It’s natural to desire to give your diet a little rethinking after a few weeks of overindulgence over the holidays. It’s completely logical that one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions is to live more healthily and changing up your diet is most of the time the first on the to-do list. However, if you’re serious about altering your eating habits, you should take small but steady steps to make sure these changes stick.
Many people make a mistake by going on extremely restrictive diets and there’s no surprise they burn out after a couple of weeks and go back to their overeating tendencies. So, in order to make a truly positive impact on your lifestyle and health, make sure to carry on reading our best tips on how to eat healthily starting today.
Up your fiber intake
One of the biggest detriments to today’s convenient diets is that many people simply don’t intake enough fiber. An adult should ingest around 30 to 40 grams of fiber daily, to ensure they will have regular and painless bowel movements and proper digestion. One of the best ways to increase your fiber intake is to opt for whole-grain options for your pasta and bread.
Also, instead of chips, try snacking on fruit and veggies. Fruits are great when paired with healthy nuts or nut butter and veggies can be made tastier with some hummus or even low-fat ranch dip. Also, when you eat potatoes, don’t peel them since the peel has so much of that lovely fiber we all need. However, make sure not to go overboard with your fiber intake since it can result in bloating and painful digestion.
Don’t focus on the scale
When starting out a health journey, most people focus on the numbers. Counting calories and watching the numbers on the scale go down week after week can be quite addicting. Also, when you hit the weight plateau, you may feel discouraged, feel as if eating healthily is not worth it, and go back to your old habits.
This is why many dieticians recommend you ditch the scale and calorie counting and try to listen to your body’s signals more closely. Pay attention to how you feel after every meal and collect data on it. Consider which foods make you feel satisfied and integrate them into your diet while taking out things that make you feel drowsy.
Low calorie is not always the healthiest options
While you start rebuilding your dietary habits from the ground up, you should stay focused on getting healthy products that taste good. For example, celery, which is low-calorie and high in fiber, has a wide range of health benefits. However, if you simply don’t enjoy eating it, don’t make yourself suffer. Just replace it with something just as healthy.
Another example would be low-calorie ice cream and sweets. While one bowl of regular ice cream would satiate your craving and leave you feeling happy and satisfied, when eating low-calorie ice cream, you may feel enticed to eat the entire tub since it’s not as fattening. This means that you can always have your comfort food if you think about it in advance.
Eat mindfully
Whenever you sit down to eat, you should treat yourself to a meal perfectly sized to suit your dietary needs. This means that you should have a hearty dose of lean protein, veggies, and starchy whole grains. However, don’t run out to get seconds right after you’ve finished your plate. Check-in with yourself and wait for a couple of minutes in order to figure out whether you’re full or not.
Our bodies need some time to create hormones that send satiety signals to our bodies, which is why it’s so easy to overeat when you consume food quickly and while you’re distracted. So, chew slowly and eat mindfully. Don’t scroll social media or watch TV during your meals but talk with your loved ones and be wary of every bite.
Snacks are amazing
Many people try to avoid snacks when they’re on a specific diet. However, snacks can be a great way to get nutritious foods into your system. Think of snacks as bridges leading you to your next meal. They should always consist of small portions of protein, healthy fats, and carbohydrates to keep you satisfied for longer. A great idea is to have a protein bar and a small fruit or a couple of rice cakes with peanut butter and an apple.
Wrapping up
When optimizing your diet after the holiday season, you should have a couple of things in mind. Firstly, make sure to up the amount of fiber you get throughout the day by eating whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Make sure to be fully focused on your meals while eating and choose only the healthiest foods you enjoy. Also, don’t be afraid of snacking since snacks can be a fun way to get all the nutrients you’ll need in your full day of eating.
By Lucas Bergman
