Everyone knows that your diet plays an important role in your overall health. If you feel that your poor diet is having an adverse effect on areas of your health or your weight, then it is time to take steps towards eating a healthier diet. Here are some simple measures you can take to improve your eating habits.
It is not always what you eat; it is the amount you eat. Watching your portion sizes and eating the right proportion of each food group is important to maintaining a healthy weight and improving your health. Your hand is a useful tool for keeping your portion sizes in control. For example, your palm is about the size of a portion of protein, such as meat or fish.
If you are eating healthy, balanced meals three times a day, this should be sufficient to keep up your energy levels and you should not need to snack. If hunger strikes between meals, choose healthier options, such as fruit, crudities or a small serving of either dried fruit or nuts. Avoid fatty, sugary or salty snacks, like chips or candy.
Including dairy products in your diet is important as they are a great source of calcium and other nutrients essential to health. However, most dairy products are high in fat. Therefore, you should limit yourself to only eating small portions of cheese and opt for semi-skimmed or skimmed milk and low-fat yoghurt, cream cheese and other dairy products.
People generally think about cutting out fat and calories when they think about healthy eating. However, salt intake is another aspect of your diet to take into consideration. Too much salt has a detrimental effect on your organs and can lead to the deterioration of your health. Many foods naturally contain salt, so there is very little need to add salt to your meals.
Buying convenience foods may seem like a great way to save time. However, it is more cost-effective to prepare your meals yourself and is unlikely to take you much longer. The biggest advantage is that you will know exactly what is in your food, so you can be sure to only include healthy ingredients. You only need some very basic equipment to make your own meals, such as a set of knives and one or two wood cutting boards. If you have a wooden kitchen, then you can buy a cutting board to coordinate with the wood finish in your kitchen as there is a great selection available from Wood Cutting Boards, including maple cutting boards and walnut cutting boards.
By making these simple changes to your eating habits, you will find that you are much healthier. Losing weight is an added bonus for people who are overweight. It is important to remember that eating is only one contributory factor to your health. It is also important to exercise regularly and avoid unhealthy habits, such as smoking tobacco products.