Healthy Eating: What to Eat and Avoid

Healthy eating can keep you healthy and active for longer. Start with small and easy steps as listed below to improve your daily diet plan:


1. WHAT TO EAT-Balance your meals according to the calories you need in a day.You need to know your BMR based on your age, gender, height, weight and current physical activity level.


Below are some tips for healthy eating:

a) Nutrients -Eat a wide range of foods to make sure you're getting a balanced diet.

b) Variety of Fruit and Veggies Everyday-Fruits and vegetable contain lots of vitamins and minerals. Also add colors in your meal Try blue, red, or black berries, red and yellow peppers; and dark greens broccoli, spinach. Also you can, include foods like kidney beans,black beans, asparagus, long beans, green beans,carrots,cabbage, tomatoes, grapes, and leafy greens.

c) Protein-Its essential for building and repairing muscle.Get your protein from seafood , skinless chicken or turkey. Try to Choose lean or low-fat sources of protien. Mix it up with plant protein foods like kidney, pinto, black, or white beans; split peas; chickpeas, hummus ang soy products(tofu, veggie burgers).

d) Grains- Be sure to make at least half of your grain food choices whole-grain foods like whole-wheat bread or pasta and brown rice.

e) Low-fat Dairy- Foods like fat-free and low-fat milk, cheese,yogurt, and fortified soy beverages (soy milk) help to build and maintain strong bones.

                               

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2. WHAT TO AVOID- As you have read above, what to eat. Now its time to know what to avoid/ cut from your diet:

a) Oily Food- If possible, reduce your intake of fast food, doughnuts, chips, and deep-fried food. Try to switch to healthier fats like olive and canola oils.

b) Sugary Food- Regularly consuming drinks high in sugar increases your risk of obesity and tooth decay. Also cut soda and coffee from your diet. Switch to fresh fruit juices and smoothies.

c) Eat Less Salt- Eating too much salt can raise your blood pressure which can cause to develop heart disease. it should not more than 6g a day for adults.

d) Processed Food- Below are the reasons to avoid it:

(1) Most of the nutritional value is lost in the making of these foods.
(2) Many processed foods contain a high amount of salt content, which Ieads to higher blood pressure and heart disease.




3. HEALTHY DRINKS- Not only in food but variety in drinks are also important. Include nutritious and healthy drinks in your diet such as Green Tea, Ginger tea, Mint tea and other herbal tea, coconut water, soy milk, smoothies and milk shakes, fresh fruit juices etc.

Tips:

1) 5 Small Meals a Day - Set a thumb rule of 5 meal a day to boost your metabolism and your energy levels.

2) Chew Properly- Chew each bite thoroughly before swallowing. Fast eating can lead to bloating because of the extra air you're swallowing.

3) Do not Skip Meals- Your body needs food in 3 hours of interval to maintain metabolism.Try not to skip meals Especially breakfast, because that's your first and important meal after up wake up in the morning.



By making these simple changes in diet, you can beat the risk of sickness and diseases. Also drink enough water(7-8 glasses for an adult) daily.

However, a healthy lifestyle isn't just about healthy eating and drinking. taking care of the "whole you" is also a important. Try to make some good changes in your daily diet and physical activities to get a healthier lifestyle.



STAY FIT, ACTIVE AND HEALTHY!!