Learn the basics of healthy eating

With all the crazy diets out there, it’s hard to find the basics of healthy eating.

Magazines, commercial, ads and everything around us encourages us to adapt to an unhealthy diet leading us down the wrong path to nutrition.

Diets that require dramatic weight loss, for example losing three pounds per week, will often lead you to regain especially in the absence of exercise. 

In order to preserve calories, your body will soon adapt to the lower food intake, and your metabolic rate, the rate at which food is burned for energy, will be lowered. As soon as you start eating normally again, you’ll regain the pounds you lost, and maybe even gain more.

It’s not recommended to lose more one to two pounds per week. If you desire to lose 30 pounds, you can lose two pounds per week and in a matter of four months you’ll reach your desired weight.

“No, I can’t gain it all again. What can I do to lose weight and maintain a healthy body weight?”

It takes time, and also determination. Let’s go through a couple of tips that can improve your overall nutrition and health:

Eat right, exercise and have fun.

Whatever you do to become healthier, enjoy the journey and have fun with this experience. Look for classes that you’ll be interested in doing– maybe yoga, Pilates or even jiu-jitsu. 

Invite your friends over and cook a healthy recipe with a lot of veggies, protein and grains. Be grateful that you have the sources to improve your nutrition.

Enjoy your food but eat less.

I realized that I don’t need to eat as much to enjoy what I’m eating. I used to think that the more full I was, the happier I would be, but that’s not true. Take small bites and enjoy each bite as your last one. Eat slowly and chew your food properly. Also try to avoid oversized portions.

Make half of your plate fruits and vegetables.

Most people are not interested in broccoli as much as they are in pizza, but try to keep things in balance. Strange enough, I eat salad when I’m eating pizza.

First I will eat my salad with broccoli, lettuce, bell peppers, cauliflower and an assortment of nuts. After eating my healthy salad, I allow myself to eat a couple of slices of pizza.

Find a healthy snack that you can eat before enjoying your meal. Carrots and hummus are a great combination of fiber and protein.

Drink water instead of sugary drinks.

According to Wellness Mama, a single can of soda contains the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar. This amount of sugar increase the blood sugar an causes an insulin reaction to the body. It can cause further problems such as diabetes, insulin resistance, weight gain and health problems.

Drinking water also helps maintain a healthy balance of bodily fluids, and it keeps your skin hydrated. It energizes muscles and controls your calorie intake. Keep drinking water and avoid soda, chocolate shakes, energy drinks and even vitamin water.

Cook at home.

People that cook at home eat less calories, spend less money on food and have healthier diets all around. 

Cooking gives you confidence, and can improve your math skills and even your vocabulary, by measuring fractions and learning new words in recipes.

Be smart about your choices, and plan ahead.

Be organized with your meals and keep snacks with you. Fruits and grains are a great way to boost your energy and also stop unhealthy cravings.

Keep things organized and be motivated to be healthier. You can do it.

Want to be healthy? Drink this!

Have you ever stop to think how much you need water and how important it is to your body?

Water is the most important substance your body needs to prevent dehydration and survival. It makes up more than two thirds of the human body weight, and without the substance, we would die in a matter of days.

The human brain is approximately 95% water, the man’s body 60% water, and the woman’s body 50% water.

Water is the most vital substance that is involved in the processes of our body, such as: blood, heart, muscle, brain, skin, and bone.

Water serves as a lubricant, helping chewing, swallowing and also digestion. It also lubricates joints and cartilages and allows them to move more frequently. When dehydrated, one might feel friction and cause knee and back pain.

It’s important to hydrate our bodies with water to compensate that 2-3 quarts of water is lost through urination, sweating and breathing.

Water also helps the body to remove harmful toxins by reducing constipation and ensuring the waste is removed quickly and regularly before it harms the body. Drinking lots of water will diminish the burden in the kidneys and diver by fluxing out waste.

Since water is so important to body functions, it would make sense to pay a close attention to how much and how often you are consuming it.

Water can empower health and wellness, along with regular excise and a good nutrition. Stay healthy!

A version of this was published at The Vista.