Healthy eating habits are crucial to implement. As a fact, the world’s top athletes have admitted that it is extremely tough for them to maintain a certain healthy diet. They also admitted that those habits have helped them in sports and have improved their physical and mental vitality.
It is important to know before developing habits adding ways and techniques will work only if there is consistency. Your mind and body will thank you for applying these habits.
Portion Control
This simply means that you watch out for the quantity and quality of food you are putting on your plate. Minding portion sizes will help you avoid excess consumption of calories.
Portion control also has a moral impact as it helps to avoid wastage of food. We often take food on our plates as if there is no tomorrow. That is wrong and portion control teaches us to be mindful of what we eat and how much we eat.
Add half your plate with carbohydrates. 3/4th should be proteins and the rest should be salad to add good fiber and micronutrients to your diet.
Avoiding Sugars And Junk Food
Sugars and food not made at home cause health major problems. Heart and digestive issues come at the top but diseases like type one diabetes and type two diabetes are often less talked about.
Treating these costs a fortune and are gruesome to deal with. To avoid these diseases, we can replace sugar with jaggery and Junk food with home made delicious recipes.
However, it is not that sugars and junk foods are completely dangerous. They contain some nutrients like saturated fats that our body needs for hormonal functions. The problem starts when we eat them frequently. Consumption of junk food once in a while is okay, however we must be mindful.
Meal Planning
Planning and preparation of meals help not only those who work a 9 to 5 but to everyone. Meal planning allows you to decide what you will eat later that day or the next day in advance.
You can change meals and add things you like to eat. It will help you stop acting on impulses like ordering food online or getting takeout.
Read The Nutritional Value
Ignoring what is behind the packet of a food item, we often get amused with what is in front of the packet. We should always check the nutritional value.
This will help you track your calories and the energy you will be consuming. Those labels help us know what kind of macro and micronutrients are going in our body.
Reading labels becomes super important while buying snacks. We assume that the packet is 50% air and 50% snack and buy them thinking this will not do any harm. That is wrong.
A chip packet may contain roughly around 250 to 500 calories depending on the size. We can get those calories with homemade fresh foods. Consuming extra calories for longer periods of time may make us obese and cause health problems.
Varied Meals
A change in meals is equivalent to a change in nutrients. This means that different types of nutrients are entering our body.
Different nutrients would mean the body getting all the nutrients for better functioning. We should change our meals every day or every two to three days.
This helps us be stress-free about nutrients and better bodily functions. All we have to worry about is how long is it going to take to cook. However, meal planning can help you save time and effort.
Read more: Meal Planning 101: A Complete Beginner’s Guide to Meal Prep
Hydration
Staying hydrated is one of the most neglected things in our lives. We often only drink water if we feel thirsty. Drinking water one to one and a half hours after a meal helps with digestion and helps in delivering nutrients to the body parts.
It delivers oxygen to the end of the body in order for it to function better. It is recommended to have at least 3-4 liters of water daily.
Moderation, not deprivation
We do not want to follow a very strict diet avoiding things we like to eat. Foods from the outside have their own benefits only if eaten once or twice a month.
They provide saturated fats and trans fats that are required for hormonal balance in our body. Having a meal we love will actually fuel us to be more consistent with a diet that benefits our bodies and minds.
Take your family out for a nice dinner once a month and then continue your healthy eating. Not only will you feel good and make healthier choices but you will also make good and beautiful memories with your family.
Stop Binge Eating
On a fine evening on a weekend when we all feel relaxed, while we watch our favorite TV shows or movies, we munch on snacks we love. Those snacks might be packed with tons of calories.
We lose track of how much we eat when we watch something we love. The reason is that our minds keep telling us to eat more and have that comfort.
Even if we binge eat we should take some of the snack in a bowl so that we do not eat the whole packet. Additionally, you can also opt for healthier options of snacks for example almonds, cashews, fruit bowls etc.
Also read: How To Move From Desire To Action
Conclusion
Healthy eating is a way of life. Many yogis and gurus lead a peaceful and healthy life following a healthy diet and routine. We can implement those in our lives and live a long and healthy life.
Staying mindful of our body and healthy eating habits help us to lead a happier and healthier lifestyle. Following these tips and points help to achieve and make a healthy eating habit.
