A balanced and nutritious diet is crucial for maintaining optimal health and managing chronic conditions. Consuming a variety of nutrient-dense foods helps ensure you et the essential vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients your body needs to function properly. This means focusing on a mx of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats.
Eating well can play a significant role in preventing chronic disease like heart disease and diabetes by supporting overall health, regulating blood sugar levels, and maintaining a healthy weight. For those already dealing with chronic conditions, a well-balanced diet can help manage symptoms, improve quality of life, and even reduce the need for medication in some cases.
There is a lot to learn about healthy eating. Start slow by making one or two small changes in your diet at a time. One way to do this is by trying a new vegetable each week. Pick a vegetable that you have never tried before and use it in one meal. By doing this once a week, you will end the year with several new healthy foods in your diet.
Consider writing down your reasons for wanting to eat healthy and read it every day. It is also important to keep track of what you are eating. That’s right, you need to keep a food diary. You may be surprised by what you are eating. An app such as MyFItnessPal can help you to get all the nutrition your body needs.
Make your meals at home so that you do not eat as many ultra-processed foods. These types of foods are associated with decreased nutritional diet quality and obesity. These are foods that come in a package. Often there is more than one serving in a package which causes us to overeat. These foods are also high in added sugar, white flour, and oils. Planning your meals ahead of time can also limit the amount of ultra-processed foods you eat.
Add more plants to your diet. Vegetarians have higher levels of healthy fats, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory compounds in their bodies than non-vegetarians. Fill half your plate with vegetables to increase your intake.
Make sure your plate is balanced. Vegetables should be half of your plate along with one serving of fruit. One quarter of your plate should include protein. This equates to three to four ounces of skinless chicken breast or fish.
Consume foods like baked goods and breads in moderation. Swap out bread on a sandwich for a lettuce wrap. You can also sway out mayonnaise for mustard. Switch sodas for sparkling water or olive oil for butter.
Increase your water intake. Drinking enough water helps to regulate body temperature, process wastes, and protect your joints. Drink water instead of juice or soda.
The key to success in healthy eating is effective planning. Start by going to the grocery store and selecting healthy foods to keep in your refrigerator and pantry. Meal prep a meal or two and use the leftovers for another meal.