When cooking, use as little butter as possible. Instead, use olive oil. It contains monounsaturated fats which are actually healthy and beneficial to your health. Butter is loaded with saturated fat, something that is harder for your body to burn through and increases your risk of heart complications. So, use olive oil as a substitute for butter, whenever possible.
When you eat a salad, put your dressing on the side for dipping your fork. Most of the calories in a salad come from the salad dressing that is poured on top. If you put the dressing on the side instead, and put a little bit on your fork before you pick up a bite of salad, you will still get the flavor of the dressing without using a lot of dressing. This will really cut down on the calories consumed.
Stick to all-natural foods instead of those produced and refined in factories. Many times those foods add items such as extra fats, oils, greases and preservatives that can really harm your body. Try shopping from the parts of the stores where you can purchase produce, healthy protein and other "from the earth" products.
Always choose products with the most vitamins listed on the nutrition label. Choosing one product with more vitamins than another similar tasting product, will help your body build up your immune system, strengthen your bones and provide you many more health benefits, over a long period of time.
Digestibility needs to be considered along with the nutritional value of foods. Some studies (notably by Dr. Weston Price)show that traditional methods of preparing grains make them more digestible and add food value. These methods soak the grains and cause fermentation, which in turn creates enzymes that help us digest these foods.
Foods marketed as health foods are not always as healthy as you may think they are. Be sure to always check the nutritional information on the packaged or prepared foods that you eat and pay attention to the serving sizes as well. A snack food may have small amount of fat per serving, but if you eat several servings at a time, the small amounts of fat can add up.
When considering your nutrition, be sure to watch out for foods that may appear healthy but end up being quite the opposite. There can be a lot of hidden fat and sodium in otherwise healthy looking snacks. Smoothies can end up having a lot of fat calories and sugar depending on the ingredients used. Energy bars can be a hidden source of a large amount of calories. Fat free foods can contain the same amount of calories as regular versions.
Though refined carbohydrates such as white bread and white/table sugar may taste good, they are far less nutritious than unrefined carbohydrates such as whole wheat bread and brown/raw sugar. You should avoid refined carbohydrates whenever possible, or at the very least balance your diet between refined and unrefined carbohydrates. Unrefined carbohydrates make your body consume energy to process them, keeping your metabolism up and allowing a sustained level of energy rather than a drastic spike up and then down as is the case with refined carbohydrates.
Clean out your fridge, freezer and cabinets. Toss the "bad" foods and replace with health alternatives. Keep fresh fruit and veggies on hand for snacking. Put a note on the refrigerator that says "no junk allowed" if you must. If you have kids, have a special place for any of their snacks that might tempt you.
Sometimes people fail when trying to lose weight because they allow themselves to get so busy, and don't have the time or energy to cook anything. Make an emergency kit for times like these that is filled with healthy foods like nuts, fruits and veggies. Take that with you wherever you go, and if you are hungry you will have something to eat that does not include a drive through and extra pounds.
If you're pregnant, make sure you limit the amount of caffeine you ingest. You shouldn't drink more than two cups of coffee a day while you're pregnant. Too much caffeine can lead to you either having a miscarriage or the baby being underweight when it's born, so it's important to limit the amount you take in.
Greek yogurt is higher in protein than the traditional yogurts we are used to. They are much thicker and more filling too. Consider switching to a greek yogurt for your morning smoothie, afternoon snack, or as part of a fruit and grain parfait. The added protein is especially important if you are a vegetarian.
Eat oatmeal for breakfast. Oatmeal is a great source of fiber, protein and whole grains. It will fill you up, keep you full and help to clean the cholesterol out of your system. Oatmeal can be eaten plain, or with whole fruit added to sweeten it up.
If you want to get the most nutritional value out of your food, think colorful. Colorful fruits and vegetables are full of valuable nutrients. Eating a rainbow of colors each day will provide you with the greatest variety of nutritional value. As a bonus, it will make your plate look beautiful and appealing, making you want to eat your nutritional meals.
As we suggested in the here introduction, nutrition is vital for health. In today's world, not everyone has the lifestyle to cook elaborate meals or keep records of the nutrients they're taking in, and in the current climate, not everyone will be able to afford expensive food. In this article, we've made some straight forward suggestions for ways different people can improve their nutrition- try some out and we're sure you'll notice the improvement in your health.
