According to the World Health Organization (WHO), worldwide obesity has tripled since 1975. Unfortunately, that number doesn’t just impact adults. Childhood obesity is on the rise, too.
Being overweight comes with a variety of different health risks, including diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and even certain types of cancer. Of course, it’s not just your weight that could be an issue. If you’ve ever heard the saying “you are what you eat,” there is some truth to that. What you put into your body can contribute to your overall health in a positive or negative way.
While it’s important to exercise each day, even something as simple as walking around your neighborhood, nutrition is one of the biggest components of your overall health. The more you understand about how important your diet is, the more you will be able to make healthy choices when it comes to what you eat.
If you are really interested in knowing how different foods can impact your health, or if you want to help others with their own health concerns, consider an online nursing program to expand your knowledge in the healthcare industry.
But, if you just want to know how you, personally, can start making better dietary choices, keep reading! We’ve got six simple steps that can make it easy to start eating better on a daily basis.
1. Fill Your Days With Fruits and Vegetables
Perhaps the simplest (and most obvious) choice you can make when it comes to eating better is to eat more fruits and vegetables. They are easy to find, loaded with vitamins and minerals, inexpensive, and can be prepared in an endless combination of ways to suit your needs and personal taste.
Some studies have linked the intake of fruits and vegetables to a decreased risk of things like heart disease and certain cancers.
Produce is best when it is as fresh as possible, so don’t worry about cooking it too much. A simple snack of carrot, cucumbers, and a light veggie dip is a great afternoon pick-me-up! But, if you are having a hard time getting your daily intake of fruits and vegetables in, don’t be afraid to get creative and add them to your meals in “hidden” ways. For example, you can blend together a deliciously sweet fruit smoothie each morning with frozen berries and a handful of spinach. You won’t taste the greens at all, but it will add a lot of iron and vitamins to your drink.
2. Cut Back on Processed Foods
Processed foods live up to their name. A processed food is anything that has been taken from its natural agricultural form and has undergone some type of “process” to change it. Many times, this means adding an excessive amount of salt, fat, or sugar. Many processed foods contain chemicals and artificial ingredients in order to increase the shelf life of the product, making it last a long time before a consumer even purchases it.
Unfortunately, processed foods make up about 70% of the average American diet. The preservatives, sodium, and sugar in many processed foods can lead to different health conditions, and can also contribute to weight gain.
By cutting back on the number of processed foods you eat and replacing them with real, whole, raw foods, you’ll be less likely to crave the artificial ingredients often found in the processed offerings, leading to even more healthy eating choices.
3. Pay Attention to Oils
You may have the best of intentions when it comes to eating healthy, but what you add to your healthy dishes can make a big difference. For example, you might be cooking a lot of vegetables, but if you’re cooking them in vegetable oil or loading them up with margarine, it defeats the purpose.
Just because something is labeled “vegetable oil” doesn’t mean it’s healthy. In fact, vegetable oil is pure fat that is produced from a chemical extraction. It’s another processed food.
Some of the ingredients in certain types of oils can contribute to inflammation or cause weight gain or heart issues.
Healthy fats can (and should be) a part of any nutritious diet. But, you won’t find those healthy fats from vegetable oil or margarine that is laden with chemicals. If you want to cook with oil, add a small splash of extra virgin olive oil to your dish. Or, substitute the rich creaminess of margarine on your toast in the morning for a few slices of avocado.
4. Avoid Added Sugars
You might be surprised at the things sugar is added to. Everything from condiments and sauces to snack foods often have sugar added to them during processing. If you start reading labels in the grocery store and you see the words “high fructose corn syrup,” you’ll know that sugar has been added to the product you’re buying – even if the food itself isn’t meant to taste sweet.
This isn’t to say that all sweet things are bad. But, choosing sugar in its natural forms is a healthier way to go. Refined, processed sugars can increase your risk of diabetes, and you’ll also tend to crave more of it.
Instead, opt for natural choices like pure maple syrup or honey if you need a little sweetness in your dishes. They still don’t contain much nutritional value, but they are better for you than refined sugars. You might also find that the less refined, processed sugars you ingest, the less you will crave them.
5. Take Stock of What You Drink
Far too many people start making healthy food choices but ignore what they’re drinking. It’s easy to feel good about loading up your plate with vegetables and healthy, lean proteins – and you should! But, if you’re washing everything down with a large, sugary soda, you’re not doing yourself any favors.
Drinks like sodas and fruit juices not only contain a ton of added sugar, but they add empty calories. Plus, because they are so easy to ingest quickly, you could do a day’s worth of caloric damage in one sitting at a restaurant with free refills. Diet sodas aren’t any better for your health. While they contain fewer calories, they are laden with artificial sweeteners and chemicals that could cause other problems.
Even popular sports drinks can be bad for your overall diet plan. Often, they are nothing more than glorified, uncarbonated sodas with a lot of refined sugar added. Limit your intake of drinks like these, especially if you have a tendency to drink more than one with a meal. Again, this is why it’s so important to read labels as much as possible when you’re in the store. Doing so will give you a clear picture of exactly what you’re putting into your body, so you can compare different nutrition facts and make smarter choices.
Instead, opt for water as often as possible. If you like drinking soda for the bubbles, you can choose seltzer water with a squeeze of lemon. Not only will drinking more water help you to crave those sugary drinks less, but it will keep you hydrated. That can help to boost your energy levels and your focus throughout the day.
6. Make the Switch to Whole Grains
One of the simplest swaps you can make to kick start a healthier diet is to change out the refined, white flour products in your life to their whole-grain counterparts. Something like white bread doesn’t have much nutritional value. Plus, because it contains refined sugars and carbs, it will go through your system quickly and you’ll likely feel hungry a short time after eating it.
Switching to whole grain bread will keep you fuller longer, boost your fiber, and can help you to control everything from your weight to your risk of diabetes, and even certain cancers. If you’re new to the world of dietary changes, making swaps like these is a great place to start, because whole wheat items are found in every grocery store.
Understanding the Power of Your Food Choices
We certainly don’t want to take away the importance of regular exercise, as well as making positive choices for your mental health, too. But, if you truly want to take control of your overall health and wellbeing, an easy place to start is by looking at your daily diet and making better choices.
While many people want to eat better in order to lose weight, that doesn’t need to be your primary goal. If you have a history of health issues in your family, making some dietary changes can help you to feel safer about your risk levels. Or, maybe you just understand the health benefits of eating right, and you want to feel better. There is no wrong reason to start making healthier food choices, and there is certainly no wrong time.
With that in mind, start putting some of these simple steps in place today, or the next time you go to the grocery store. You might be surprised at just how easy it is to make better choices with your food, and feel the benefits of those choices right away.
