Content

• Steps
• Advice

Changing your diet is an important step toward a healthy body. You need to learn more about how to build a healthy diet instead of just eating fruits and vegetables. Understanding foods will help you develop a good nutrition for your healthy body and mind.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Choosing a Healthy Diet

1. 

   Choose the right starch. Simple starches, like sugar and flour, are quickly absorbed from the digestive tract. This results in excess carbohydrates, and the body has to secrete large amounts of insulin to metabolize those excess carbohydrates. Eat this in moderation. Complex starches, by contrast, are slowly digested. These include: whole wheat flour, healthy vegetables, oats, and unprocessed grains like brown rice. These foods are often higher in vitamins and other nutrients that are good for the body, and they also have more fiber (which helps the digestive system work smoothly).
   • Consider dark green vegetables like kale, collard greens, broccoli, and kale. These vegetables contain many nutrients that you can absorb quickly. Make a simple stir fry with olive oil, garlic, a little salt and pepper, you will be surprisingly delicious as a nutritious dish.

     

     
     
   • Choose black bread over white bread and whole wheat pasta over "normal" pasta. Processed starches, like white bread, are very nutritious and contain only empty calories. Simple oatmeal is also good for you.

     

2. Eat lean protein at a reasonable level. Aim for 10% to 35% of your daily calorie intake for protein. Protein helps to strengthen your muscles and provides energy for the whole day. Some examples of healthy protein include:
   • Lean fish like halibut, cod, sea bass, perch and buffalo tongue.

     

     
     
   • Lean poultry such as chicken breast, duck breast.

     

   • Legumes such as beans and soy foods (such as Japanese soybeans and tofu).

     

     
     
   • Nuts like cashews.

     

3. 

   Know the difference between good fats and bad fats. You need to absorb fat in order to perform the proper functions of your body. However, it is important to choose the right type of fat. Here are some basics.
   • Monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids are good fats, and should be included in your diet regularly. They help reduce the amount of "bad cholesterol" in the body by increasing the amount of "good cholesterol". Foods high in fatty acids include olive oil, nuts, fish oil, and seed oils. Adding these "good" fats to your weekly diet will lower your cholesterol and risk of heart disease.
   • Avoid trans fats and saturated fats. Trans fats are unsaturated fats commonly found in processed foods and consuming them increases your risk of heart disease. Read the food sticker you use and look for the word "hydrogenated" in the list of ingredients.

4. 

   Stock up on superfoods. The phrase superfood can be misleading, but some foods actually have that remarkable ability. Superfoods can fight cardiovascular disease, fight cancer, lower cholesterol, and even improve your mood. Here are a few types of superfoods:
   • Blueberry. Blueberries can boost brain health. If you don't have blueberries, use fresh berries, raspberries, and cranberries.
   • Seaweed. It doesn't sound that appealing, but when you read this list of health benefits you'll have to think again. Seaweed is rich in vitamins, minerals and amino acids, as well as good for maintaining the natural environment in the gut.
   • Salmon. Another marine animal listed on the good food list. Salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are good fats. Omega-3 fats are beneficial for blood pressure, brain function, and heart health.
   • Cranberries. This red berry contains quercetinA natural antioxidant, low in sugar, and high in vitamin C, good for cell tissue growth and regeneration in the body.

5. 

   Control the amount of salt used. Humans need salt in moderation, more salt will lead to high blood pressure and osteoporosis. Use less salt and regularly check the salt content on the label.

6. 

   Diet. Do not overuse any food or food product. Instead, try to diversify your menu so that each item is eaten in small quantities.
   • Some people may be very good at giving up on meat, sugar, alcohol or other foods. However, most of them only do it for a short time, then get discouraged and then start eating again. Avoid that cycle of innocent fasting by allowing yourself to apply a little "trick". For example, if you want to eat less sugar, allow yourself a dessert on Friday night and stop eating for the rest of each week. Take a break to move on, that will give you more determination for the rest of the day.
   advertisement

Part 2 of 3: Making Easy but Healthy Decisions

1. 

   Drink a lot of water. Avoid dehydration with the basic formula H₂O is the easy and effective way to improve health. Drinking enough water can help you lose weight by keeping your stomach full. Drinking water before, during and after meals will aid in digestion.
   • If you feel like snacking, drink a full glass of water first. 15 minutes after drinking, if you're still hungry, it's time for snacking.
   • Bring water with you to drink when thirsty.

2. 

   Avoid sugary drinks. They are soft drinks, fruit juices, sports drinks, energy drinks as well as other sweetened foods. Giving up sugary drinks is one of the easiest ways to quickly improve your diet and become healthier. One cup of creamy milk chocolate frappuccino coffee provides up to 500 calories. Although allowing me to enjoy such beverages from time to time, it would not be a good idea to consider it an integral part of my diet.

3. 

   Consider joining the campaign Monday without meat. Meatless Monday is a large-scale international campaign to encourage people not to eat meat one day per week. Eating less meat is beneficial because most people eat enough protein in their diet.

4. 

   Stay away from fast food. As we all know, fast food is bad for health but it is still the weekly diet for many people. First, fast foods are often fried, processed and contain too much salt. Add French fries and soft drinks, so one meal easily consumes half the calories you need throughout the day. What's more, the majority of the fat in fast foods is trans fat, the most harmful of all.

