Make A Change – Just Not All At Once
More people of all ages are taking a greater interest in eating healthier. Healthy eating doesn’t mean going on a strict diet, it just means to change some of our eating habits. Would you believe that you can still eat burgers or enjoy a cocktail while eating healthier and better?
We don’t need to change our menus overnight. Simply make small changes in how we eat and what we eat. Make one meal change each day until you feel comfortable and more knowledgeable about what foods are best for maintaining your health.
We’re not joking about eating burgers or having a cocktail. You can eat nutritious burgers and have a mocktail made with fruits like the Monin drink recipes, including the “Pacific Rim Martini.” Mock drinks are a lot better for you than drinking lots of alcohol that is unhealthy.
Keep your focus on adding healthy foods to your daily meals instead of thinking about taking away what we deem as unhealthy foods. Add more fruits, low-fat milk, yogurt, vegetables, grains, and healthy snack foods to your shopping list.
Eating Less Is More
We’ve always believed that you can eat pretty much what you want but in moderation. You do not need to feel deprived of eating what you are used to having for lunch or dinner. You will defeat the purpose of eating healthier if you become too strict about changing your eating habits. Restricting your dietary intake generally means that you will probably relapse by overeating the wrong foods to satisfy your hunger.
Let’s stay on the subject of eating less of what we are used to enjoying. The world’s most popular foods like hot dogs, bacon, ribs, and burgers are high in fat with sugar content. Instead, there are turkey burgers, turkey hot dogs, and beef ribs, that make healthier substitutes than their counterparts.
Add some “french fries” made from sweet potatoes which are the latest menu item in various restaurants. There are easy online recipes that show you how simple and delicious potato fries really are. Substituting what we are used to eating with alternative options helps to keep our blood sugar levels stable. Eating more nutrient-rich foods also helps to fend off those nagging hunger pangs.
Consider lessening your consumption of saturated fats, trans fats, or high-caloric foods like sweets, fried foods, butter, creamy sauces, and mayo. Add foods low in fat and which are rich in omega oils like omega 9 and omega 3. All you have to do is add these nutritious food substitutes once a day at either meal and increase your chances of lowering heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, or some forms of cancer.
Drink With Taste and No Sugar
Let’s talk about what we drink. Naturally, at the top of our drink list is water! An adult human body is made up of 50% to 65% water. A child’s body contains around 75% water. Our bodies require replacement water of around 8 glasses of water daily. You can also add ingredients to your water to pump up its flavor. Add lemons and herbs like basil, rosemary, and mint.
As much as we need water to remain hydrated and healthy, let’s be honest, we don’t want to drink only water 24-hours a day. We need a little more diversity in our drinks. There are common drinks that nourish our bodies and which are very tasty to drink.
A few drinks in addition to water include:
– green tea/ice tea/fruit teas
– orange juice
– low-fat milk
– pomegranate juice
– hot chocolate
– cranberry juice
Additional drinks can be made by you at home: fruit or vegetable smoothies, fruit punch drinks, and sports or energy drinks. We know that you are asking about our office favorite – soda! The sugar content in soda contains over 16 ounces of sugar.
Non-diet soda contains sweeteners in the form of high fructose corn syrup. Yes, we said not to totally deprive yourself, but in the case of soft drinks, how about drinking less – a lot less each day.
Don’t forget about the five food groups recommended by the USDA that are to be a part of your daily meals: fruits, grains, vegetables, and protein. Stay healthy and make important changes to your diet and what you drink to remain healthier.
