Healthy Eating Tips: 10 Ways to Change Your Life

It’s not always easy to change how and what you eat. If you’re reading this article, maybe you are interested in doing that. You’ve come to the right place! We will discuss 10 healthy eating tips to try so you can gain control of your life.

If you are interested in losing weight or eating better, then thinking about what you intake daily is imperative. Are you drinking too many sugary drinks? Skipping breakfast? Or maybe you are just eating too much. Hopefully, this article can help.

If you are short on time, here is the rundown:

Eat Breakfast

Eating a healthy breakfast is essential for overall well-being. By doing so, you are starting your day off right. This will give you a boost of energy, get your metabolism moving, and reduce the likelihood of reaching for unhealthy snacks a couple of hours after waking up.

Christy C. Tangney, Ph.D. – Rush Medical Center, says that “Studies have found that although people who skip breakfast eat slightly fewer calories during the day, they tend to have higher body mass index or BMI…” This means that eating breakfast supports losing weight and potentially helps to avoid diseases linked to obesity.

You will get more nutrients, eat less unhealthy foods, have a better chance to lose weight, and have increased cognition. Don’t skip breakfast!

Stay Hydrated

The human body is about 60% water. This shows that it’s extremely important to take in enough liquid on a daily basis. Water helps to improve heart health, body temperature regulation, and muscle function. We can only live for about three days without proper hydration, so it’s certainly important when discussing healthy eating tips.

Kevin R. Stone, MD, says, “Drinking water is like washing out your insides. The water will cleanse the system, fill you up, decrease your caloric load, and improve the function of all your tissues.”

Water helps to keep you full, and overall promote great health. If you are having trouble with your diet, start with making sure you stay hydrated.

Decrease Sugar

Ingesting too much sugar is linked to obesity, heart problems, diabetes, high blood pressure, inflammation, and many other ailments. The risks of these problems are greatly reduced with a change in diet. Most of your sugar should be coming from fruits, so be sure to read food labels carefully to ensure you are not buying too many items with added sugar.

It’s not as simple as substituting sweets with artificial sweeteners. This is also ineffective, as they tend to trick your body into thinking it’s eating sugar, which leads to increased cravings for the actual thing. First, try drinking water or seltzer (not sweetened) water instead of sodas. You will see a big difference!

Gary Taubes, The Case Against Sugar, said, “Sugar does induce the same responses in the region of the brain known as the “reward center”—technically, the nucleus accumbens—as do nicotine, cocaine, heroin, and alcohol. Addiction”

Pass the Salt

According to the WHO, reducing salt intake (to less than 5 grams a day) would save about 2.5 million lives each year. Less salt means a reduced chance of high blood pressure, heart disease, heart attack, stroke, and many other potential problems. Our diets and foods we typically buy are loaded with salt, so it’s important to choose wisely when shopping or going out to eat.

Look for foods that are naturally salty, rather than food that has a lot of additives. Try to add eggs, nuts, grains, and dairy products to your diet instead of getting the fast-food French fries. It is important to have some salt in your diet, but too much can certainly be harmful.

Eat More Fruit/Vegetables

When is the last time you ate 5 servings of fruits and vegetables in a day? If your answer is today or yesterday, then you’re off to a great start! If you can’t remember the last time this occurred, then it might be time for a change.

Fruits and vegetables, as we all know, are a great source of vitamins and minerals. They contribute to better health in general, as well as a reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, cancers, and other ailments. Another great benefit is that they taste great! I would much rather have a banana than another unhealthy sugary snack.  

As physician, Michael Greger puts it, “We should all be eating fruits and vegetables as if our lives depend on it – because they do.”

Eat Fish

Try eating fish for a couple of meals a week. If you find yourself eating a lot of red meat, substitute fish on occasion. Fish is another food that has nutrients such as Vitamin D and protein that help our body stay healthy. We can’t avoid all of the research done on omega 3 fatty acids being linked to brain and body functioning. What a superfood!

You will lower your risk of certain diseases when you eat fish, as well as enhance your mental health (according to some research studies). If you need healthy eating tips, improve overall by eating more fish.

A research study titled Seafood Consumption and Components for Health concluded that “People have come to realize the importance of seafood in our diet. Numerous studies have proved that some of the best sources of excellent fats, protein, vitamins, and minerals that promote health can be found in seafood. It is unfortunate that it took so many years for the health benefits of seafood to be realized.”

Slow Your Eating Pace

How fast do you eat? If you finish your plate in less than five minutes, try re-evaluating your eating speed. When you eat slowly, your body tends to get full quicker, and you will typically eat less. Eating at a slower pace also leads to better digestion. Try to give yourself 20-30 minutes to finish a meal.

This may be a hard habit to kick, but the speed that you eat is definitely within your control. Be mindful of how much and how fast you are chewing. Set a timer if you have to.

Dr. Susan Albers reminds us, “Mindful eating is about awareness. When you eat mindfully, you slow down, pay attention to the food you’re eating, and savor every bite.” Instead of rushing through your meals, take your time, and enjoy the moment.

Eat More Protein

Eating protein tends to reduce hunger which will promote weight loss. In addition, it will help your metabolism and contribute to burning more fat. Our bodies need protein for muscle growth, strength, and overall good health, so don’t miss out on this macronutrient.

Medlineplus.gov discusses the importance of protein in the diet stating that “Proteins are the building blocks of life. Every cell in the human body contains protein. The basic structure of protein is a chain of amino acids. You need protein in your diet to help your body repair cells and make new ones. Protein is also important for growth and development in children, teens, and pregnant women.”

Be sure to have enough protein in your daily diet. You will feel less hungry, snack less often, and improve your health in general.

Reduce Fast Food

High fast food intake decreases cognition, increases body weight, increases your risk of disease, and decreases energy. Eating some fast food always seems like a good idea when you are having a craving, but don’t you typically just feel bad after ingesting it? That is certainly a bad sign that it’s not good for you, and a list of healthy eating tips can not ignore this.

Fast food is loaded with fat, salt, sugar, and other ingredients that lead to decreased health. It has a negative effect on the skin, bone, and mental health. Try to limit fast food to once a month if you need to have it.

As the late chef and TV host Anthony Bourdain put it, “Oh yes, there’s lots of great food in America. But the fast-food is about as destructive and evil as it gets. It celebrates a mentality of sloth, convenience, and a cheerful embrace of food we know is hurting us.”

Make a Meal Plan

Developing a routine to plan your meals for the week will ultimately lead you to focus on what you are eating daily. You will end up making a grocery list that is healthier, instead of just shopping on the fly. Pick some healthy meals that you enjoy, then add them to your calendar. You will eat better and probably save money from planning with these healthy eating tips!

“Food is not just calories, it is information. It talks to your DNA and tells it what to do. The most powerful tool to change your health, environment and entire world is your fork.” – Dr. Mark Hyman

Final Remarks

You don’t have to do all of these to begin changing your life. Getting healthy takes time and effort. It’s not easy! Start building good habits and adding more as you progress into a life that you’re happy with.