Proper nutrition is the keystone of a healthy and productive life. When you take in the nutrients your body needs, you provide the raw material for all the processes your body performs on a daily – and nightly – basis. Your nutritional choices have a profound influence on the level of well-being you can achieve.
Stick to all-natural foods instead of those produced and refined in factories. Many times those foods add items such as extra fats, oils, greases and preservatives that can really harm your body. Try shopping from the parts of the stores where you can purchase produce, healthy protein and other “from the earth” products.
Consuming enough Vitamin D is an important part of a healthy, nutritious diet. Vitamin D is a major player in blood clotting. It also helps in bone synthesis. You can find Vitamin D in cabbage, beef liver, and green leafy vegetables. It’s also found in smaller amounts in milk, cereals, meats, and eggs.
You should eat breakfast every day so your body has the energy it needs to function. Studies have shown that people feel better and eat less during the day if they start the morning with a good breakfast. Avoid eating highly processed foods. Make sure your breakfast has some protein in it to help you feel satisfied.
When you are trying to decide what to have for dinner, remember that you should have equal amounts of vegetable and grains on your plate. You will be able to get full without eating too much of the calorie-ridden grains. This is because a cup of grains has about 200 calories and the veggies have just 50 or so.
For best nutrition, don’t make the mistake of thinking that brown eggs are somehow magically better than white eggs. Egg companies want you to think so; the mystique of brown eggs allow them to charge you up to 25% more than for white ones. But in reality, the differences are only shell-deep. White eggs are every bit as nutritious as their brown-shelled cousins, and are almost always cheaper.
One of the most important ways to be fit is to stay hydrated. You should drink around 2 liters or 8 glasses of water that are 8 ounces full. Being hydrated keeps your energy high, and prevents you from pigging out at the first sign of hunger. It also removes impurities from your body.
You will want to watch out for any foods that are labeled “fat-free” or “zero trans fat.” It’s common for these foods to simply remove fat and replace it with extra sugar to compensate. Take a good look at the label and be aware of its nutritional content.
Avoid drinking your calories in liquid form. Drinks with a great deal of calories, such as milk, energy drinks and fruit juice can give you a large amount of calories without satiating your hunger. Sodas, beer, drink mixes and shakes are full of empty calories and provide no nutritional content whatsoever.
Do not use nutritional bars or protein bars as a replacement for meals. Often media and commercials will tell you that these bars are a great way to lose weight but they may have an adverse effect on your diet. Sometimes a strict diet is the one of the only ways to lose weight.
If you are one of those people that is on the go and do not have a lot of time to devote to cooking, take one day out of your schedule and prepare a lot of healthy meals that can be frozen. This will dramatically cut down on the amount of take-out food you eat for convenience purposes.
Make sure you’re not consuming an excess of Vitamin A if you’re pregnant. Too much Vitamin A can cause birth defects or liver toxicity in the baby. Don’t take any Vitamin A supplements while you’re pregnant without first checking with your doctor. You shouldn’t intake more than 10,000 (IU’s) of Vitamin A while pregnant.
Getting fit does not mean that you have to give up the foods that you love. Just make a few changes in the choices that you make. Try to choose diet soda instead of regular soda and use a napkin to soak up the extra grease that is floating on the top of your pizza and hamburgers.
Keep your serving sizes down to the handfuls. If you can keep your snacks in a one hand sized portion and your meals in a two hand filled portion, you are sure to find it easier to serve yourself healthy portions of food. You will lose weight more naturally and still get the nutrition out of the small servings throughout the day.
When you apply the basic principles of nutrition, you maximize the quality of the fuel you feed your body. This is an important step in your overall health and wellness plan. Like using the proper fuel in you car, proper nutrition can optimize the overall performance of your body. Remember, don’t live to eat, instead, eat to live!