The standard American diet is killing Americans and any other nations that have adopted this diet. It involves large amounts of sodium, saturated fats, added sugars, and not nearly enough fruits, vegetables, whole grains, olive oil, or other nutrients the body needs. If you are health conscious or interested in beginning to eat well, then this beginner’s guide is for you.
Sleep, exercise, and diet are the three most important factors that affect your health. Sleep and exercise are pretty straight forward and require mainly a routine and the discipline to follow-through. Your diet, however, is another thing entirely. Not only does it require a routine and discipline, but it also requires you to know what to eat, when, and what to stay away from. It’s not as complicated as it sounds.
Eating healthy comes in two major phases: Eating better quality foods i.e food made with organic ingredients, superfoods, and eliminating unhealthy foods. You should stay away from sodas, processed sugars, artificial sweeteners, saturated fats, etc.
When it comes to eating healthier, you should:
Stick to Organics
Food prepared with organic ingredients is far healthier than junk. The tell-tale sign of organic foods is their nutritional value, so be sure to check the nutritional label when purchasing food.
Labels are not usually straight forward in telling whether a food is organic or not, but you can tell by checking how many added ingredients are natural. The more artificially added ingredients it has, the higher the chances that it went through a few rounds of processing.
Finding organic foods can be pretty tough, especially with highly processed fast foods everywhere. If you have a tough time finding organics in your area, you can visit an online store like Kora organics.
You can also buy organics from online stores that stock several brands of organic foods and even organic skincare products. These online organics hubs allow you to buy organics online and many offer free shipping.
Drink More Water
The standard American diet involves copious amounts of soda and sugary drinks and not nearly enough water. Statistics by Health.gov show a significant percentage of the population exceeds the daily intake limit for sodium, added sugars, and saturated fats—all of which are present in sodas and sugary drinks.
Water, on the other hand, cleanses the system and quenches your thirst without leaving a sticky feeling on your tongue.
Cook Food at Home
Many people give excuses for not cooking at home. Some include “I don’t have time,” “I can’t cook,” “organics are expensive,” “healthy foods don’t taste good.” There are ways around all that.
Everyone has time to cook if they prioritize it. If you have busy weeks, you can cook in bulk on the weekends, store in a fridge, and warm as desired. You even get to save because you’d buy ingredients in bulk.
Secondly, if you’re not a natural at cooking, there are some easy and useful skills you could pick up in a jiffy. There are several online cooking classes and online recipes for cooking delicious healthy meals.
Lastly, there is a common misconception that organic food is expensive. This can sometimes be a valid claim, but eating freshly and healthily is nowhere near as expensive as eating out every day at fast-food chains and restaurants. When you buy your goods from stores like Kora Organics, you can find perks including online ordering (bye-bye pesky grocery store commute) and free shipping.
Healthy food is yummy if you prepare it in a way you like. Here are some tips to make healthy food taste delicious.
Proportion is Key
The trick to getting the most from healthy foods is portion control. It’s not just about eating healthy foods; it’s about eating healthy foods in moderation.
First, you need to understand the difference between a portion and a serving. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, a portion is the total amount of food you eat at a given time. A serving is the recommended amount of food that you should eat on a food label for a product.
According to the Harvard School of Public Health, a healthy plate should be half fruits and vegetables, quarter whole grains, and quarter proteins, and oils in moderation.
