Good nutrition is vital to a healthy and long life. There are a variety of ways to obtain good nutrition in your diet. Understanding the importance of it is the first step in obtaining the vitamins and minerals essential to meeting the needs of your body and mind. Here are a few great pointers on getting to grips with this vital aspect of a healthy lifestyle.
Chocolate is not your enemy. While candy bars are obviously an unhealthy choice, dark chocolate is a much healthier alternative. Dark chocolate has much less fat and calories than milk chocolate, and consuming a little bit of it can reduce your sweet tooth and has even proven to increase your life span.
Be sure that your diet includes adequate levels of vitamin A. Vitamin A is important for healthy eyes and helps in the prevention of cataracts. It strengthens the mucous membranes that protect your soft tissues, which serve as a barrier against infection. Vitamin A is also important in the health of your bones and teeth.
Vegetables contain many healthy antioxidants. If you are looking to get as many of these antioxidants as possible out of your vegetables, steam them or eat them raw. Boiling and microwaving vegetables can account for at least a 66 percent loss of the healthy antioxidants that raw vegetables contain.
If you are hosting a luncheon, and you desire to keep the food as healthy as possible, consider serving a healthy version of tuna salad. Tuna is low in calories, rich in protein, and is a great choice for getting omega-3 fatty acids. Purchase a few cans of white beans, and puree the beans in a blender. Once pureed, mix the beans with Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise, and combine both mixtures with the tuna. Instantly, you have made a healthier version of tuna salad that will go a long way in serving a large gathering.
Calculate the amount of nutrients you take in with your daily food and add the missing portion using high quality supplements. It is possible to build a diet that includes all the necessary nutrients and vitamins, but it is very hard to do so on a daily basis. Add supplements to your meals to provide your body with all the necessary building blocks it needs.
One should look to the food pyramid when wondering how they can give themselves the best nutrition. The information obtained will greatly help one plan their meals to the best effect. Nutritional information should be studied to learn the best foods for one to have in their diet for optimal nutrition.
Although it seems counter-intuitive, not all fats are bad. “Friendly fats”, or unsaturated fats, are essential in the body. These fats, which include omega-3 fatty acids, perform an important service in the human body. Unsaturated fats, which are found in most fish, olives, cashews, avocados, and peanuts, are essential as part of a healthy cardiovascular system. Like all fats, however, they should be consumed in moderation.
Many people incorrectly assume that any fluid that isn’t soda is automatically good for you. Not true. Truth be told – there is nothing you can drink that is better than water, from a nutritional standpoint. Not diet soda, not sugary fruit juice cocktails, nothing. Sweeteners, sodium, and other hidden additives can contribute to weight gain or even cause you to retain water.
Starting a new diet does not necessarily mean that you have to deprive yourself of your favorite foods. Instead, consume your guilty pleasures in small portion sizes and much less frequently. This makes them innocent pleasures! Rather than rewarding yourself for sticking with a diet by eating a normal-sized treat, linger over a smaller, healthier portion.
Many people enjoy having cereal for breakfast. It’s quick, it’s easy, and it tastes good too. Cereal is okay to have as long as you choose one that is healthy. Look for one that has at least 7 grams of fiber per serving, and is low in sugar and sodium.
You can give any meal a nutritional boost by adding more vegetables to it. If you are eating a sandwich, go ahead and put on some tomatoes, lettuce and other vegetables that would complement it. You can add many different types of frozen vegetables to most casseroles without changing the flavor.
In order to help children meet their optimal nutritional needs, try to give meals and snacks on a regular schedule. This helps their bodies to know when to expect the next meal, and regulates their hunger signals. Also, if they fill up on snacks just before mealtimes, they will not be hungry for the “real” foods at that meal.
As you can see, good nutrition is easy to incorporate into your lifestyle if you make a few simple choices. You may need to tailor these tips to your personal needs. Begin today to make the positive choices you need to make. You must develop a plan to give yourself the nourishment your body and mind deserve, and stick with it. You will notice a difference.