Proper nutrition is one of the most basic building blocks that leads to good overall health. There is so much information out there on the topic of nutrition, however, that sifting through it can be overwhelming. The following tips can help clarify some of the myths about nutrition.
Do not make the mistake of avoiding fat entirely. Some fat is necessary to provide a feeling of fullness and help your body function properly, but try to stick to healthier fats rather than the partially hydrogenated version found in most packaged snack food. A little fat with a meal causes carbohydrates to digest more slowly for a lower rise in blood sugar, resulting in more constant energy and less hunger later.
Whenever you get that growling sensation in your tummy, have a healthy choice on hand. Look at portion sizes for your usual, and then compare that to the healthy alternative. This is a chance for you to fill up for less. Keep snack size portions on hand so you can’t use the “it’s easier to get the other” excuse.
Vitamin B12 is an important part of a healthy diet. It plays a role in releasing energy from the fat, carbohydrates and protein that you eat. Vitamin B12 also helps in the formation of blood cells, nervous system maintenance and bone metabolism. You can find this vitamin in dairy products, eggs, fish, meat and poultry.
It is tempting to blame the culture we live in for the fact that so many of us have poor nutrition habits. Yet the fact remains that we, as individuals, are ultimately in control of what goes into our mouths. In order to be in control, we must first be more aware of the societal forces at work that make it so easy for us to overeat.
One thing that you can do to maintain a healthy lifestyle can be done by monitoring the sugar you consume daily. Sometimes it isn’t true that fruit juice is better for you than soda. Strangely, some brands of fruit juice are actually more sugary than soda. As a result, there is no replacement for carefully reading the label and understanding exactly what you are ingesting.
Try to get more calcium and vitamin C into your body. Calcium helps your bones to become stronger and a you get older, bones tend to become more brittle. Calcium will help reverse that. Vitamin C can help fight off infections and colds by helping your white blood cells.
Nutrition is one of the key components to proper weight control. Knowing what to eat and what to avoid can help you lose weight or maintain your current weight if you have reached your goal. Fresh fruits and vegetables are great snacks that can help keep weight off and give you what you need in nutrition when it comes to vitamins and minerals.
If you are changing your diet to a more healthy one, get rid of the foods that are unhealthy in your kitchen. You may say that you will avoid eating them, but if they are there, you are just tempting yourself. Try donating the food to a local organization that can help someone else.
Finding proper nutrition information is easy. For those of us starting out, it’s a good idea to eat a balanced diet. You will need to make sure you are getting about 15-20% protein, around 20-30% fat and at least 50-55% of carbohydrates. This will leave your body feeling fresh and refined.
Encourage your child to try new foods but don’t force them to eat something if they don’t like it. Try and have them taste a food on more than one occasion to see if they like it and if they don’t, don’t keep forcing them to eat it. You don’t want them to come to dread meal time.
Muffins and quick breads make great snacks, but they can be very high in fat and calories. To make them healthier, substitute ripe, mashed bananas for the butter or oil in the recipe. Another great, healthy substitute is applesauce. This way, your snack will be lower in fat and higher in nutrients.
Always make sure that you are aware of the nutritional information for what you are eating. Even if you are deciding to give yourself a treat like a chocolate bar, don’t avoid looking at the information. The calories may be quite high, but you still should know exactly what you are putting into your body at all times.
There is still so much to learn about the human body as it pertains to nutrition. The way the body reacts to certain foods and elements still baffles scientists that have been studying nutrition for years. Luckily there are at least a few well-understood facts that can help guide your nutritional choices.