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At a glance, the healthy eating concept seems like an easy one to grasp but the reality is that it means different things to different people. For some, it means skipping meals. For others, it means eating only foods that can help them to achieve their weight loss goals. There are still some others who think the concept is about expunging the sugars and the fat from their meals. The result of these conflicting opinions is that many people who want to cultivate the habit of healthy eating are either confused or discouraged.

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Today we will attempt to demystify healthy eating by explaining what it means to eat healthily. Guess what? Healthy Eating doesn’t have to be complicated or restrictive. In fact, it is simply the practice of feeding the body with the right quantity of nutrients that it needs to flourish. Moderation and self-control is the guiding principle of healthy eating. That said, if you want to eat healthily, the following tips can help you:

Make Water Your Friend

Don’t wait till you are thirsty to drink water and when you feel a need for a cool, refreshing drink, go for water. It may be tasteless but it offers more satisfaction than most sugary beverages. Water is also more beneficial to health too. It keeps the mouth clean. It aids weight loss and helping the body organs to function effectively. Therefore, if you want to eat healthily, drink more water.

Avoid Skipping Meals

You should eat three square meals a day, healthy ones at that. Don’t be too busy to eat. Good food provides you with the energy to get through the day. Lest I forget, don’t skip breakfast. It’s the most important meal of the day.

Consume Healthy Foods

If you want to eat healthily, then you must learn to eat right. Eating right means eating foods that are drawn from all the food groups. Healthy Eating is not about banishing one food group, rather, it is an all-inclusive diet eaten in moderation. When foods are drawn from the different food groups, they supply the body with the different nutrients that it needs. This, in turn, increases the body’s resistance to diseases.

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Cook More Meals At Home

Eating out is convenient. But regular consumption of processed food is not good for health. This is why you should take charge of your cooking. When you cook more meals at home, you’ll know what goes into your food. You’ll be able to monitor the carbs, the salt and the unhealthy fat. You’ll enjoy more wholesome meals as a result.

Go Easy On The Salt

It’s true that the body needs sodium to keep the body fluids at the right concentration. But too much of it is bad. It can cause a spike in blood pressure and it can also lead to heart disease. So, cut down on foods that are high in salt. Eat more fresh foods and cut back on the processed foods. If you must eat processed foods, read the labels so that you can know how much salt they contain.

Control Portion Sizes

Most of us grew up in homes where we were frequently ordered to finish our food. So, we got into the habit of cleaning our plates. While this habit reduces food waste, it doesn’t take the calories in the foods into consideration. It also doesn’t consider the plate size which is usually large and generously filled. The result is that most of us overeat and are overweight. But the fact that we grew up this way doesn’t mean that we are irredeemable. If we want to, we can still learn to eat healthily. There are ways to do this. We can reduce the quantity of food that we eat; eating with smaller plates can help us achieve this. Self-control can help us too. If we can restrain ourselves from going for seconds even if the food is our favourite or a very delicious one, then, we will be well on our way to success.

Limit The Snacks You Have At Home

If you have temptation calling your name at every turn, you will just keep falling yakata. Snack is an obvious temptation. If you keep stashes of unhealthy treats at home, eating in moderation will be difficult for you to practice. In conclusion, healthy eating is attainable but you must be disciplined in working with these tips. Sources: Help Guide Self Featured Image Source: Zuwanu

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This article was first published on 10th March 2021

udevi-obiamaka-angela

Udevi, Obiamaka Angela holds a Master of Arts degree in History & International Studies. She's a freelance writer with a passion for food and healthy living. She can be contacted through her email address, obiudevi@yahoo.com