What you eat and when you eat affects the state of your health which also plays a major role in your ability to succeed in most life endeavours.
Your diet when combined with physical activity can help you reach and maintain a healthy outlook and reduce risks of chronic ailments such as type 2 diabetes and hypertension.
To achieve a healthy eating pattern, reflect on your present eating pattern and switch certain foods for healthier options.
Few things you can start changing now include:
- Drink water instead of sugary or carbonated drinks
Replace sugary or carbonated drinks with water. With a slice of lemon, cucumber, lime, apple, or fresh herbs like mint or basil, you can add flavour to your water.
- Color your plate with fruits and vegetables
Add fruits and vegetables to every meal as part of the main or side dishes. Substitute sugary desserts with fruits. The more colourful you make your plate, the more likely you are to get the vitamins, minerals, and fibre your body needs to be healthy.
- Prepare healthy snacks
Prepare a fresh and healthy snack made of fruits, veggies, nuts, or seeds. Use these foods as fillings instead of meats and sugary foods.
- Control portions
No argument that finger-licking dishes can very well make you ask for more just like Oliver Twist. However, it is important to always aim for small portions. The recommended portion sizes depending on the age, gender, and activity level of an individual.
- Keep an eating schedule
It is important to keep a strict eating schedule. Eat only at the scheduled time. The schedule can vary based on health needs and lifestyle. Some people use an 8-8-8 eating schedule where they eat three meals a day at 8 hours apart. Others use 12-12 where they eat 2 meals a day at 12 hours apart. Others use 16-8 where they eat 2 meals a day at 16 hours between the last meal of the previous day and the first meal of the present day and then they eat within another 8 hours of the present day.
- Avoid fasting for a very long time
While fasting is the hype we do not recommend less than 2 meals a day. This is because it is not easy to get all your nutritional needs in one meal a day. We acknowledge the weight loss benefits of fasting but it is still important to pay attention to your nutritional needs.
