Let’s face it! We all struggle to eat healthy sometimes and after a while, we turn to fad diets or some “miracle food” to help us ease the guilt of having eaten something unhealthy. While a lot of information is available on the internet about eating healthy, it also causes a lot of confusion as most of the content isn’t authentic and could do more harm than good. So what exactly is Eating Healthy comprised of?
Tips to Eating Healthy
To simplify what eating healthy should consist of, we’re sharing some simple tips which will help you eat healthy, clean and provide you with all the nutrients you need!
- Consume Whole Foods: Whole foods are foods that are unprocessed and unrefined, or processed or refined as minimum as possible to retain their nutritional value. They have a lot of fibre, good fats, no added sugar or bad fats or salt. A few examples for whole grains are whole wheat, barley, quinoa, beans, legumes and nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables.
- Go for Healthy Snacking: Healthy snacking is very important to keep energy constant throughout the day, to decrease hunger pangs and keep one away from overeating during the next meal. Healthy snacking, as per the options suggested, also refrains one from having junk foods which are high in sugars and fats that can lead to various metabolic disorders in the body like diabetes, heart ailments etc. Some healthy foods that can be included are fruits, nuts and seeds, roasted chana, peanuts, coconut water, buttermilk, lemon water, and whole wheat/multigrain sandwich with no butter or cheese).
- Never Skip Meals: Always make sure to have meals on time to regulate the metabolic rate of the body and keep hunger pangs away. It also keeps you energized. Hence, a 5 meal pattern should be followed i.e. breakfast, mid meal, lunch, mid meal and dinner. Ideally, try and have meals in intervals of 2-3 hours.
- Eat Mindfully: Whenever having a meal, try to enjoy every bite, eating slowly while savouring the taste. It takes about 20 minutes for the brain to realize that the stomach is full. If we eat a lot of food at one time and totally stuff the belly, it leads to digestion issues in the future.
- Go for Baked or Roasted Foods When Eating Out: During grilling or frying, several harmful compounds like polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs) and Heterocyclic Amines (HCAs) are formed. These compounds have been linked to diseases like cancer and heart ailments. So avoid grilled or fried foods and go for baked and roasted!
Sometimes we set ambitious healthy eating goals and get overwhelmed by it. Eating healthy is certainly not about being perfect. So, take small steps by adding the habits discussed above to your current diet regime and work towards a healthier you!
We hope this article helps. If you want diet plans or want to understand more facets of eating healthy, tune in to nutrition experts on GOQii Play.
Do leave your thoughts in the comments below!
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