet should include dairy products because our body needs calcium.
However, milk products usually have little to no calcium because they lose it throughout the production process. You should still find a way to add dairy to your diet, but take into account the following:
– Dairy products are not fat-free; it’s better to choose low-fat milk, yogurt and cheese;
– Sweetened milk products like flavored milk and yogurt have added sugars, and thus more calories
If you cannot eat dairy products, you can still get calcium from other food sources:
- kale leaves
- rice milk
- almond milk
Soybeans and soy products, canned fish, beans and some leafy greens contain calcium, but the amount that can be absorbed from these foods varies.
What about plant oils?
Healthy oils provide essential nutrients omega-3s and omega-6 fatty acids.You can find them in olive, canola, soy, corn, and sunflower.
Listen to your body and learn about nutrition and food.
It’s all about making small adjustments to your diet that make the biggest impact. Start small, and always think about your health.