According to WHO (World Health Organization), good nutrition is important for improving health, lower risk of diseases, and longevity for people in all age groups.
When it comes to diets, different people have different habits. If you are considering making changes to your eating habits, it is important to ensure you do it the right way. Whether you are doing it for weight loss or improved nutrition, here is how to adopt healthy eating habits and improve health the right way.
Building healthy eating habits & improving health
Start eating balanced meals
According to experts, a balanced diet should contain healthy fats, vegetables, protein, and complex carbohydrates. As a rule of thumb, you should ensure you have half a plate full of vegetables, followed by protein and just a bit of carbohydrates for energy. Good fat can come from nuts, avocados, fish, olive oil, or other sources of healthy fats.
Avoid processed and artificial foods
When shopping for food, avoid buying over-processed foods and artificial foods for avoiding health issues. . Instead, go for organically grown vegetables, lean meat, low-fat dairy products, fruits, nuts, and wholegrain rice, pasta, or bread. The idea behind your new eating habits should be to get the most nutrients from the foods you consume and not just empty calories to improve health.
Pack a healthy lunch and snacks for work
The best way to avoid eating unhealthy foods when off at work is to pack a healthy lunch and snack from home. Product recommendations by experts include healthy snacks like nuts, fruit, carrots, or a health bar. You can choose to have a healthy salad or leftover food from yesterday’s dinner for your lunch. This will ensure you avoid the habit of ordering unhealthy foods for lunch or snacking on junk.
Set health limits
According to science, women are required to consume at least 1200 calories in a day and no more than 1500 while men should consume at least 1600 calories and no more than 2400. The best way to keep your foods within the required caloric intake limits is to eat healthy meals. Generally, proteins and vegetables have fewer calories compared to carbohydrates and sugars.
Snack during the day
Snacking is one of the best ways to avoid overfeeding when it is finally mealtime. Your snacks can include healthy vegetables like carrots, cucumbers, celery sticks, fruits, or healthy protein bars. You can have a snack in between meals to prevent craving for junk or overeating.
Pack up on essential nutrients
It is important to ensure it contains all the essential nutrients your body needs in every meal you take and to improve health. Basic essential nutrients include:
Protein
Including protection in your diet not only helps with muscle development but can also help in regulating your blood glucose. Some studies show that protein diets are beneficial for people with type 2 diabetes. Balancing your blood sugar supports weight management and is good for your cardiovascular health.
Carbohydrates
Ensure you consume healthy carbohydrates in moderation, as too much of it can stall your weight loss process. The best sources of healthy carbohydrates include wholegrain foods as opposed to refined grains. Wholegrain foods are rich in fiber, vitamin B, and iron. These are important for transporting oxygen in the blood, regulating your immune system, and balancing your blood glucose.
Fats
When it comes to fats, it is important to learn how to separate healthy fats from unhealthy fats. Generally, saturated fats and Trans fats are not healthy options to improve health. Consider replacing these fats with healthier options such as unsaturated fats like olive oil, sunflower oil, ghee, butter, oily fish, avocado, and other vegetable oils.
Vitamins
These are micronutrients important for different body functions, including boosting the immune system, delaying certain conditions like prostate cancer, and strengthening bones and teeth. Vitamins also help to maintain healthy skin and aid in the absorption of calcium, among other functions. Diets rich in fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins can deliver all the vitamins needed for to improve health.
Minerals
These are also micronutrients needed for optimal health. These include potassium, magnesium, iron, chloride, sulfur, calcium, zinc, iodine, and copper, among others. Minerals balance water levels, maintain healthy nails, hair and skin, improve bone health, prevent tooth decay, carry oxygen, and aid in blood clotting.
Sources of minerals include red meat, nuts and seeds, seafood, table salt, dairy products, fruits, vegetables, poultry, eggs, whole grains, and leafy greens.
Water
Taking at least 2 liters of water is recommended for better health. Water can help regular your blood pressure and is ideal for weight management. If you prefer not to take plain water, you can give it a bit of taste using mint leaves or citrus slices. Alternatively, you can consider taking herbal tea, which is also ideal for a healthy lifestyle.
Nutrition for sport and exercise
If you are looking to change your eating habits to support your sport and exercise lifestyle, it is important to understand what constitutes the right nutrition for sports and exercise. What you eat or drink before, during, and after your physical activity directly influences your health, body composition, body bass, recovery time, and nutrient availability.
The best training diet should constitute:
- Foods that provide energy and nutrient requirements for your exercise and training
- Foods that improve adaptation and recovery in between sessions
- Foods that allow you to achieve your optimal body weight and fat levels for better performance
- Foods that produce the required fluids to remain hydrated throughout your workout
Generally, the best nutrition for sports and exercise should include wholegrain bread and cereals, leafy green vegetables, lean meat, fruits, and low-fat dairy products. With the right diet, 55% of an athlete’s energy requirements should be from carbohydrates, 15% from protein, and 30% from fats.
Conclusion
To ensure you remain healthy, a person is required to consume up to six essential nutrients each day. Adopting healthy eating habits to improve health is the best way to ensure you get all the nutrients you need from your diet and to improve health. Consuming foods rich in complex carbohydrates, lean protein, vegetables, fruits, and water can deliver the nutrition required to lead a healthy lifestyle. What changes will you make to improve health?
