One of the resolutions you can stick with this New Year is choosing to live healthy. Living healthy involves eating a balanced diet, snacking appropriately and exercising regularly. When you choose to make a healthy choice every day, not only are you improving your physical appearance, you are also boosting your immune system and protecting your mental health. You don’t have to be overweight before you start to live healthy as living healthy is very essential regardless of your physical appearance.
So, here are some of the practices that encourage living healthy:
1. Snack healthy Once in a while, you might have the urge to chew something. Typically, the first thing you just want to grab is a candy bar or a cookie. This is not a right choice if you are on a healthy living journey. Snacking is not the problem, snacking with unhealthy foods is the problem. Whenever you feel like chewing something, grab a healthy snack like an apple, carrot, mango, etc. Snacking can be an effective way to fit vital nutrients into your daily nutritional value. So be wise and snack healthy. Snacking with a fruit or vegetable guarantees lesser calories. And snacking in between meals will also prevent you from overeating during meal time.
2. Eat a balanced diet Eating a balanced diet is one of the essential things when choosing to live healthy. A balanced diet can reduce your risk for diseases and can also help you maintain your weight. To have a balanced diet, there are five main food groups: starchy foods like bread, pasta, rice and yams; fruit and vegetables; milk and other dairy products; sources of protein like meat, fish, eggs, beans; and foods high in fat or sugar. It is important to balance your meal in an appropriate fashion. Be sure to eat the correct balance of foods from the food groups so as to keep body healthy.
3. Don’t skip breakfast Mornings can get very busy; so busy that you forget to grab a bite. However, if living healthy is your goal, you have to make breakfast a priority. Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day. When you have slept through the night and your stomach is empty, it is smart to refuel. Nutritionists have advised that breakfast should be eaten within two hours of waking up. Be sure that you have a healthy breakfast like oatmeal, two slices of bread and an egg, some fruits or your favorite cereal.
If you are a very busy person and can’t sit long enough to eat, grab something like an apple or make a smoothie. The National Health Service (NHS) says that “Eating breakfast has long term health benefits. It can reduce obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.”
4. Keep a food journal Whether you are trying to lose weight or stay healthy, a food journal is a great way to keep track of your food intake. You might think that you know what you eat every day, but you’ll be surprised by the number of things you have missed. A food journal is accurate and can help you plan out your meals. With a food diary, you can see the things you eat, know what you need to keep out of your diet and the things you need to add to the mix. The food diary will also help you make healthier choices because every time you write an unhealthy meal you had, when you go through the diary at the end of the day, you’ll be more conscious of the food you eat and eventually make healthier choices.
5. Ditch soda, drink water The number one great thing about water is that it has no calories. You can never drink too much water. When your liquid intake does not measure up to your output, you may be at risk of dehydration. It is advisable that you substitute water for higher calorie beverages like soda, wine amongst others. This will help your body immensely, not only will you be foregoing calories, you will also be energizing your muscles. If you are not adequately hydrated, you risk constipation because water keeps things flowing, and adequate hydration keeps things smooth along your gastrointestinal tract. It doesn’t matter if it is hot water or cold water; the important thing is staying hydrated. When you take a meal, go for water rather than soda or any other calorie beverage. Leave calorie beverages for special occasions or ‘cheat’ days.
6. Exercise as much as you can. Eating healthy and drinking water is great but staying physically active while making the right food choices is the cherry on top for living healthy. You don’t have to be overweight to exercise. Exercise burns fat as well as wards off unwanted fats. If you can’t find time to exercise every day, make great choices like taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Exercise can also prevent high blood pressure and put you in a good mood. But be sure to check with your physician before starting an unusual exercise routine.
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