Do you want to eat healthy, but don't know where to start?
Best from the start. Organize your habits. Here are 6 tips to help you eat better. The key to success is understanding that healthy eating is not a temporary diet to help us lose weight, but a permanent change in eating habits. Imagine this situation: you engage in a restrictive diet that will probably last for several months. You struggle with limitations, you agree to sacrifices, you ignore hunger and fatigue because you have a goal! In the end, you achieve the result, you lose unnecessary kilograms. And what's next? You go back to your old way of eating because you are no longer on a diet. Kilograms come back, motivation for further attempts decreases ... Do you know it? Not the way! Spartans don't give up! Be unbreakable and prove to yourself that you can permanently take care of your health and well-being. Here are some simple changes you can implement in your life right now: • Eat regularly - This is not about eating with a clock in your hand at fixed times, but about keeping the time between meals and eating at similar times. Over time, when the body gets used to them, it will let you know when it's time to eat. Try to eat a constant number of meals during the day, 3 to 5 will be optimal. It all depends on your daily caloric needs, daily routine, health condition and level of physical activity.
• Do not snack between meals - Try to keep at least 3-4 hours between meals. Give your body time to digest food and use the energy it has taken in properly. The last meal of the day, eat at least 2-3 hours before bedtime.
• Eat more vegetables - Vegetables are a great source of vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants, which is everything that every person needs, and above all, an athlete. They should be an important part of your diet and be part of your daily menu. It will be best to eat them raw, although it is known that not everyone is suitable for this. Try to cook vegetables briefly, a good option is to steam them and serve them with a small amount of fat, which will allow the assimilation of fat-soluble vitamins (vitamin A, D, E, K). Feel free to use vegetable juices, soups and cocktails with the addition of vegetables.
• Stay hydrated - every day, an adult should drink 1.5-2 liters of water. This amount should increase as the ambient temperature increases and during physical exertion. You can use additives such as lemon, mint, ginger or other fruits to the water and include herbal infusions in your diet. Adequate hydration is crucial for the proper functioning of your body. It affects both the work of internal organs and muscles, blood flow, elasticity of the skin and fascia, digestive and regenerative processes, as well as the condition of the skin and cleansing the body. Too little fluid intake will cause, among others, worse mood, muscle cramps, headaches, dry skin and mucous membranes, problems with proper regeneration, concentration and defecation.
• Get enough sleep - sleep is one of the most important human life processes. It allows for rest, regeneration and growth and development of the body. An adult needs about 7-8 hours for proper functioning. Lack of sleep will cause not only a sense of fatigue, problems with maintaining a healthy body weight, concentration or reduced efficiency during the day. It will also significantly affect sports performance and training effectiveness. Sleep is the best time for the changes you want to induce through training to be remembered by your body. So if you train hard to get in better shape, and on the day of the competition you want to enjoy the best performance, remember to give your body time to rest in sleep.
• Limit the consumption of sugar and processed products - sugar, apart from adding a sweet taste and providing calories, does not bring any additional nutritional value to your body. It also burdens the liver, adversely affects the work of the heart and circulatory system. It is very addictive and can cause skin and digestive problems. Therefore, sugar is a product that you can successfully reduce or, preferably, completely eliminate from your diet. There are other sources of simple sugars, which, in addition to calories, will provide you with additional minerals, vitamins or fiber. These are, for example, fresh and dried fruit, honey, white bread, rice and dairy products due to the content of natural lactose. If you are a big fan of sweets and you know that it will not be easy for you to give them up completely, use the small steps method. Gradually reduce their consumption, try to satisfy your craving for sweets with fruit, snacks based on dates or occasionally those with the addition of xylitol or erythritol, give up sweet drinks and fruit juices. Instead of fruit juice, it is better to eat the whole fruit. Thanks to this, you will provide yourself with more vitamins and fiber, you will feel more full, and at the same time you will consume less sugar and calories. Gradually reduce or completely give up sweetening coffee or tea. Remember that honey is also sugar (fructose) and if you want to reduce your calorie intake, replacing sugar with honey will not be a good idea. Also avoid eating ready-made, highly processed products (such as: breakfast cereals, ready-made sauces and powdered soups, instant meals, salty sticks, chips, nuts, some cold cuts and canned meats, sweet rolls, spreads, sweetened drinks, flavored beers and alcohol in general. They contain a lot of hidden sugar, unfavorable hardened fats and preservatives. Remember, the shorter the composition, the better.
6 steps that, when implemented permanently, will primarily allow you to feel better, stay healthy, improve your physical condition, and the loss of a few kilograms will certainly be a side effect.
