1.Prepare more meals at home – You are the master of your universe when you prep your meals at home because you have complete control over the quality of ingredients going into your body. People who cook more at home tend to eat healthier. It also provides good bonding time for family if you can get then involved.
2.Place more emphasis on nutrients – So often, we get caught up in maintaining a low caloric intake that we completely forget to focus on nutrients. Focusing on nutrients doesn’t compromise you caloric intake. In fact, the most nutrient dense foods are low in calories.
3.Stick to the perimeter of the supermarket when shopping – The deeper you traverse into the aisles of any supermarket, the more innutritious are the food options you will find. Stick to the periphery, which is where you’ll find fresh fruits and vegetables, meat and dairy.
4.Start ditching some heavily processed foods – Heavily processed foods are laced with sodium, sugar, additives and preservatives. A few obvious choices to start ditching are sodas and sugary drinks, corn oil and anything with trans fat.
5.Read food labels – It is not always possible to eat fresh, whole foods that don’t possess a label, but in the event that you have to, it important that you are able to read and understand food labels. This helps you know what’s in your food and empowers you to choose the best products for you and your family. Look for foods with fewer ingredients, with names that you can pronounce without difficulty.
6.Drink water – This might sound very simple, but you’d be surprised to know how many people don’t drink enough water on a daily basis. Oftentimes, when we think we’re hungry, our bodies are just dehydrated and sending a signal of hunger to the body. Water helps to flush toxins out of our systems. Health professionals still can’t agree on the optimal intake, of water but one is better than none and two is better one. The colour of your urine is a good indicator as to whether or not you are sufficiently hydrated.
7.Follow the 80/20 rule – It can sometimes be difficult to get access to healthy food, which can throw your healthy eating plans off track. But don’t fall victim to unhealthy eating. This is when the 80/20 rule can come into play. Simply ensure that 80 per cent of the time, you eat whole foods – fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, and so on. The other 20 per cent can be your buffer for those times when you’re hanging out with friends, travelling or just facing one of those inconvenient moments. Remember, it’s what you do most of the times that will often make or break you, so don’t stress about it.
8.Make greens your best friends – “Eat food. Not too Much. Mostly plants.” This is one of Michael Pollan’s popular rules for eating. Greens are considered the most powerful off all veggies. Remember the four As: antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer and antiviral.
9.Snack smart – A lot of people find this difficult, and often reach for a bag of chips or cookies. Make you own healthy treats, like kale, potato or beet chips. Pieces of fruits and vegetables like carrots and celery stalks dipped a natural nut butters does the trick as well.
10.Identify your weakest link first – Makes adjustment to the part of your diet that you know needs immediate attention. If you love carbs, try consuming mostly complex carbs. If you find that you have a sweet tooth, consume more sweet fruits and vegetables. Don’t overwhelm yourself.
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