Out of 24 hours a day, an average person sleeps for almost seven to eight hours. In the remaining 15 to 16 hours, whatever a person eats or doesn’t eat has a direct impact on his or her health and fitness. The composition of the food we eat determines the composition of our body. An average adult loses about 300 billion cells to old age every day and must replace them. Our bodies are literally made out of the food we consume. So, the more healthy we eat the healthier we become.
Eating healthy is fairly simple but the rise in popular “diets” and “dieting” trends has made healthy eating complicated. The foods that you eat have big effects on your health and quality of life.
Broadly speaking, there are two kinds of food – “healthy food” and “junk food.” Both of these foods will produce energy. However, healthy food provides the body with the right kind of energy. It also improves the functions of the various complex systems of the body and increases its durability and longevity besides providing resilience against diseases.
Junk food, on the other hand, has a negative effect on the human body as it makes a person more vulnerable to diseases and causes various metabolic disorders in the body. In the long run, junk food contributes to the breaking down of the body. A healthy diet is a eating pattern that provides enough essential nutrients from dense foods. It contains a variety of foods from all the basic food groups. A healthy diet also focuses on balancing calories consumed with calories expended to help you achieve and sustain a healthy weight. Eating healthy limits the intake of solid fats, sugar and salt. Healthy foods are minimally processed and as direct from nature as possible. They are whole and free of sweeteners, colorings, hormones, chemicals and unneeded calories . Prefer to eat foods with one-word ingredients such as spinach, carrots, almonds, apples, and oranges. The more organic you eat, the fewer calories it will take for you to feel satisfied. The reason? Processing takes out nutrients such as fiber and antioxidants. Clean foods contain lots of fiber and fluid, a high ratio of nutrients to calories and are free of any added flavors and chemicals — all of which sends signals of satiety to your brain before you consume too many foods. As an example, think of how many raw peanuts you eat before stopping, then compare it to salted roasted peanuts — that coating spurs you to eat more.
When it comes to eating clean, you don’t have to be perfect, you just need to take one step at a time, and you don’t have to change everything all at once—that usually leads to strong cravings and giving up on your new eating plan. The first step is to create a meal plan and setting modest goals which can help you achieve more in the long term without feeling deprived or overwhelmed by a major diet overhaul. Healthy eating starts with great planning. Think of planning a healthy diet as a number of small, manageable steps—like adding a salad to your diet once a day, curbing the bakery items and eating an early dinner. A weekly meal plan can help you to make better choices, save money and time as well. Cooking meals at home lets you take charge of what you are eating and better monitor the ingredients that goes into your food.
Having a well stocked kitchen full of healthy foods and snacks, a stash of quick and easy recipes puts you in the drivers seat in the quest of eating and getting healthier. The healthier food you eat, the better you’ll feel after having a meal. As your small changes become a habit, you can continue to add more healthy choices.
Eating well can reduce our risk of any major chronic disease by 80 percent and reach into our innermost selves to improve the health of our genes. Eating small meals after every three to four hours keeps your metabolism running at full speed, prevents dips in your energy, keeps you alert and focused and will help keep your weight steady by preventing overeating at later meals.
Don’t look for quick fixes, stay away from products promising a weight loss solution, infomercials claiming it takes only five minutes for great abs, and hundreds of books suggesting their diet is “the best”. Drink plenty of water. Water helps flush our systems off waste products and toxins. Dehydration causes tiredness, low energy, and headaches. It’s common to mistake thirst for hunger, so drinking lots of water will also help you make healthier food choices.
Eat only as much food as your body needs. You should feel satisfied at the end of a meal, not stuffed. Focus on eating more fruits and vegetables on daily basis as they are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber and it will naturally fill you up and help you cut back on unhealthy foods.
Proper nutrition combined with regular moderate physical activity of 30 to 60 minutes a day plus a good night’s sleep of seven to eight hours can really add life to your years and years to your life. If you want to feel and look healthier, then reach for the good stuff. Eat healthy for life.
The writer is a Certified Trainer and a Sports Nutritionist working at ABC Fitness Hub
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