It is almost the end of the year! A new year bring affords everyone a fresh start, a chance to set new goals and improve on previous attempts. While taking time out to plan out your resolutions, it helps to make your diet plans a huge part of the process as well. Because we need to be as healthy and as strong as we can be to do all the other things we want to do, right? Just the way you set goals for your career, family, projects and so on, you should endeavor to have a nutrition goal as well.
In this post, we’re taking note of a few tips you might want to inculcate into your nutritional plans for the new year. These are simple, easy-to-follow tips that would go a long way to keeping you healthy throughout the year.
Increase daily water intake
Water plays an important role in aiding all of the body’s processes, including digestion and elimination. This coming new year, make it a habit to drink about 2 liters of water each day, regardless of whether you are thirsty or not. To make it easier for you, you might want to flavor up your water by adding lime or some other fruit in your water bottle. Most times we mistake thirst for hunger so, always keep a glass of water handy while you work. When you are on a diet, water also acts as a weight loss aid because it can help you eat less. It is also very low in calories.
Eat more vegetables and fruits
Generally eating more fruits and vegetables can give a tremendous boost to your nutrition. Make the decision to make them an important component of your daily diet, as they contain vitamins and minerals that can help to keep you healthy. They can also help protect against some diseases and are a good supply of dietary fiber, and fiber intake is linked to lower incidence of cardiovascular disease and obesity.
Limit sugar intake
Sugar is sweet, no doubt, but it is also high in calories and doesn’t provide much nutrition. This new year try cutting down on ‘hidden’ sugars, such as those found in juices, yogurt and condiments. And also, reducing the amount of added sugars we eat cuts calories and can help you improve your heart health and control your weight. One good way to limit your sugar intake from drinks and such is to try to eat more fruits each time you feel the urge to snack on something sweet.
Avoid unhealthy snacking
Snacking out of habit, boredom, stress or frustration rather than out of hunger often leads to weight gain and a range of other health problems. Non-diet soft drinks, cookies, candy, pastries, granola bars, chips, pretzels and crackers generally contain more calories, they are also high in refined carbohydrate, low in nutritional value and are less satiating than fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. According to the American Heart Association, consuming too many refined or sugar-rich foods can cause high blood triglyceride levels while decreasing levels of health-promoting HDL cholesterol and may contribute to inflammation and oxidative stress. This year, you should try to curb the urge to snack at random. Also, try to always have healthier alternatives (fruits, nuts, and seeds) around for when the urge comes and you really can’t hold it off.
Stick to a specific portion of food
Portion control will be a good way to boost your nutrition this new year. By sticking to a specific portion of food you are able to gauge the quantity of food you consume daily and this will help you maintain your desired body weight.
Eat More Seafood
Fish has far less saturated fat and the fats are of the type that has been shown to prevent heart disease and stroke and you can get all of the nutrients in fish that you would from eating red meat. Also, there is plenty of iron in fish and most seafood possess just about the same amount of iron as red meat. Eating more servings of seafood like fatty fish like tuna, salmon or halibut, etc in your diet will help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and keep you healthier.
Keeping a good nutrition means a healthy you. This coming year, resolve to maintain an overall well being by watching what you eat and how you eat.
