In the past, people may have thought
that with advancements in technology and medicine, people will be healthier and
will eat more nutritious food. They may have thought that the 21st
century will bring most nutritious food on the table, but in reality, the
present eating habits of many people are far worse today as compared to past
diets and eating habits. As you can see, there is a steady rise of many chronic
diseases and ailments connected to the heart, brain and the cardiovascular
system. Diabetes, hypertension, obesity, stroke, heart ailments and cancer are
on a steady rise and most of them are linked to eating unhealthy foods,
sedentary lifestyle and having bad eating habits. This holds true for first world
countries, specifically the United States have the highest number of obesity,
cancer and diabetes cases.
Why Is Good Nutrition Important
The
food choices that you make each day will surely affect your health today and in the future. Good
nutrition is an essential part of having a healthy lifestyle. If combined with
regular physical activity, your diet and nutrition can help you reach and
maintain a healthy weight and reduce the risks of developing chronic diseases.
Bad eating habits have contributed to
obesity in the United States, 33.8% are obese and about 17% of children and
adolescents aged 2-9 are obese. A poor diet can also be linked with major
health risks and death, even among people with healthy weight. By having smart
food choices, anyone can protect themselves from these different health issues.
Having a healthy eating plan that incorporates healthy foods from different
food groups can jump start your road to good health. During the 1930s, Dr.
Weston Price studied a number of indigenous cultures around the world. Although
these cultures have no knowledge of nutrition data, Dr. Weston found that
almost everyone who were eating entirely according to their culture and the way
their ancestors did were immune to chronic diseases.
Scientist, experts and medical practitioners who have served these indigenous populations have confirmed that ailments and diseases such as diabetes, obesity, cancer, gastrointestinal issues and arthritis did not manifest or occur until people started to incorporate sugar, white flour, vegetable oils, refined foods, canned foods and other processed foods in their diet. And from their the taste for these kinds of foods will be strong and will become a habit that can lead to an unhealthy lifestyle.
Scientist, experts and medical practitioners who have served these indigenous populations have confirmed that ailments and diseases such as diabetes, obesity, cancer, gastrointestinal issues and arthritis did not manifest or occur until people started to incorporate sugar, white flour, vegetable oils, refined foods, canned foods and other processed foods in their diet. And from their the taste for these kinds of foods will be strong and will become a habit that can lead to an unhealthy lifestyle.
Starting A Healthy Eating Habit
Healthy
eating is not about depriving yourself of the food you love or following strict
nutrition philosophies that are being
unrealistically thin, it is about feeling good, maintaining the mental health,
having more energy and keeping the body as healthy as possible. This can be
achieved by developing good eating
habits and learning some nutrition basics and use them that will work for your
advantage. You can also expand your range of healthy food choices and learn to
plan ahead to develop and create a healthy and tasty diet. Follow these tips to
develop good eating habits.
1. Set yourself for success. Think of planning a healthy diet as different, small and manageable steps rather than a big drastic diet change. Approaching the changes slowly and with the right commitments will have quicker and steadier results. You can simplify by thinking about your diet by variety, color and freshness. This will make it easier to make healthy food choices. Try to focus on finding foods and recipes that you love and incorporate fresh ingredients. Your diet will slowly become healthier. Changing everything at once will eventually lead to cheating, thus small changes are important. As you become used to these small changes, you can continue to add more healthy food choices to your diet.
2.
Moderation is the key. Many people think that eating
healthy is an all or nothing gamble. But most people don’t know is that
moderation is the key. One of the primary goals of healthy eating is to create
a diet that you can maintain for life and not just for a short time. Try to
think of moderation as balanced eating.
Although there are many fad diets going around today, you still need a balance
in protein, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, fiber and minerals to sustain a
healthy body. Eating in moderation or having a balanced diet means eating less
of the unhealthy stuff. Try not to think of certain kinds of food to be
off-limits. When you ban or take-off certain types of foods, it will be natural
to want those foods more and then feel that you have failed once you gave in to
temptation. Start by reducing the portion sizes and avoid eating them as often
as before starting eating habit changes. Once you get used to eating them, your
craving will be less. You can also try to think of having smaller portions. Try
to use a smaller plate and think of the realistic serving sizes. If you’re not
satisfied at the end of a meal, add more vegetables or eat a fresh fruit.
3.
It’s not what you eat, it’s how you eat. Healthy eating is not just the food
on your plate, but also how you think about food. Healthy eating habits can be
developed and earned. It is also important to think about food as a source of
nourishment rather than something to have in between meetings or if you’re on
your way to pick up the kids at school. Eat with a good company will many emotional
and social benefits especially for kids. This will develop a bond between
people because eating is one way of breaking boundaries and inhibitions. Take
time to chew your food and enjoy every minute of your mealtime. Savor every
bite and feel the joy of eating. Don’t skip breakfast and eat small meals
throughout the day to maintain a healthy
metabolism. This will keep your energy up and your mind alert.
4.
Enhance your diet with fruits and
vegetables. Fruits
and vegetables are a healthy diet’s foundation. They are low in calories and
are packed with vitamins, fiber, minerals and antioxidants. Deeply colored
fruits and vegetables have higher levels of minerals, vitamins and
antioxidants. Having five portions a day will greatly improve your health. Antioxidants
and other nutrients from fruits an vegetables also helps protect us from
developing certain types of cancer and
other chronic diseases. Food supplements may be very handy, but nothing beats
the natural goodness of fruits and vegetables.
5.
Eat more whole grains and healthy
carbohydrates.
Choose food with healthy carbohydrates and with high level of fibers like whole
grains. Whole grains provide energy and are rich in antioxidants and phytochemicals,
which help protect the body from cancer, diabetes and coronary heart disease. Many
studies have proven the benefits of whole grains. Whole wheat, brown rice,
barley, bran and millet are good examples of whole grains. Oats and bran are
good sources of healthy carbohydrates.
6.
Enhance your diet with the right
kinds of fats. Food
rich in omega-3 have anti-inflammatory properties and helps in nourishing and
maintain the health of your brain, heart and skin. It also helps in preventing
the development of cancer, diabetes and other cardiovascular ailments. It also
alleviates the symptoms of the mentioned diseases. It helps in preventing Alzheimer’s
disease, dementia and depression. Fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, herring and
sardines are the popular species. Krill
and squid are also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, in fact calamari
has higher levels of the essential fat as compared to fish. Try to lower your
consumption of bad fats such as saturated and trans fats.
There are no magic or shortcuts in
building a healthy eating habit. Stick with the gradual change of plan and everything will fall into place.
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