One of the keys to maintaining a healthy lifestyle is a balanced diet. But, in a time when processed food is affordable, convenient, and readily available, we can find it difficult to maintain a nutritious diet. Consequently, in America, over 80% of adults have a diet low in fruit, vegetables, and dairy.
Furthermore, only 2.7% of adults have what is qualified as a healthy diet. With so many dietary trends around, including crash diets, or restrictive eating, many are left confused about what they should do to obtain healthy eating habits.
Keys to Eating Healthy
Cultivating healthy nutrition habits can be a relatively simple, and straightforward task when you know what to prioritize. With these 3 tips, you can get started on your journey to develop healthy nutritional habits.
Step 1: Maintain a Balanced Diet
The most important step to start building healthy nutrition habits is to maintain a balanced diet. Experts recommend a diet which consists of:
- 45% carbohydrates
- 30% protein
- 35% good fats (like olive oil)
Experts also recommend eating a diet packed with fruits and vegetables (you should be eating them every meal), protein, and whole-grains. You should also ensure that you do not miss any meals during the day, especially breakfast. In the morning your sugar levels are naturally low since you have been ‘fasting’ all night. If you skip breakfast, you will not have lower energy levels throughout the day, but are putting yourself at risk of developing constant headaches and migraines (as your body tries to compensate for the low sugar levels).
Step 2: Limit Consumption of Processed Foods
Processed foods are foods that undergo modifications such as, washing, cutting, cooking, canning, freezing, or dehydrating before they are ready to be sold. Some foods may also have different chemicals added to them to enhance/increase their flavour, and texture. Some examples of processed foods include, canned vegetables and meat, cheese, some types of bread, soft drinks, chips, cookies, and ready-to-eat meals. Though these foods are easily available and often taste good, they can negatively affect your health. Since processed foods contain a high amount of saturated fats, sugar, and sodium, they can increase the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, like diabetes.
That is why it is important to prioritize eating fresh, and organic foods. Experts recommend incorporating more ‘real’ foods such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, lean meats, and low-fat dairy products into your diet. These foods are high in antioxidants and fibres, which are both essential nutrients for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Step 3: Be Mindful
A key part of building healthy nutrition habits is to be mindful of what you are eating and to plan ahead and set goals in order to fortify these new nutritional habits. Using the SMART goals framework is an effective way to help build these new habits. SMART goals refer to goals which are:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Relevant
- Time-Bound
It is also recommended that you plan and meal prep for each week, in order to avoid returning to more convenient, unhealthy options when time runs short. For example, you should spend one or two days during the week preparing nutritious meals, or pre-cooking certain healthy ingredients, like veggies or grains. During the week, it is also highly recommended to maintain a food diary, where you list what you ate during the day. This not only holds you accountable, but also gives you an accurate picture of diet. This can help you make changes in the future if you see that you are not maintaining a balanced diet. Additionally, keeping a food diary has also been proven to help with reducing weight gain.
Building a Healthy Diet
A nutritious diet is one of the pillars of a healthy, and fulfilling lifestyle. By building good food habits with the tips covered in today’s blog, you can ensure that you are receiving a balanced, nutritious diet that is right for you.
For more information, chat with our iHealthOX Care Team.
Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/losing_weight/eating_habits.html
https://dhss.delaware.gov/dph/dpc/eatright.html
https://www.heartandstroke.ca/healthy-living/healthy-eating/healthy-eating-basics
https://www.active.com/nutrition/articles/6-ways-to-develop-healthy-eating-habits
https://www.verywellfit.com/healthy-eating-habits-5209614
https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2020-12/Dietary_Guidelines_for_Americans_2020-2025.pdf
https://www.livestrong.com/article/13731066-nutrition-statistics/
https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(16)00043-4/fulltext
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