(ThyBlackMan.com) It seems like everyone wants to become more healthy. But now we’re halfway through the year, the chances are those New Year’s resolutions are long gone. If you are still nowhere near to reaching your health and fitness goals for this year; don’t despair. There is still time to make wise and sustainable changes to your diet. And they could help you to get in shape and improve your health.
Overhauling your eating habits can be a shock to the system, so it’s important to plan ahead. These twelve changes to your dietary habits are all useful and sustainable. And if you take notice of the ones that you think will help you, you should be able to improve your health in a safe way. So, start reading and then take action.
- Don’t Expect a New Diet to Solve Your Problems
You might feel like your poor diet is the root cause of all of your problems, but that might not be true. Don’t get me wrong, improving your diet and becoming more healthy is always a good thing. But it’s not necessarily the only thing that is causing you problems. If you are overweight, a change to your diet should be combined with a new exercise regime. And if you are feeling sluggish and drained, there might be other factors affecting this. It’s important not to expect too much when you change your diet because that often leads to nothing but disappointment. And that can lead to despondency and regression into old habits.
- Consume the Right Fats
There are good fats to consume and bad fats. Unfortunately, many dieters simply know the difference between them. When we think of fat in foods, we just assume that it’s bad. That’s not always true though. You have to dig a little deeper and find out what kinds of fat are contained in the food. Only then will you be able to ensure that you are consuming the right fats. Saturated and trans fats are the ones that you should stay away from. They raise your cholesterol and make you more likely to suffer heart disease. Healthy fats can be found in plants and natural foods though.
- Stick to Your List When Shopping for Food
Buying food is something we all do each week. We walk around the shop and through whatever we need to buy into a basket. But there should be a little more thought that goes into your food shopping if you want to stay healthy. For a start, you should make a comprehensive list. This will guide you when you are looking for what you need to buy. If you stick to this list, you will only buy the foods that you really need, rather than the foods you fancy the look of. Shops are very good at stacking snacks and junk food in a way that grabs our attention and persuades us to buy them. Don’t fall for those tricks.
- Eat at Set Times and Stay Consistent
Consistency can help to improve your diet and health massively. If you’re someone who has quite erratic eating habits, then controlling your calories becomes harder. You should have a plan that allows you to eat at certain times of the day. When you eat and how much you eat at those times is up to you. But by making your eating patterns regular and consistent, you can train your metabolism and improve your overall health. Some people like to eat small amounts of food every two or three hours rather than having three bigger meals. So, find the method that’s right for you.
- If You’re Not Hungry, Don’t Keep Eating
These days, most of us are rarely ever hungry. We are lucky enough to have an overabundance of food, meaning that we can eat whenever we like. If you want to control how much you eat and improve your health, you should start to take notice of how hungry you are. If you’re not hungry, then don’t pick up that snack. Many of us snack on foods not because of hunger, but because of boredom. That’s not a good reason to eat. Instead, you should stick to eating foods when you feel hungry and ready to eat. And once you no longer feel any hunger, you should stop.
- Switch to a Healthier Mayo
If you’re someone who uses lots of mayo in your diet, you could be adding lots of extra fat to what you eat. If you stopped to check the bottle of the mayo that you use, you would probably be shocked by how much fat you find. It’s something that many people don’t realise. The eggs in the mayo can also be damaging, and your cholesterol can also rise. There are other ideas that you can choose though. Companies like Hampton Creek create mayo that doesn’t include eggs. You can find more Hampton Creek details in the LA times before you make the switch.
- Add Flavour with Salsa
When we feel that the food we’re eating lacks some flavour, we often add something to it. But unfortunately, what we add tends to be pretty unhealthy. For example, you might add a mass-produced ketchup. Or you might add some extra salt. These things are not good for you, so it’s time to start thinking about what the alternatives are. One of the best things you can add is salsa. It’s very healthy because all it is is tomato and other vegetables added to it. If you make your own salsa, you will know exactly what is going into it as well. On top of that, it tastes great and adds some extra flavour to your food.
- Eat High-Fibre Snacks
Snacking is something most of us do. You’re never going to completely stop doing it. So, rather than trying to take on a task that seems impossible, why not just eat snacks that are better for you? Most snacks that you find in shops are salty, high in fat and based around carbohydrates. If you eat too many of these, you will put on weight quickly and your health will suffer. So, what are the other options? You should focus on natural snacks that are full of fibre. These include various types of nuts and fruits. Snacks like these are so much better for you than what you’ll find in most shops.
- Find Meat Alternatives
There is nothing inherently wrong with having meat in your diet. It can be very good for you, and we all need the protein that it offers. But you can have too much meat, especially red meat, in your diet. So, if you are someone who eats lots of steak and pork, you should look at the alternatives. This could be things like fish. Fish offers you the same amount of protein, and it has omega-3, which is good for your brain. Or you could use meat substitutes that many vegetarians eat. It is much healthier than ordinary meat, so give it a try. These days, it is produced to a high standard and it tastes good.
- Reevaluate Your Portions
You should reevaluate your portion sizes that you have each day. If you consume too much, then it doesn’t matter if what you eat is relatively healthy. Portion control is a big deal at the moment. People often eat bigger portions than they really need without even realising it. This is a danger though, and it’s important you give it some thought. There are plenty of detailed portion size guides that you can find and use online. These tell you how much is the right amount to eat of each kind of food.
- Cook Your Own Meals to Limit Additives
When you buy foods that have been prepared in a factory and then frozen, you don’t think about what goes into it. Yes, you can read the packet. But who understands all those additives and long words. If you do eat these kinds of foods, then you will have to accept that there are plenty of additives in them. There are alternatives though. You could prepare all your own food. This is the only way to ever know what you are putting into your body. When you use fresh ingredients in your food, you can be sure that only good things, free from additives, are in your diet.
- Drink More Water
Finally, you should think about what you drink. To put it simply, the best thing that you can drink is water. This is healthy, free from any sugar or added chemicals, and it’s easily accessible. You don’t need to drink bottled water because the water from your kitchen tap is just as good. Stay away from the sodas and fizzy drinks that are full of sugar. These can cause you to put on weight as much as unhealthy and fatty foods can. So, keep it simple and drink plenty of water. It’s one of the best dietary changes that you can possibly make.
Staff Writer; David Brown
