Today, when we’re surrounded by cheap processed foods full of artificial flavor, it’s really hard to opt for something healthy and low in calories. But if you indulge in those “bad” foods, you’ll soon notice you’re gaining weight, lacking energy, experiencing bad moods, and even having some health issues. So how can you fix your diet and start eating better?
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Start A Food Diary
As you’re starting your dietary change, it’s a good idea to study your eating habits. Grab a diary and write down everything you’re eating in a day. What you might find out is that you’re craving sweets in the afternoon and snacks when you come back from work. Why is that? Were you stressed at that time? Were you craving comfort? Maybe you were tired?
Listen To Your Body
When you know your bad eating habits thanks to your food diary, you can start listening to your body as well. Let’s say you want to enjoy some candy. Are you hungry or just bored? Another thing to investigate is whether you’re hungry or thirsty because we often confuse these two sensations. Ask yourself what do you actually need, listen to your body’s reaction to these questions, and healthily satisfy your urges. This is a habit that requires no effort or money, just some mindful eating.
Incorporate Greens Into Every Meal
If you don’t want to give up delicious fries or creamy pasta, you don’t have to. One way to improve your diet is to just add some green veggies to your every meal. For instance, you can fix yourself a salad, munch on it before your meal, and you’ll eat much less of other things, guaranteed. If you’re preparing pasta, add some broccoli or spinach to it. It will not interfere with taste, but you will sneak in some healthy greens in there. Eating crispy greens like celery can also remove plaque from your teeth and freshen your breath. You can also fix bad breath at a dentist in Oxnard.
Eat More Whole Foods
Ideally, you would eliminate all processed and packaged foods, or at least choose those with a very short list of ingredients. For instance, taking vitamin C supplements is good, but eating an orange is better. Why? Because an orange provides you with not only vitamin C, but a bunch of beneficial phytochemicals, fiber, and other substances that work together for your health. And you can even switch to natural cosmetics. Instead of buying a pre-made face mask, you can buy kaolin clay online and mix your own mask. This mild concoction will not irritate your skin yet leave it full of calcium, silica, zinc, and magnesium—perfect for battling oily skin.
Snack Smart
Snacks are not very good for your daily nutrition, but if you can’t resist the urge to snack, do it smartly by reaching for fruits, veggies, and nuts. A handful of mixed nuts with walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, pecans, and pistachios will contain a plethora of healthy fats, vitamin E, protein, magnesium, calcium, and potassium. To prevent overeating, measure out little portions and dump one in your work, school, or gym bag. This way, when you have to snack, you’ll reach for something healthy yet equally tasty as chips or gummies.
Don’t Skip Meals
If you’ve been cheating on your diet, you might be tempted to skip a meal or two, but starvation is not good for your health. When trying to form good eating habits and a good relationship with food, it’s important to maintain a good eating schedule and stick to it. When you skip meals, you’re only denying your body the needed calories necessary for proper body functioning. And all you’re going to lose from skipping a meal is energy instead of weight.
Make A Shopping List
Here’s a great trick to improve your diet—always shop with a list. If you decide to wing it, you’ll end up with a long and expensive receipt full of unnecessary and unhealthy foods. With that in mind, always plan your meals in advance, make a list of missing ingredients, and hit the store. Also, try to avoid aisles with sweets, sodas, and processed foods. Out of sight, out of mind.
Drink More Water
A great habit to form is to reach for a tall glass of water when you wake up. If you don’t like plain water, you can add a slice of lemon for flavor (this trick also detoxifies your liver and boosts your metabolism). But why is water so important for wellbeing? Well, our bodies are 60% water, so you need to constantly replenish your levels to maintain that balance. Dehydration doesn’t only cause sluggishness and mood swings, but serious health disturbances as well. And try to stay away from sodas and sugary drinks. You can’t get away from eating calories, but you can avoid drinking them too. It’s a small sacrifice that will bring you great results.
The first few weeks of your new healthy eating habits will be hard to handle, but after about 90 days (this is how long it takes to form a habit) you’ll notice many amazing changes in your physical, emotional, and overall health. You won’t be going back to your old habits!
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