Adopting a healthy diet should, in time, turn into a lifestyle. Whenever people hear about diet plans, they think about unpleasant activities which limit the intake of food. These kinds of diets are the worst kind. Their results are not usually long-standing and people who go through them end up thinking they are worthless. The idea of a healthy diet should be more broad. In this article you will learn about ways to be on a diet, but not feel the burden of it.
First of all, people need to consume a large variety of foods. You should be able to eat just about anything you want, but in limited portions. The key to success is balance. Make sure you pay attention to the portions you consume. A healthy meal is not necessarily a large meal. There are certain healthy foods which you can eat in larger portions, like broccoli or spinach. However, when it comes to less healthy foods with a large amount of calories, you should limit yourself. Then, you should make sure you eat at least two cups of vegetables and two cups of fruit per day. A healthy lifestyle must include fruit and vegetables. If you happen to be one of those persons who rarely eats fruit and vegetables, make sure you slowly introduce them in your daily meals. One apple a day should give you a good start. Also, make sure you choose the whole fruit over juice. It is important that you consume the entire fruit because that way you enhance your fiber intake. Fibers make our metabolism run faster.
Make sure you avoid refined wheat and sugary cereals. Instead, replace them with whole grains (whole wheat, barley, oats). Whole grains are healthy because they retain the bran, germ and all the nutrients and fiber of the grain. Refined wheat are simply empty calories. It is healthy to avoid any kind of refined carbohydrates in white bread, pasta and snacks. These foods have no fiber and they have been completely stripped of any nutrients during their processing. Make sure you replace your ordinary snacks with healthy ones, such as nuts. Nuts supply enough healthy unsaturated fats. Other healthy foods which provide healthy fats are avocados, most fatty fish and vegetable oils. Recent studies have revealed that these foods do not promote weight gain, even if they are high in calories. Of course, when it comes to them, the key is balance. Make sure you do not eat too much of either. However, if you choose to substitute your regular oil with olive oil or canola oil you will be making a healthy change. These healthy oils can reduce heart disease and have other healthy benefits for your metabolism and skin. The solution is cutting down on saturated fats, from red meat or processed meat and replacing them with healthy foods, like white meat or fish. Cholesterol is found in animal foods, such as meat and eggs. According to the American Heart Association, in order to remain healthy, you need to limit the intake of cholesterol to maximum 300 mg per day. For people with high cholesterol levels, the intake should be less than 200 mg.
Make sure you maintain the proper levels of calcium and vitamin D in your body. This can easily be done by consuming fruit and vegetables on a regular basis. Healthy eating habits represent a healthy functioning body. Make sure you limit, as much as possible the intake of alcohol. Regular consumption of alcohol is not healthy, because it can affect the balance of minerals and vitamins in your body. Also, it can damage your general health, in time. As always, the key is balance.
