Health and nutrition have been a topic for many decades. Even qualified professionals often appear to support opposing opinions. However, despite all the misunderstandings, an array of wellness tips are fully supported by research. Here are ten beneficial lifestyle ideas for adults that are truly rooted in sound science.
1. Take a different type of foods.
For healthy living, our bodies require about 40 different nutrients that are not attainable by eating one type of food. Try taking a well-balanced diet, and over time you’ll notice the change. Single meal regardless of how it’s nutritious can never make you stay healthy. Note:
- A low-fat dinner could precede a high-fat lunch
- If you cook meat for dinner, then make fish your next day’s choice
2. Make carbohydrates to be your base diet.
Our bodies require calories to serve us with the energy we need to go about our duties. And almost half of these calories are obtained by consuming foods rich in carbohydrates including cereals, pasta, rice, bread and potatoes. It, therefore, a good idea to at least include one of the above foods at every meal. Carbohydrates are useful for providing us with the energy we need to concur the day.
3. Substitute saturated with unsaturated fat
Well, fats are quite essential for healthy living and proper working of the body. But, excessive intake of fats can negatively impact our cardiovascular and weight health. Also, fats come in distinct types which will affect your health differently; here are some of the tips to keep us on track:
- By all means, we ought to lower the uptake of saturated fats (in most cases coming from associated with animals), and doing away with Trans fats. In essence, you can read the manufacturer’s instructions to know the sources.
- Eat fish 2 or 3 times in a week, with no less than one portion of oily fish, that will significantly contribute to our correct consumption of unsaturated fats.
- While cooking, we should steam, boil or bake, instead of frying, use vegetable oils and remove the fatty part of the meat.
4. Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits.
It’s obvious, fruits and vegetables are essential foods for providing us with sufficient minerals, fibre and vitamins. It, therefore, a necessity to take no less than five portions a day. For instance, you can take a glass of blended juice for breakfast, a piece of watermelon and an apple as a snack, and perhaps a substantial portion of different vegetables during each meal. Remember, the veggies should only be steamed lightly to prevent nutrients loss.
5. Minimize sugar and salt intake
Did you know that high consumption of salt and sugar can cause high blood pressure and increase the chances of cardiovascular disease? Some of the simple and manageable ways of lowering the intake of salts in the diet includes:
- While shopping, we’d select products that have lower sodium level
- While cooking, salt can be replaced with spices, use a variety of flavors and tastes
- While easting, avoid bringing salt at the table or try not to add salt before tasting foods.
On the other hand, sugar comes with attractive and sweetness taste; however, sugary drinks and foods offer energy in abundance and are suitably enjoyed in restraint, as a usual treat. We’d use fruit as an alternative to sweeten our drinks and foods.
6. Eat consistently, manage the portion size
Eating a wide range of foods, consistently, in the right quantity is an excellent way for a healthy lifestyle. Skipping meals, mainly breakfast, can lead to suicidal hunger, many times, causing in helping over-eating. Snacking in between meals can aid in controlling appetite; however, snacking shouldn’t substitute the right meals. Some of the snacks we’d choose are like yoghurt, carrot sticks, fresh or dried fruits, bread with cheese and perhaps unsalted nuts.
Keeping a close eye on the serving size will enable us to avoid taking too many calories, and will allow us to choose foods that we enjoy, without eliminating any. Some other helpful measures to look at this point include:
- We should cook the right amount of food to cut down overeating
- Some of the appropriate portion sizes are: half a cup of raw pasta, 100g of meat, one piece of fruit
- We can use smaller plates during smaller portions
- Packaged foods, having calorie value indicated on the pack, is a right way of controlling portion size
- When eating out, try to share a serving with a friend
7. Drink a lot of fluids
Adults are advised to drink no less than 1.5 liters of fluids each day. Or even more, if it is sunny or when you on a physical exercise routine. And it goes without saying, water is the best source. Whether it’s mineral or tap water, we should ensure that they’re clean and safe. Also, soft drinks, tea, fruit juice and many other drinks can all work okay – occasionally.
8. Keep a healthy body weight.
The appropriate of each of us is dependent on some aspects like height, gender, genes, and age. Being a victim of overweight and obesity puts you at a higher risk of many diseases, including heart diseases, cancer, and diabetes.
The extra body fat that we might have is as a result of eating more than we need. These excess calories may come from any caloric food substance – fat, protein, carbohydrates or even alcohol. However, fat is a significant source of calories. We can go for physical activities to help us spend more store energy and enables us to feel good. The point here is elementary: In case we’re gaining more weight, we need to take less and stay active!
9. Get moving; make it a routine!
Getting started with physical activity is essential for individuals of all weight verities and health conditions. It assists us in burning excess calories; it keeps or increases our muscle mass; it’s ideal for circulatory and heart system and helps us to focus. Professional physicians recommend 150 minutes per week of consistent moderate physical activity. And we should make part of our daily routine. Some of the things we’d do to make this a reality includes:
- Prefer using stairs over an elevator
- Take a walk during lunch break (and don’t sit in our office without stretching or changing positions)
- Create time for a family outdoor activity
10. Begin now! And keep improving progressively.
Progressive changes that built our lifestyle are hassle-free to maintain that significant changes that are brought on board all at a go. We’d jot down the drinks and foods we eat all day and put on the record of the movement we made. It would be quite easy to note where we’d do better:
- Do without breakfast? A piece of bread, a small bowl of muesli or fruit could assist in introducing it to our routine
- Fewer fruits and veggies? To begin with, we can bring in an extra-piece daily
- Best-loved foods high in fat? Doing away with them instantly could fail, and make us go back to our old way of life. The simple solution we can do is by selecting the low-fat option as an alternative, eat them less often, and in smaller servings.
- Too less activity? Walking on the stairs could be the first excellent step.