5. 

   Reduce your alcohol intake. Excessive alcohol consumption will cause you to gain weight and overactive liver leads to a wide range of preventable diseases. Moderate drinking is key, if you have to drink alcohol, consider drinking a glass of wine or beer while you eat instead of drinking lots of drinks at the bar.
   • Red wine, for example, contains polyphenols or resveratrol that scientists believe are especially good for the heart. Resveratrol improves the blood vessel function of the heart and limits the amount of "bad" cholesterol in your body.
   • Are you pregnant or having problems drinking alcohol? Doctors recommend that pregnant women not drink alcohol.
   advertisement

Part 3 of 3: Changing Your Mind

1. 

   Have a healthy attitude toward food. Carefully examine your eating habits. Do you eat more when under stress? Do you throw away the food so that it feels in control? Try to assess whether you have an unhealthy emotional attachment to food. If so, here are a few steps for you to consider doing:
   • Choose a healthier substitute. If you find yourself prone to eating a lot of unhealthy foods under stress, replace it with an activity - for example, you could walk, take a longer bath, call a best friend. Whatever you choose, it should be something that helps you reduce your stress so that you won't feel cravings anymore.
   • See food as nutrients. Western culture is full of food-like messages for entertainment or to reduce boredom. Get rid of that cognitive habit by consciously evaluating food for whether it keeps your body healthy. Ask yourself if what you are going to put in your mouth is good and if it will help your body move normally.
   • Consult a medical professional. An eating disorder is classified as a mental illness, and you may not always be able to remind yourself to stop harmful behaviors. If you suspect that you have an eating disorder (whether overeating or eating too little), talk to your doctor for appropriate treatment.

2. 

   Determine how many calories your body needs to function each day. This number can vary significantly, depending on your food metabolism and activity level. In principle, the larger the muscle, the more calories it takes to function properly. Otherwise, your body breaks down muscle tissue for energy.
   • If you are the type of person who just smelt the food to gain weight, the amount of calories needed per day would be about 2000 calories for men and 1500 calories for women. Friend size plays a role here too - people with greater natural suffering need more calories and vice versa.
   • If you are a eater who is not gaining weight or being active, you can increase your daily calorie intake by 1000-2000 calories, for women, a little less.

3. 

   Do not skip breakfast. Many people do this because they think they will lose weight, but otherwise they will only feel hungry in the morning. While the scientific evidence is incomplete, there are a few reasons you won't want to overlook what many believe as the "most important meal of the day".
   • Eating breakfast helps to keep food metabolism working and to stay active throughout the morning. This keeps you energized throughout the morning.
   • Skipping breakfast will make you hungry at lunch, leaving you eating a lot to make up for it.
   • A small breakfast is better than nothing. If you don't want a full meal, at least drink water and eat some fruit, a nut and jam bar (granola bar) or a piece of toast. Eating a fruit smoothie in the morning will provide even more nutrients.
   • Avoid skipping breakfast on the day of an important test, job interview, or other decisive event as you may be distracted by hunger or not have enough energy for your brain to work to its fullest .
4. Eat slowly. Have you ever plugged in a full meal and felt immediately satisfied but only 15 minutes later getting hungry? This happens because your stomach takes a while to signal your brain it's full. Avoid this by eating slowly. That way, when you get the signal and start to feel satisfied, you don't have to eat any more.
   
   
   • Slow down by waiting 5 or 10 minutes between dishes. Chew each piece thoroughly.

     

   • Drink a full glass of water with meals. Stopping to drink water will slow you down, helping you feel fuller.
   • Put the chopsticks down between grabs. Here's how to remind you to finish chewing before eating another bite.

     

5. 

   Eat 5 meals a day. You might consider eating three main meals a day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), along with two alternate snacks. This helps you eat less during meals, digest a controlled amount of food, and keep your blood sugar at a steady level throughout the day. advertisement

Advice

• Fat-free yogurt can be a great snack, and the beneficial bacteria in yogurt help solve stomach problems.
• Try to chew more. This will give your body more time to digest food and absorb nutrients.
• Persistence. You will not see a rapid drop in cholesterol or weight loss or an immediate increase in energy. You need a change in your diet for some time to be motivated. You may notice the change a few weeks later.
• Eat before you go to the market so you can focus on a list of vegetables to buy without unnecessary necessities.
• With labels that say "fat free" or "sugar free", that means more chemicals. In general, the simpler the ingredient, the healthier the food. For example, making homemade orange juice is always healthier than buying orange juice to store it even though it's labeled fat-free. If you make your own juice at home, you will know the exact ingredients in the juice, no matter whether the label is trustworthy or not.
• Try to reduce your intake of harmful foods.
• Losing weight isn't always about your appearance, it's about your health.
• Try to make your own seasonings instead of buying unhealthy sauces.
• Eat smaller servings. Use a small bowl to reduce portion size.
• Eat lots of green vegetables.
• Instead of limiting foods, replace them with other foods. If you like cakes, replace them with sweet strawberries or blueberries. If you like french fries, replace it with unsalted popcorn. Think about the foods you can eat instead of focusing on the foods you try not to.