Nutrition is a very important part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Without the proper balance of nutritional components, our body feels depleted, aged and even ill at times. There has been much written about nutrition and sorting through so much information can often become confusing. Here we will outline some of the best tips to help you get started on your path to feeling healthier.
Ideal fitness starts with ideal nutrition. Understand the major nutrition groups: fat, carbohydrates, and protein. Protein helps you build muscle, carbohydrates give you energy for working out, and fats – in moderation – are necessary for injury repair. About a third of your daily calories should come from protein, about half from carbohydrates, and the rest from unsaturated fats.
When considering nutrition for your child, be sure that you follow the same guidelines that you ask of them. This is important because you will have an extremely hard time trying to convince them why they need to do something when you, yourself do not. And no matter what you do, your child most likely will find out what you are doing just through their natural curiosity.
Try being a vegetarian at least one day a week. A vegetarian is in some ways healthier than being a meat eater. Even if you are not ready to make a leap to complete vegetarianism, you can get some of the benefits of a vegetarian diet by taking a break from meat completely one day every week.
Diversify your weekly protein sources. Select meats low in fat, fish, and poultry without the skin. Eggs are a great provider of protein. Having an egg everyday is a good source of protein. Try going a whole day without eating any meat once a week. Have seeds, nuts, peanut butter and beans in place of the meat.
Buy frozen vegetables to use in your meals. While fresh vegetables are great they can spoil quickly and some have very short growing seasons. Frozen vegetables are processed immediately after picking and freezing them keeps their nutritive value intact. Since frozen vegetables are already washed and cut you can easily add them to recipes.
No diet is complete if it does not account for breakfast. Breakfast certainly is an important meal. It provides your metabolism with the boost it needs to start the day.
The humble cabbage family (including kale, collard and mustard greens), provides us with an especially good buy, nutritionally. If you haven’t yet added these to your diet, you should. These dark green leafy vegetables are renowned providers of phosphorus, calcium, iron and carotenoids. Also, they are inexpensive!
We eat vegetables both cooked and raw. Which is better? Raw vegetables have their advocates. But current studies show that most vegetables have higher nutritional value and are more digestible when cooked. Carrots and cabbage are tasty eaten raw, but many vegetables are palatable only when cooked. Steaming is the best method to retain food value.
Dairy products are a great source of calcium and vitamin D, which help to build bone mass. Additionally, studies have shown that 1,000 milligrams of calcium per day, can help you lose weight, particularly around your midsection. Low-fat yogurt is highly versatile and can be used as a substitute for sour cream, mayonnaise and even cheese.
Instead of planting pretty flowers in your yard, consider planting useful vegetables and fruit bushes, instead. Tomatoes, carrots, radishes and berry bushes, are all relatively low maintenance. They can be expensive to buy at supermarkets, freshly picked. Within a year, you can harvest your crops. These vegetables are a great alternative to cute pansies or daffodils that require a lot of care and only provide nice color to your yard.
If you feel hungry before a meal, try drinking a glass of water before your meal is done. Drinking a glass of water will help prevent you from feeling so hungry, which will result in you not eating too much. When you are hungry before a meal, you will probably eat more than you really need. Drinking a glass of water can prevent this.
Instead of reaching for a sugary or salty preservative-laden snack, try distracting yourself by finding more productive things to do with your hands and mouth. Call a friend, sing along with your radio, or pick up the latest page-turner from the local library. Chances are good that you will find that you were not even hungry to begin with.
Make a salad for dinner. You can add chicken, fish, or other lean meats, as well as lots of fresh veggies like carrots, corn, peas, tomatoes and even throw in some strawberries, mandarin oranges or pineapple for some sweet pizazz. Making a salad the entree will keep you from using a high calorie and carbohydrate like pasta instead.
Everyone wants to feel healthy. Maintaining the proper balance of nutritional values is an integral part of living a healthier life. Proper nutrition leads to longevity, a more youthful appearance and decreased illnesses. Follow the tips we have provided in this article and you too can begin to reap the benefits of a healthier lifestyle.