Find out the basics of eating healthily this National Nutrition Month.
Yo-yo diets, green smoothie concoctions, and social media influences have all tempted us into bettering our eating habits. If that hasn 't done it for you, the benefits of healthy eating will: improve longevity, lower your risk of disease, give you more energy, help you live well, and optimize health. When spring comes around, March welcomes National Nutrition Month. As our nutrition directly affects our physical and mental health, it 's time to find out how to improve your diet!
Choose whole, natural foods. Ditch the processed items.
Processed foods are anything that come in a box, can, package, etc. Most of your food should be fresh, and the bulk of this should lie in fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, and legumes.
Eat healthy protein.
Swap out your animal-based protein for plant-based, which offers cleaner energy, a lower environmental footprint, and a much healthier substitute. Think of quinoa, soy, buckwheat, tofu, tempeh, and hummus, among others.
Choose unrefined over refined foods.
Aim to up your intake of whole grains like brown rice, millet, quinoa, beans, and legumes. Clean sugars include things like maple syrup or dates. Watch out for refined sugars in what you'd least expect - such as taco seasoning or canned foods.
Watch out for fat, salt, and sugar.
This is much easier than you think, especially if you 've cut out processed foods (which are responsible for excess salt, fat, and sugar). Clean foods are usually low in all of these ingredients.
Don 't drink your calories.
High-calorie drinks, such as soda and specialty coffees, are easy to drink and even easier to pile on the pounds. Many of these drinks tack on an extra 400 to 500 calories a day! Choose water first, or tea, almond milk, or freshly squeezed juice.
Get moving.
We couldn 't have a nutritional post without adding one of the key factors in maintaining health: exercise. Regular physical exercise decreases fat, strengthens muscles, and keeps your body healthy and strong. In short, it 's a must!
For tips on how to
improve your heart health, check out these tips!
While you focus on bettering your health, visit the team at Lofgren Agency to secure the right health insurance for your needs. Serving Hudson and surrounding metropolitan areas in New York,
visit us today!
