How to Develop and Maintain a Healthy Eating Habit
Before you assume you have read this article before, take time to review how this particular article can really help you develop healthy eating habits. Not only so, but it will guide you on maintaining the formed habits towards healthy nutrition and lifestyle.
I agree that several articles out there bombard you with tips to living a healthy eating habit. But maybe not all of them have really helped you, hence the need to demystify the whole thing and break it down into digestible bits and pieces.
The first step to take is to first identify those healthy habits that you need to have. Perhaps, there are even some habits you tried for a while and dropped after some time. We also must admit that old habits die hard, hence the need to be deliberate and desperate for a change.
So, the golden rule someone taught me early is that instead of breaking an old habit, replace it with a new one. This rule is applicable mainly for nutrition and overall well being. Below are some of the critical practices you should cultivate and maintain towards a healthier life.
Healthy Eating Habits to Develop and Maintain in 2021
1. Eat a half plate of all colors of fruits and vegetables
As someone puts this idea: eat the rainbow! It merely means add color to your food. At least half of each plate should contain different colors of fruits and vegetables, including dark green, brown, red, orange, and yellow.
Besides, you can also try out the practice of fruits as part of the meal’s main course or the dessert. The more you add colors to your food plate, the better your chances of getting the essential minerals with fibers, and vitamins, that your body needs.
2. Half of your total grains should be whole grains
The next tip is to ensure that half of the total grain you take in your diet are whole grains. For instance, always choose a piece of wheat bread over white bread made of flour. When you check the ingredients of any food item, search for the whole grain terms.
For instance, you can find terms related to oats, brown rice, bulgur, quinoa, wild rice, and buckwheat. These all refer to the target food items that are most profiting in the grain category. Your nutrition is one aspect of life you cannot leave to chance, but you must take responsibility.
3. Try out a variety of proteins
You might know proteins are suitable for the body, but how much of them do you really take? Medical science also recommends plant-sourced proteins above animal-sourced protein-containing foods.
For example, protein sources such as meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood are on one side. On the other side, we have nuts, seeds, peas, and dry beans. Moreover, dieticians recommend leaner cuts of ground beef, chicken, or turkey breast.
4. Try out zero or low-fat milk
Zero fat or low-fat milk are great because they contain fewer calories and, therefore, safer for your health. Most people fear that this type of milk may not include other essential nutrients that different milk types have.
But that is not true: regular milk and low-fat milk contains practically the same amount of calcium, magnesium, and other essential minerals. These are all crucial ingredients of nutrition towards a healthy lifestyle.
5. “No” to solid fats
If you like to live a healthy life, you should stay away from food containing solid fats. Examples include cookies, butter, margarine, shortening, pizza, and cakes. Solid fats may also be found in sausages, portions of bacon, ribs, ice cream, and hot dogs.
The major disadvantage of solid fats is the residue they leave in your body that fails to completely oxidize even after digestion. These residues may cause health complications in the future.
6. Reduce your sodium intake
As you grow older, you should reduce your amount of sodium intake. Therefore, when you get an item from the store, such as bread and frozen food, compare the sodium (or salt) contents.
Also, check out the nutritional facts about canned foods and ensure it shows “low sodium” or “no salt added.” In other words, the salt content contributes so well to your nutrition.
When making soup, ensure you limit salt input as it affects many body functions, including perspiration and respiration.
7. Explore more seafood
Seafood contains essential minerals and amino acids that the body needs, including omega-3 fatty acids. The latter is a heart-healthy fat that should be prominent in adult food.
On the other hand, children may not need much seafood as their bodies can still do with the existing nutrients. Some of the typical seafood you should try to include salmon, trout, shellfish, tuna, crab, oysters, and mussels.
8. Go natural with more water over sugar-containing drinks
Can drinking water harm you? So, instead of causing health issues with sugar-containing drinks such as soda and other related ones, stick to water. No doubt, water contains all the nutrients that the body needs irrespective of age.
When you take enough water, it cleans up the system and washes off all unwanted excesses locking within the system. A healthy eating lifestyle is not complete until you explore the benefit of clean potable water in the course.
The 3 R’s of Healthy Habits
As good as changing your eating habits are, the changes may not be radical and may take gradual steps. These are essential steps to securing your nutrition lifestyle.
For instance, a sudden change can cause a sharp weight loss and not be successful eventually. Therefore, explore the three Rs below:
1. Reflect
The first step is to reflect on all your existing eating habits to weigh the good or bad ones. Besides, it will also help you to notice unhealthy ones to discard.
2. Replace
The second step is to replace the odd or bad ones with new and good ones towards better health.
3. Reinforce
After creating new healthy habits, it is essential to continue with the same reinforcement. This reinforcement may also warrant a level of consistency and passion.
Conclusion
In summary, I cannot but admit that it takes a lot of discipline to learn a healthy life. But the cost of not doing so outweighs by far the price of cultivating a healthy eating diet. I sincerely hope you can take advantage of all these tips to keep your body free of illnesses and diseases.
Hence, it is very wise to think of ways to adjust one’s eating habits, identify the dark areas, and develop healthier alternatives. Achieving a healthier life may take time and effort, but it will be worth it in the long run.
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