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Everyone has heard the old proverb “health is wealth,” and it is 100% right. If you are healthy, you are the wealthiest person in the world because you cannot buy health with money, and if you are not beneficial, no matter whether you are a millionaire or a billionaire, you cannot enjoy your life. A healthy eating routine plays an essential role in maintaining our health. Healthy eating habits guarantee a healthy life, but unhealthy habits eventually lead to diseases and illnesses.
Every day we are faced with many choices. They can be about our careers, our finances, and our health. Some options can be good for us, while others are not. Every one of us has some fitness or health goals we want to achieve. But the most crucial factor in achieving our health goals is our eating routine or habits. There are many healthy eating habits, but we will only discuss some of them, and later we will discuss why healthy eating habits are essential.
Skip soft drinks and choose water
Soft drinks and soda are loaded with sugar to the point where they are unfit for daily consumption. If you have a habit of drinking soda after every meal, then you are deteriorating your health without even knowing. Even canned juices contain added sugar and preservatives that contribute to various health complications like obesity, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, liver disease, and metabolic syndrome. According to dietary guidelines, the daily intake of sugar should not exceed 10% of your total calorie intake.
It means that if you eat 2000 calories daily, you should not eat more than 12 teaspoons of sugar. The best way to quench your thirst is to replace soft drinks with regular water. Drink plenty of water, as water is a medium for all the chemical reactions in your body and eliminates waste. Water is not an essential nutrient, but sometimes it is placed in this category due to its importance. Drink roughly eight glasses of water daily. So next time you want to drink something, drink water instead of Fizzy drinks.
Eat fermented foods
Include fermented foods in your diet, like kimchi and sauerkraut. These foods taste delicious and provide probiotics that support your gut health, and a healthy gut means a healthy body. You can also eat plain yogurt to get the necessary probiotics. Start your day by eating yogurt to get some fermented goodness.
Eat 2 to 3 servings of fish.
Fish, especially salmon, are rich in DHA and Omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, selenium, and other vital nutrients. According to dietary guidelines, weekly fish intake should be at least eight ounces, and most people do not meet this demand, while others miss the mark. Eating fish regularly not only improves your health but also increases your life expectancy. People who eat fish regularly live a longer 2.2 years than people who do not eat fish. Eating fish reduces cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, and even type 2 diabetes.
Eat fruits and vegetables.
Eating two to three servings of fruits and vegetables daily is essential for healthy eating. But despite this, only one American out of 10 meets this criterion.
Fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants that reduce the risk of health complications like cancer, heart disease, stroke, and oxidative stress. You can eat fruits and vegetables as snacks whenever you like eating or crave something. Fruit and vegetable salads are loaded with many essential nutrients. Eating fresh fruits and vegetables is better, but if you do not have these, you can also eat dried or frozen fruits and vegetables.
Enjoy your meal
Food is meant to be enjoyed, but if you are eating in front of a TV or a laptop screen, you are not paying attention to your food and only focusing on what you are watching. This not only results in overeating because you ultimately lose track of your calories but also results in obesity. Instead, eat your meals with your friends and family to enjoy what you eat while being mindful of how much you eat.
Don’t eat the same foods.
A healthy and balanced diet contains various food items because each provides specific essential nutrients. So please do not eat the same foods on repeat because it will result in nutrient deficiency and make eating tedious for you. Dietitians recommend eating the rainbow, meaning you should eat vegetables and fruits of different colors throughout the week.
Fried food
We all know how much we enjoy fried food items, but overeating fried food is linked to unhealthy outcomes. You can replace deep frying with air frying or baking if you want to eat crispy food.
Eat breakfast regularly
You must have heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and studies have suggested that it is true. Breakfast provides you with many vital nutrients and energy to start your day. People who skip breakfast eat more calories throughout the day than those who eat breakfast.
Herbs and Spices instead of salt
Consuming sodium in regulated quantities is essential, but most of us like salty and spicy foods. Overeating sodium or salt increases the risk of hypertension. To reduce sodium intake, you can replace salt with herbs and spices to season your dishes. You can add salt to your words, not more than one teaspoon, because a single teaspoon contains more than 2000 milligrams of sodium.
Plan meals
Planning your meals or what you will eat throughout the week promotes a healthier diet, as people who do so experience less obesity. Make a list of all the ingredients required to make dishes throughout the week, and decide what you will eat. Eat a different meal each day. This will not only develop healthy habits but will also be exciting.
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