Greetings, friends! The weather is gradually warming up here (even though it has been snowing all week!) I’m looking forward to the arrival of summer. Spring is a time for new starts. And diets. The odd thing about Spring is that most individuals are working on a diet to prepare for swimsuit season in the summer.
While it’s great to be encouraged by the changing seasons to work toward your objectives, eating healthy shouldn’t be a trend that comes and goes. It should be a lifetime habit to eat well! Diets come and go, but if you stick to good eating habits, they may last a lifetime.
Here are my favorite strategies to jump start long-term good eating habits without resorting to a diet :
Eat till you are full.
This is a huge deal! When it comes to snacking and mealtimes, be sure you’re not overeating! Even if you consume nutritious meals, overeating them is unhealthy for your body and difficult for your digestive system.
foods in their natural state first
Make whole foods a priority, and consume unprocessed foods for most of your meals. If you replace your morning biscuits with a bowl of homemade oatmeal, you’ll feel satisfied for longer while consuming fewer calories.
This may be difficult in a fast-paced environment, and when you’re busy, it requires a lot of planning and preparation to ensure that you have access to full meals at various times of the day.
Here are a few prep ideas for having whole foods on hand even when you’re pressed for time:
• Cook extra food each night at dinner so there are prepared leftovers for the following day or two (this is what I do a lot)
• Prepare foods by washing and chopping up fruit and vegetables for ready to eat snacks on the weekends to prepare lunches and breakfasts for the busy week ahead
Instead of thinking less, think more.
When individuals consider improving their eating habits, they instantly think of LESS: less sugar, fewer carbohydrates, fewer calories, etc. While some of these things are beneficial (for example, less sugar), thinking in these terms is not always beneficial. We begin to feel deprived when our emphasis is constantly on “less” when eating.
When you need to change your eating habits, consider MORE: more vegetables, more whole foods, more fiber, more lean protein, and so on. Because your stomach can only hold so much food (and you should only eat until you’re 80 percent full or satisfied), adding extra vegetables and lean protein to your plate will leave less place for items you should avoid.
Each meal and snack should be balanced.
Avoid eliminating whole food groupings from your diet , like Carbohydrates or Fats, If you can balance your concentrate on receiving various nutrients at each meal or snack time, you will have greater energy throughout the day.
If you’re attempting to lose weight and want to cut down on fats and carbs, make sure you’re eating healthy fats and carbohydrates in lesser amounts.
This ways can help you remain full and prevent post-meal cravings.
Drink!
Become a water drinker! To keep hydrated, make sure you drink enough water every day. Our bodies often confuse thirst for hunger, and if you’re active, you’ll require more water. According to nutritional guidelines, drink half your body weight in fluid ounces every day. If you weigh 150 pounds, aim for 75 ounces every day.
Plain water is generally plenty, but if you’re physically active, try supplementing with electrolytes before, during, and after your exercises. Limit your consumption of artificially sweetened drinks and avoid sugary beverages. Although the verdict is still out, some research shows that artificial sweeteners such as Splenda and aspartame may increase your desire for sweets. To be on the safe side, stay away from chemical sweeteners!
