Who Else Wants to Know About Healthy Eating Habits?

The English dictionary defined habit as ‘something which you do often and regularly, sometimes without knowing that you are doing it.’ In other words, you should see eating healthy foods as your second nature. Healthy eating habits are your password to a healthier body and mind. Many of you know the healthy foods you should eat but have not actually formed a habit of eating them. Here are the top 10 habits that guarantee you eat healthy.

Eating Right (Healthy Habits)

1. Maintain Balanced Diets: You should make sure, at all times, that the foods you eat contain all essential-for-health nutrients at the right quantities. These nutrients – vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates & fats – are required and are fundamental for your proper and healthy body function. When you eat unbalanced diets over a long period of time, you are likely to be deficient in the nutrients, which can result in health problems such as anaemia, heart disease, low immunity, cancer, etc.

2.      More of Natural Foods: As a matter of healthy eating habit, always eat more of healthy fresh foods than processed ones. You should, more often than not, prefer fresh over frozen, dried or canned foods. Fresh healthy foods taste better and are rich in a variety of high quality nutrients like vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, enzymes, flavonoids, fats, carbohydrates, proteins, etc. Processed foods, on the contrary, have some unhealthy additives and chemicals, some of them, picked up by the foods during the production process. Use them sparingly.

3.    More of Raw Foods: Eating raw foods should form part of your healthy eating habit. Foods like vegetables, salads, nuts, seeds and low sugar fruits are best eaten raw, and should be consumed on a daily basis. Raw foods are higher in nutrients and are easier to digest than cooked ones. The only foods that need to be cooked are meats, beans, grains and some vegetables in order to make them edible.

4.   Eat Fibre-Rich Foods Regularly: Fibre is non-digestible carbohydrate found in healthy foods. These foods are good for digestion and elimination. The usual sources are vegetables, fruits, beans, grains, nuts and seeds.

5.   Cultured & Fermented Foods: It is important that you regularly consume unpasteurized fermented foods like yogurt. These kinds of foods are pre-digested and are high in friendly bacteria and enzymes that provide you with numerous health benefits – preventing intestinal infections; keeping intestinal lining healthy; lowering cholesterol levels; etc.

6.    Variety is the Spice of Life: By eating a variety of healthy foods, you will make available to your body system a wide spectrum of nutrients. These nutrients, which are gotten from the food groups, are vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, fats, flavonoids, etc. These, no doubt, enhance your healthy living.

7. Proper Mastication: Chew your foods very well. Do not rush your chewing. This is a very good and effective way of initiating digestion. You need to know that digestion starts in the mouth as saliva gets mixed with the food during chewing. The need for proper digestion can never be overstressed.

8.   Steam, Not Cook Vegetables: Vegetables should be steamed, not cooked. This is the only way to prevent vitamin loss from the vegetables. When you expose them to higher temperatures through undue prolonged cooking, the nutrients get lost.

9.   Make a List: Make a list of the foods you like to eat but should avoid with the corresponding healthy food substitutes. Keep the list handy at all times. It will help you make a healthy food choice on daily basis.

10.   Do Not Eat In-Between Meals: Eating in-between meals is an unhealthy eating habit. Hunger is a signal that indicates that your body desires, needs and is ready for more food. A bite here, a taste there and the calories mount. If you hunger in-between meals, take fruits as snacks as that could be a way of keeping overweight at bay.

Developing healthy eating habits for yourself does not need to be a stressful experience. Make a commitment to yourself today. Take it one day at a time. Keep a positive attitude. Don’t forget, you are developing healthy eating habits that will last for your entire lifetime, thereby making your life worth the while as far as healthy living is concerned. Make it a pleasant journey!

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