Here’s to The Joy of Healthy Eating

Food is necessary for us to live – we get all our sustenance and energy from what we eat, which is why we need to eat the right kinds of foods, at the right time, and in the right amounts. We must eat to live, as opposed to living to eat, and on that note, here are a few tips if you’re looking for healthy eating habits:

• Never skip meals, especially breakfast: When you don’t eat, your body goes into starvation mode and starts conserving fat. You also feel light-headed as your blood sugar levels go down. And you’re so hungry by the time your next meal time rolls around that you eat more than you should, causing your stomach acids to go into overdrive and give you acidity problems. Skipping breakfast especially is a bad idea as your body has not had food for the past 8 or more hours and must be given sustenance so that you have enough energy to carry on throughout the day.
• Eat more meals, less amounts: Don’t fill your stomach at each meal; instead, eat five small meals a day rather than three large ones. Your blood sugar levels are regulated and you don’t put on weight. It’s also wise to maintain fixed meal times every day.
• Include fruits and vegetables: Eat more fruits and vegetables, whole wheat products, lean meats (if you must eat non-vegetarian food), low-fat dairy products, nuts, lentils, and seeds. Cut out foods that have sugar, salt and fat in large amounts as they’re not good for you. Don’t drink colas or other aerated drinks to quench your thirst – they’re loaded with sugar and calories. Stick to good old water.
• Learn to moderate: If you love junk food and are tempted to give in to your cravings most of the time, don’t deny yourself an occasional treat. This will prevent you from binging when your control is at a low.
• Cultivate healthy snack habits: Snacking is not bad per se; it’s what you eat during your snack time that decides whether your snack is good or bad. So if you feel hungry in between meals, eat fruits and raw vegetables that taste good in a salad, drink fruit juices without sugar, or go in for any healthy snack option that comes in a ready-to-eat package. If you make your snacks as large as your meals, you’re taking in more than your daily requirement of calories and will put on weight as a result.
• Don’t rush through meals: Eat leisurely, at the dining table, and away from the television. When you don’t concentrate on your food, you tend to eat more than you usually do. Chew your food well so that it’s easily digested.
• Drink water: Enough cannot be said about the benefits of drinking water; nature has given us this pure liquid to quench our thirsts and keep us from becoming dehydrated. Water also helps lose weight and keep your skin glowing and free of toxins.

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This article is contributed by Sarah Scrafford, who regularly writes on the topic of Radiology Technician Programs. She invites your questions, comments and freelancing job inquiries at her email address:
sarah.scrafford25@gmail.com
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